The Ventura College softball team, ranked No. 10 in Southern California, split a pair of games at SoCal No. 6 Cerritos on Friday. The Pirates dropped game one in a pitchers' duel 1-0 before taking the nightcap against the Falcons 9-4. Jocelyn Ortega picked up four hits on the day for Ventura (22-10, 5-1) while Abby Strong had two hits, including a double, with two runs batted in and a run scored. Ashlyn Flinchum took the hard-luck loss in the opener before picking up the save in the nightcap in the pitcher's circle.
Ventura 0, Cerritos 1
The Pirates and Falcons engaged in a real pitcher's duel in the opener. Neither team recorded a hit until the third inning, and both pitchers put zero's up on the scoreboard through six. The Falcons won the game with a one-out, walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh following a pair of singles to open the frame.
VC's best chance to score came in the top of the third. Isabella Ayala was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Ortega followed with a single. After a fly-ball out to right field, Ahlyssa Guzman sacrificed the runners ahead one base, giving Ventura two runners in scoring position. They could not get the clutch, hit however, as Cerritos preserved the shutout.
Ayala and Ortega also hit back-to-back singles to start the sixth inning, but the Pirates could not move the two runners forward.
Flinchum scattered eight hits in the game, five in the first six innings, while striking out five Falcons.
Ventura 9, Cerritos 4
The Pirates came back in the nightcap to defeat the Falcons, 9-4.
VC scored three runs in the third inning to take the lead, 3-0. Ashley Perez led off with a single and stole second before Guzman ran out an infield hit. Lauren Albrent hit a long fly ball that advanced the runners on the catch before Perez scored on a passed ball. Isabel Gallegos followed with an RBI double, and Ortega then singled to knock in another run.
VC yielded a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, and the Falcons scored once in the seventh to tie the score before the Pirates exploded for six runs in the first extra frame.
Ortega was placed on second base to start the inning and moved to third base on a passed ball. Ciana Garcia walked before Kat Tafoya singled home Ortega. After an Aaliyah Arias walk Strong doubled home a pair of runs. One out later Arias scored on a passed ball, and Strong scored on a passed ball after a Guzman walk. Albrent then drew a base on balls and Guzman scored on a double steal that moved Albrent to second base.
Tafoya picked up the win, giving up four runs on eight hits and striking out six while pitching into the eighth. Flinchum came in to retire the side in the final frame to pick up the save.
Ventura next returns home for a non-conference game against Pasadena on Saturday April 2. First pitch is slated to be at 12:00 pm.