The Ventura College softball team has matched its highest playoff seed in program history, earning the No. 7 seed in the upcoming CCCAA Southern California Regional Playoffs. The Pirates (28-9) will host No. 10 Antelope Valley (28-11) in a best two-of-three series beginning on Friday May 4 and concluding with a double-header, if necessary, on Saturday May 5. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 2:00 pm at the VC Softball Complex, and the game(s) begin at 12:00 pm on Saturday.
Ventura is coming off a strong second place finish in the Western State Conference North Division, coming in behind No. 6 Bakersfield (31-9). The Marauders, meanwhile, come into the playoffs after a second place finish in the WSC East Division behind No. 8 College of the Canyons (26-14). AVC was originally seeded in the No. 9 position, but were moved to No. 10 to avoid a match-up against their conference rival, CoC.
The Pirates and Marauders played a thriller on February 15 in Lancaster. Antelope Valley powered its way to a 3-2 victory in that game on the strength of a two-run home run in the fourth inning and a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth. The Pirates scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning to tie the score in the desert before AVC's late-game heroics. Ventura was beginning a three-day road swing with that contest, heading to the Mt. San Jacinto College President's Day Tournament in Menifee after the game.
This is just the second time in program history that the Pirates have hosted a best-of-three playoff series. In 2012, VC, the No. 7 seed, hosted Glendale, dropping the series two games to none. The Pirates also hosted play-in games in 2016 and 2017, defeating Rio Hondo as the No. 15-seed two years ago and defeating Grossmont as the No. 16-seed last season.
Ticket prices for Friday's and Saturday's games, set by the state, are $12 for adults and $8 for all identified students, faculty, staff, senior citizens age 60 and over, and children less than 12 years of age.