The Pirate softball team swept a double-header against visiting Cuesta College Tuesday afternoon at the VC Softball Complex, taking game one in walk-off fashion, 5-4, before prevailing in game two, 4-1. Justine De La Rosa had the game-winning hit to walk off the Cougars in the bottom of the seventh inning in the first game, and Celeste Ekman knocked out three hits on the day.
Ventura 5, Cuesta 4
VC (12-6, 5-3) won game one with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh. The Pirates took the early lead with a run in the first inning before the Cougars tied the score in the top of the second. Ventura crossed the plate twice in the third for a 3-1 advantage before the Cougars took the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Pirates tied the score in the bottom half of the frame, then won it with a run in the seventh.
Julianna Andrade was 2-3 with a double and a triple with one RBI and Ekman also had a double with a run batted in. Arianna Rivas also had one hit with an RBI while Julianne Abeloe knocked out a triple. Brittany Perez recorded a double in the bottom of the seventh, and scored on De La Rosa's hit for the victory.
Megan Best started the day in the pitcher's circle for Ventura, and Anissa Padilla came on in the fifth inning to finish the game.
Ventura 4, Cuesta 1
The Pirates got three runs in the first inning and another in the third en route to a 4-1 win in the nightcap. Ekman led the offense with a pair of hits, including a triple and an RBI. Breana Betancourt also had a hit with a run batted in. Padilla pitched a complete game for the win.
Ventura next travels to Bakersfield for a 5:00 pm game on Thursday March 16.