It’s almost the end of the season for the Bakersfield College softball team, and the biggest question of their season right now is if they will make it to the playoffs? With two more games left in the season, the Renegades are fourth in the Western StateNorth Division after four losses in a row. Coach Christie Hill wants to make the playoffs, but knows that her team has to go on a winning streak to get back on top again.

“We can make the playoffs, but we pretty much have to win out, so we have to commit to we want to win,” she said.

Before spring break, the Renegades had lost four of their previous five games. Their only win came from a 7-0 win at home after an L.A. Pierce forfeit. Their most recent losses were on April 11, in a doubleheader against Moorpark. The first game they lost 8-0 and the second game 12-2. Alyssa Gonzales scored the two runs for BC. The Renegades played two games April 18 (too late for coverage in the print edition), and with only two games left, they don’t have any margin for error. Though it sounds like a tough road ahead for the softball team, Hill knows that the team has to keep playing like they usually do and to not worry about losing.

“We’re trying to keep the pressure off of them and trying to keep practice fun and trying to stay positive with them,” she said. “Even though emotions between all of us are back and forth and up and down, we’re doing the whole roller-coaster thing, so if we can play our game and not let the outside affect us, we will be fine.” Hill mentioned how she will keep the team focused on playing how they should play and how to keep their minds cleared and focused. “I try to re-enforce them to take one pitch at a time, one out at a time, one inning at a time, and one game at a time. So if we can take some baby steps our big pitchers and hitters are going to fall into place for us.”

One player who has been dominating the plate and has racked up 45 hits and five home runs has been Alexis Solis. Hill has been pleased by her performance and believes she is a huge help for the team. “She’s been hitting the crap out of that ball for us,” Hill said. “She kind of started off high, and kind of dropped down and now she’s seeing the ball better, but she’s been really good and steady for us at the plate.

She’s also been steady on the mound, so not only is she helping us offensively, but she is also helping us defensively as well.” Their next two games of the last season will be at BC in a doubleheader against Cuesta on April 25, and Hill says she just wants he team to stay focused as they take one game at a time and keep the focus going, and with every out they can get, she believes good things can happen.