Cuesta Softball entered today's game in second place in the Western State Conference North Division, one game back, but two games ahead of third place, with five games to play.  The top two teams in each division are tendered an automatic playoff berth, so the Cougars were in a must win situation when Ventura came to town today.  The Pirates jumped out early with three runs in the 1st inning, but Cuesta Pitcher Isabella Garcia settled down and kept the Bucs in check for the next four innings, while her teammates went to work and got two runs back in their first at-bat. Outfielder Ashley Kober (pict) singled, stole two bases and plated on a Sacrifice Fly, then on the next play Reese Tartaglia scored on Hailey Hallford's RBI-single.  The Cougars used another Sacrifice Fly, this time from Kylyn Parker, to score Hailee Bussard to tie the game the next inning.  Cuesta finally took the lead in a six-run, 3rd inning that was capped by Kober's three-run homer.  The blast was Kober's first roundtripper of her career and was one of four Cuesta hits in the inning.  Garcia finished strong by retiring six of the next seven Pirates she faced as her teammates kept lighting up the scoreboard. The game ended in the bottom of the 5th, when Kober's attempt at a sacrifice bunt turned into a two-run throwing error that scored both Parker and Kaylynn Gray.  Those two runs provided the Cougars with the required eight-run lead after the 5th inning, 11-3, and immediately ended the contest.  The win moved Cuesta Softball to 20-13 overall and 9-1 against the WSC-North. 

Softball plays another WSC game at Santa Barbara on Thursday (2:30).  The Cougars beat the Vaqueros, 1-0, in their first meeting.  They are also scheduled to make-up a rain delayed doubleheader at Monterey Peninsula on Saturday (12/2 PM), but the current forecast may mean the twinbill will be washed off the schedule.