Softball Falls Twice at East Los Angeles

The Pirate softball team dropped a heartbreaker in extra innings to host East Los Angeles Saturday before falling to Fullerton in the nightcap of their two-game day in Monterey Park. Savanna Higgins had a pair of hits with a run scored and two runs batted in for Ventura and Jade Loeffler recorded two hits with an RBI. Chelsea Trejo and Kaliona Hernandez also registered two hits each on the day.

In the opener, the Pirates held a 2-1 lead entering the final frame before scoring four insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, ELAC plated five runs in the bottom half of the frame and walked off with a two-run eighth, defeating VC 8-7.

Ventura had runners in scoring position in the second and fourth innings before finally getting clutch hits in the fifth. With one out, Kiara Harrison reached base on an error and Jennie Jacinto followed with a double to the gap in left. Both runners moved ahead on the throw as Harrison gave VC its first score of the game. After the second out of the frame, Higgins singled home Jacinto for a 2-0 Pirate edge.

The Huskies came back in the bottom of the fifth and scored one run to cut the Ventura lead in half.

In the top of the seventh, VC plated four runs to seemingly take control of the game. With one out J. Jacinto reached first on an error then stole second. Alexyss Campos made it on base with a fielder's choice when Jacinto was safe at third on a throwing error to put runners on the corners. Higgins followed with an RBI single and stole second on the next at-bat before Victoria Rodriguez had a pinch hit RBI single scoring Campos. Higgins scored on a passed ball then Loeffler hit an RBI single to score Rodriguez to make it 6-1 for VC.

Unfortunately, East Los Angeles came back with five runs in the bottom half of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. 

In the first extra frame, Hernandez started on second base, moved to third on a ground out to second by Haylie Lopez, then scored on another passed ball.

The Huskies were again up to the task in the bottom of the column, scoring twice for the walk-off 8-7 win.

In the nightcap, Ventura ran into a buzzsaw in Fullerton College, dropping a 16-0 decision to the Hornets. The Pirates were limited to a single hit by Campos, a double in the fifth, and a walk by Higgins in the fourth.

The Pirates will host Citrus on Monday March 11 in a make-up date before returning to Western State Conference play on Tuesday March 12 against Los Angeles Pierce at the VC Softball Complex.