Softball Drops Extra Inning Game, WSC Race Tightens

The Pirate softball team dropped a 9-7 extra-inning decision at Moorpark Tuesday, tightening the Western State Conference race with a week left to play. Aubrey Aguirre was 3-4 at the plate with one run batted in and one run scored and Madison Shay had three hits including a home run and a double with two RBI and a run scored. Baylany Magana got the start in the circle, pitching five complete innings giving up four runs, three earned, while striking out four.

Ventura fell behind when the Raiders scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning, and another run in the third.

Shay woke up the Pirate bats with a lead-off home run in the top of the fourth inning, and Alyssa Castaneda kept the at-bat alive with a two-out single. Aguirre followed with an RBI double, then scored on Erika Sanchez's RBI single for a 3-2 VC lead.

Ba. Magana led off the fifth with a single and advanced to second on Jennie Jacinto's sacrifice bunt. Savanna Higgins followed with a single and Shay doubled in a run. Bryanne Magana then singled home another score and the Pirate lead stretched to 5-2.

Moorpark answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame to close to within 5-4.

The Pirates generated  some more breathing room in the top of the sixth with two more scores. Sanchez reached base on a fielder's choice with the second out of the inning at second base on the play. Ba. Magana followed with a single before Jacinto belted a two-run double for a 7-4 VC edge.

Unfortunately, the Raiders scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game, and both teams put up zero's in the seventh sending the game to extra innings.

VC had two runner on base with one out in the top of the eighth, but could not score. Then MC hammered a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom half of the frame to defeat the Pirates.

With the loss, Ventura's lead over Moorpark shrinks to one-half game.  VC is 10-2 in the conference play while Moorpark is 10-3. The Pirates next play at home against Oxnard on Thursday April 17 and at Hancock on Tuesday Apr. 22 while the Raiders have one conference game remaining against Santa Barbara.