The Ventura College softball team entered the final five games of the season needing to win five straight to earn their way into the State playoffs. Thanks to a late season hot streak VC accomplished their goal by sweeping Cuesta on the final day of the regular season with a 2-0 win and 12-7 victory. The wins pushed VC into second place and the automatic berth. Julia Garcia collected five hits with Julianne Abeloe and Justine De La Rosa adding three hits to the Pirate attack.
Ventura 2 Cuesta 0
In the opener of the doubleheader Ventura received a sterling pitching performance from Olivia Hernandez who shut down the Cougar attack over seven innings. Her offense picked her up with a single run in the first and a single run in the sixth inning for the victory. The Pirate offense knocked out eight hits in the game paced by the two hit game from Garcia who drove in one of the two Pirate runs. Abeloe and Lindsey Dietz each had triples for the VC offense. De La Rosa collected two hits in the win. The other Pirate run was driven in by Mariah Gamboa on a double.
The win pushed Ventura into a second place tie with Cuesta heading into the final game of the regular season.
Ventura 12 Cuesta 7
Ventura backed up their outstanding pitching performance in the opener with an offensive explosion to clinch their way into the State playoffs. Knocking out ten hits in the game the Pirates rode four extra base hits to plate twelve runs in the game. VC scored multiple runs in four different frames including three in the first, two in the third, four in the fourth and finally three more in the fifth to hold off the Cuesta attack which plated four runs in the fourth and three in the fifth inning.
VC got three hits from Garcia who drove in one run for her second multi hit game of the day. Abeloe added two hits including a double and drove in two runs. De La Rosa and Gamboa each collected two RBI with De La Rosa picking up a double and Gamboa driving a triple. Farris Burke added a triple for Ventura. Dietz collected an RBI on one hit for VC.
Hernandez returned to the circle for the second game and while she didn't dominate in the same fashion as the opener she provided enough stability to allow the Pirate offense to earn the win.
Ventura finishes the regular season 26-13 and 13-5 in conference. VC needed to win out in the second turn through Western State Conference play and did not drop a game to earn their berth in the State playoffs. They will await their destination and opponent to be determined at the state selection meeting.