The City College softball team continued its slow start to the season, dropping both games of a doubleheader against Saddleback College on Saturday.

Coming into Saturday, the winless Vaqueros looked to shift the early season momentum in their favor despite facing a tough matchup in Saddleback. They couldn’t put the bat on the ball in first game as Vaquero batters were struck out a total of 15 times in an 8-1 loss.

Head coach Justine Bosio was confident in her team heading into the second game after making some lineup changes. “We left several runners on base, so some of us were getting on,” Bosio said. 

Bosio knew it would be a tough day at the plate with Veronica Belleza on the mound for Saddleback. Belleza already has a perfect game and a complete game shutout under her belt this season. “She’s got that little rise ball that if you don’t lay off of it she’s gonna get you,” Bosio said, “I think that’s what got us today.”

Sophomore pitcher Carson Dunckley got the start for the Vaqueros in the second game. Looking to even the odds in game two Dunckley said she was just trying to hit her spots rather than trying and blow it past batters. 

Despite Dunckley’s focus, Saddleback jumped on City College early. They scored in the first and second innings to make it a 5-2 game in the third.  

After a scoreless third inning, Saddleback piled it on in the top of the fourth. The Vaqueros made a pitching change to try to stop the bleeding after a big RBI double. 

The stagnant Vaquero offense was unable to put any more runs on the board as Saddleback rallied to score four more in the fifth inning, winning the game 11-2. 

After opening week the Vaqueros have limped to an 0-4 record, and Bosio expressed her frustration since they had hoped to start at least 2-2. Despite the slow start, Bosio has booming confidence in her squad, saying that their goal is to win conference this year.

“I have a lot of faith in this team, we just gotta get over that hump that we’re at right now,” she said.

She explained that she believes in a winning mentality, saying that she thinks the team needs to make a mental shift moving forward. 

With about a month of games left until conference begins the team has time to work on the areas where they have struggled. 

With a roster ripe with young talent, the Vaqueros season can only go up from here.