12-Run First Inning Begins Softball Rout

The Pirate softball team scored 12 runs in the first inning against Santa Monica Tuesday at the VC Softball Complex en route to a 19-2 win over the Corsairs. Samantha Soto and Isabella Padilla each recorded four runs batted in to lead the charge for Ventura as they remained undefeated in Western State Conference play. Layah Hicks and Jayla Raya each knocked in three runs.

The Pirates finished with 19 runs on 14 hits and took control with a relentless opening frame that featured contributions throughout the lineup. VC added one run in the second, two more in the third and four in the fourth to keep extending the margin.

Soto led the offense with a 3-for-3 day, driving in four runs and adding a double. Padilla also collected three hits and four RBIs, while Hicks drove in three runs and scored twice. Raya contributed on both sides of the ball, picking up the win in the circle while also adding two hits and three RBIs at the plate.

Raya worked the first three innings and allowed two runs on two hits, with two walks and one strikeout. Santa Monica broke through to score in the third inning but Ventura's lead never came under real pressure. Emma Estrella closed it out in dominant fashion, throwing two scoreless frames and striking out five to earn the save.

The Corsairs finished with two runs on two hits and committed two errors. Ventura showed patience at the plate, drawing 10 walks, while striking out only twice. The Pirates piled up 17 RBI on their 19 runs and consistently turned traffic on the bases into crooked numbers.

VC, who pulled their overall record back to .500 at 15-15-1, holds a 7-0 conference mark with a one-game lead in the WSC North standings. The Pirates next host Santa Barbara on Thursday Apr. 2.