Riding the momentum of winning their final nine games of the season, and 11 of their final 13 Western State Conference games, the Ventura College softball team has qualified for the Southern California Regional Playoffs. Ventura (26-13) received the No. 15 seed and will host No. 18 Rio Hondo (16-24) in a one-game play-in round Tuesday May 3 at the VC Softball Complex at 2:00 pm.
The Pirates finished second in the Western State Conference Gold Division with a 13-5 record. They swept double headers from Santa Barbara and and Cuesta in the final eight days of conference play to finish one game ahead of both the Vaqueros and Cougars. Only a double-header sweep at the hands of Moorpark early in the season kept Ventura from the top spot in the conference.
Rio Hondo, meanwhile, finished tied for second in the Foothill Conference with a 10-5 mark, receiving the second automatic bid into the post-season.
Gates will open at 1:00 pm for the 2:00 pm first pitch at the VC Softball Complex. Admission prices, set by the CCCAA, will be $12 for adults and $8 for students, faculty, staff, seniors (60 and over) and children under 12.
A Ventura victory on Tuesday would send the Pirates to No. 2 Santiago Canyon College (32-7) for a best-two-of-three series on Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8.