Sophie Dahlstedt was 4-4, including a double and a triple, wit five RBI as the Pirate softball team breezed past visiting Santa barbara 10-2 on Tuesday afternoon at the VC Softball Complex. Celeste Ekman was 3-3, also with a double and a triple, with three runs scored and three runs batted in as Ventura (22-9, 8-2) kept pace in the Western State Conference North Division race. VC remains in a second place tie with Allan Hancock College, just a game behind front-running Bakersfield in the loss column.
The Pirates jumped out to an early lead with one run in the bottom of the first and four runs in the second inning. They scored three times in the third for an 8-0 advantage before the Vaqueros plated a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. After a scoreless bottom of the fourth, the Pirates walked off wit the mercy-rule victory with two scores in the fifth inning.
Anissa Padilla went the distance in the circle, limiting SBCC to three hits and two runs, one earned. She struck out six batters in the five-inning game.
Adriana Clemons was 2-3 with two RBI in the game and Megan Best was 1-2 with two runs scored and one run batted in.
Ventura next travels to San Luis Obispo on Thursday April 12 to take on Cuesta College before returning home on Saturday April 14 for a non-conference contest against Santiago Canyon.