Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, the Pirate softball team scored twice to bring home a 4-3 win in their 2015 home finale Monday afternoon. Marina Coffin slapped a single to score Claira Lozano from third base for the decisive run. Carly Camarillo came on in relief on the mound with five scoreless innings while giving up one hit to pick up the win.
Oxnard took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, and scored two more runs in the third.
The Pirates finally got some offense going in the fifth inning. Yamilex Ruiz reached second on an error and Mariah Gamboa singled, moving Ruiz to third. Camarillo had a long sacrifice fly to right field to score Ruiz and VC was on the board. Claira Lozano singled, moving Gamboa to third and Farris Burke walked to load the bases. Coffin flied out to right field, scoring Gamboa on a sacrifice, but Burke was tagged out at second base to end the inning. VC trailed 3-2.
After a scoreless sixth, the Pirates began the bottom of the seventh with a walk by Gamboa. Camarillo laid down a sacrifice bunt and Lozano followed with an RBI triple to tie the game. Coffin singled to right field to score Lozano, securing the Pirate victory.
Coffin was 1-2 at the plate with two RBI while Gamboa was 2-2 with two runs scored. Lozano was 2-3 with an RBI while scoring the game-winning run.
The Pirates (15-18, 8-4) are currently a game ahead of Cuesta (6-4), two games in the win column, for second place in the Western State Conference Gold Division and the conference's second automatic playoff berth. The Cougars have five games remaining, including one against front-running Hancock, while VC has three games remaining. The Pirates will travel to Los Angeles Pierce on Thursday April 16 before traveling to Cuesta on Tuesday April 21 for a season-ending double-header.