In softball, the pitcher’s mound can be a pretty intimidating place, and being a freshman at a new school is always disorienting. City College pitchers Alexandra Abbott and Victoria Lucido, both 18, are handling this pressure with ease.
After last season, the softball team lost a lot of experienced players due to transfers, redshirting and academic probation. This season the team is made up of almost entirely freshmen.
“When you get that kind of combination with two freshmen pitchers, and almost your entire infield being freshmen, the expectations are a little unknown as far as what other teams can do,” said Paula Congleton, head coach of the City College softball team.
“They don’t know what to expect, they don’t know what ‘good’ is compared to other schools, because college softball is a new thing for everyone.”
The Vaqueros record is currently 5-10 for the season, and 2-0 for the Western State Conference. Players and coaches feel that their stats are not a good representation of the talent and potential that the team possesses.
“We started off slow, but our stats are pretty deceiving,” said Victoria Lucido (No. 5), nursing major at City College. “We are a lot better than what our record shows.”
Lucido moved to Santa Barbara last semester from Pacific Grove, CA. She has been playing softball since she was five years old.
“I think we have a good shot this season if everything comes together, we definitely have the players and the coaching staff for it,” said Alexandra Abbott (No. 14), psychology major at City College.
Abbot not only moved to Santa Barbara for softball, but she also moved from Fresno, Calif. to play soccer for City College. She has played softball since she was eight years old.
The two pitchers were described by their coach as a powerful duo, and the teamwork and leadership that the two girls share is evident from anyone who watches them together.
“Whenever one of us is down, the other one is always right there to back us up. We’re never too far in the hole for pitching,” Lucido said.
The Vaqueros played L.A. Pierce in a double header on March 7 at City College, both girls brought the heat against the Brahmahs. Sweeping both games with a score of 7-1 in the first, and 3-1 in the second.
In the first game, Lucido gave up one run, six hits, and no walks, with a total of four strikeouts. In the second game, Abbott followed suit by giving up one run, one hit, and a total of nine strikeouts.
“We split the games between with them, so they’re both gonna get a lot of experience,” Congleton said. “One more year for both of those pitchers should provide us with some really great stability.”
Congleton says both girls are showing promise for a great performance the rest of the season. “They’re doing what they need to be doing, we just need to be more disciplined and more focused,” Congleton said.
Lucido and Abbott face lot of pressure on the pitching mound, but the girls don’t let their age get in the way of their ball game. “When I’m out on the field I don’t feel like a freshmen,” Abbott said.
The Vaqueros will face Allen Hancock Community College on Tuesday March 12, at 2:30 at Pershing Park at City College.
