The Pirate softball team had a difficult road trip Monday, falling 8-0 at Santa Ana College. Ventura (19-9, 10-3) managed just three hits on the day against Santa Ana pitching, doubles by Justine De La Rosa and Celeste Ekman, and a single by Brittany Perez. Anissa Padilla pitched four innings for VC, giving up seven runs and Megan Best pitched into the sixth, yielding the final run of the game.
Ventura definitely had chances early. With two outs in the first inning, De La Rosa doubled, followed by a single from Perez, but the Pirates were unable to bring home the two runners in scoring position. In the second, Ekman led off with a double, and went to third when Padilla reached first on an error, but VC once again was unable to cash in on the excellent scoring opportunity. From that point forward, the Dons quieted the Pirate offense.
Santa Ana scored once in the first, and again in the third inning before exploding for five runs in the fourth. They scored the game clinching run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Ventura still sits a half game behind Allan hancock in the Western State COnference North Division race. They will host the Bulldogs in a pivotal battle on Thursday April 6 with a 2:30 start time at the VC Softball Complex.