On a hot afternoon, the Glendale softball team, the
Vaqueros, waited patiently for their opponent to show up to the field. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours and eventually, the team called it a no-show as Citrus College failed to show up to the Vaqueros’ last two games of the season on April 27.

What was supposed to be a doubleheader turned out to be an automatic win for the Vaqueros, as both games were cancelled because Citrus College did not have enough players and chose not to show up. With both games called off, the players practiced on their hitting, pitching, and fielding before saying goodbye until next season.
The no-show game ended a long, hard season for the Vaqueros, who may have failed to make the playoffs because of their inexperience. “The girls were young, and it turned out to be a building year,” Head Coach Dave Wilder said.

All but two players on the team were freshmen, so having a lot of new faces on a team took players getting used to playing with each other and the coaches getting used to figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of their new players.

“The season was a learning process. It was a new teaching experience. There is no doubt that next year we are going to be solid,” Assistant Coach Steven Garcia said.

The Vaqueros should have strong hitting, pitching and defense next season and the coaches are hoping they will be in the playoffs. Most of the players are returning and the team is expecting top recruits to join the squad.

“The season did not go as we expected, but we are sure to be better next year,” Vera Picado said.

“It was a long season, but it was great. As a sophomore, the season was not as challenging as last year,” Vanessa Lira said.

The team showed signs of great play in the season. In a previous game against Citrus, the Vaqueros managed to play the game without committing an error, and won the game 10-2.

The team is hoping to have more games like this and become a playoff-caliber team, The freshmen of this year are going to be more experienced and will know what it takes to play college softball.”

Make sure you come out and watch us next year,” Picado said.