While softball’s new co-head coach Ryane Peterson is confident in her team’s ability, the opening round of the 2014 season seems to echo the start of 2013’s 7-31 record season.
The team’s first game was at home against Fresno City College on Jan. 28. BC lost 17-0 with one hit by center fielder Bailey Graham and another by first baseman Katie Hoffman. Fresno scored twice in the first inning and 15 runs in the fifth inning to end the game early.
Fresno’s Selena Ruiz hit two home runs, and Naomi Gomez also hit one.
Peterson says that the issue with this first game was a combination of nerves and a lack of experience.
Bakersfield College’s second game was against Taft College as part of a three-team round-robin event on Jan. 30, BC beat Taft 3-2. Right fielder Alex Avila scored one run, and third baseman Brenna Vasquez scored two while Taft scored two in the fifth inning. Graham ended the game with an injury after catching the ball on a dive between first and second base.
Peterson was pleased with pitcher Brooke Quiddam’s performance. “She did a really great job, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
Quiddam pitched a complete game and gave up six hits and two runs, while getting four strikeouts.
Later that same evening against Cuesta College, BC lost 10-3. Eight runs were scored by Cuesta in the fourth inning, with BC rallying to hold Cuesta at just one run in both the fifth and seventh inning. BC scored runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, one off a home run by catcher Vanessa Moralez.
Peterson believes the losses against Cuesta and Fresno can be attributed to the same cause.
“We have got to get to a point where we stop that one inning, and whether you’re the best team or not you’re still going to have that one inning in every game where you have to stop the bleeding,” said Peterson.
The team has some personnel problems shared with the 2013 season, namely a lack of veterans, with only two returning players, Katie Hoffman and pitcher Morgan Peterson.“We have a whole new ball club and it’s primarily freshmen,” said Peterson.
Peterson said that a lack of depth in the personnel hurt the team last season; however, she says the team has a great deal of depth this season.
“We have more speed this year, we have versatility, we have a depth to our lineup this year that we didn’t have last year, and overall our hitting is going to be huge for us.”
BC will have a home game against Santa Barbara City College on Feb. 6, and two doubleheaders: the first at Visalia on Feb. 13 against Cosumnes River College and College of the Sequoias and the second on Feb. 14 at home against Rancho Santiago College and Taft College.