Softball refused to go down easy to #12 Ventura and pushed the Pirates to the final out before falling, 9-6.  The visiting Pirates took advantage of a Cuesta error to take the first lead, 1-0, in the 2nd inning and added another run from a leadoff walk in the 4th to double their advantage.  Cuesta got both those runs back and took the lead in the bottom of the 4th on first of all-WSC Infielder Alura Neill's (pict) two doubles, 3-2.  However, the contest was dominated the free pass as the two teams combined to issue 15 walks and three hit batsmen, so with the bases constantly filled with runners the lead was bound to swing again.  The Pirates took advantage of the free baserunners with a four-run, 4th inning, powered by only one hit, to take back the lead, 6-3, yet the Cougars tied it up again with three more runs in the 6th.  The Bucs took the lead for good with three runs in their final at-bat, while the Cougars, for the first time, went down, in order, for the loss, 9-6.  The setback dropped the Cougars back to .500 on the season, 9-9, however they remain alone in the 2nd place in the Western State Conference, right behind the loop-leading Pirates.  

Cuesta's non-conference, doubleheader against #2 Monterey Peninsula, set for this Saturday, has been postponed until Thursday, March 23.  The Cougars' next scheduled games will be back-to-back WSC home games against Santa Barbara and Pierce this coming Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.  Both games are set with a 2:30 start.