The Ventura College softball team traveled to Moopark to take on the Raiders and claimed an important 9-1 win. VC is still alive in the playoff race, but needs to win out to give themselves the best opportunity for a berth got started on the right foot. Behind 15 hits the Pirates offense put up nine runs with Lindsey Dietz, Julia Garcia, Justine De La Rosa and Karinna Carrillo each picking up multiple hits.
Sitting in fourth place Ventura (21-13, 8-5) faces off with the three teams ahead of them five times over their final six games starting with Moorpark. Ventura went scoreless in the first two frames, but got on the board in the third with one run and then plated two more in the fourth. A single run in the fifth put VC 4-1 heading into the sixth inning when their offense exploded four five more runs and put them up 9-1 and after a scoreless bottom of the sixth the game was ended due to the eight run rule. This was the Pirates sixth run rule win of the season and their second one in conference play.
Dietz had two hits including a triple and one RBI. Garcia knocked out three hits for VC with a triple and three RBI of her own. De La Rosa drove in three runs on two hits with a double to help the Pirate attack. Finally, Carrillo was the last Pirate with multiple hits and had a double in helping Ventura to the important conference win.
Olivia Hernandez went to the circle for Ventura and pitched a stellar game in earning the win. Hernandez allowed just five hits in the game and stymied the first place Raiders attack.
Ventura will now be off until Tuesday Apr. 19 when they host Santa Barbara City for another important Western State Conference doubleheader. It will start a string of five straight home games for the Pirates and the doubleheader will get under way at 1:00 pm.