Under head coach Kim Bradley, the Lady Lancers finished in fifth place within the Metro League and finished their season with a 3-15 overall record, including a 2-8 mark in league play. Injuries and illness early in the season resulted in several lineup changes almost daily, and the Lady Lancers seemingly never found their footing.  Even so, as the season moved on the team began to see a glimpse of what the future holds for the team, which generated a ton of positive energy and feel-good momentum into the Cordova dugout.

Junior Deena Venegas gets a base hit against Antelope. Photo by Rick Sloan

“Towards the end I saw the girls having fun,” Bradley said. “Early in the season we were stressing about the wins and losses, but as the season went on we realized that we only had one senior, and everybody else was young. So we started focusing on the positive aspect of everyone returning next year.”

With just one senior on the roster this season (shortstop Briel Brookins), the Lady Lancers saw a large amount of underclassmen gain invaluable experience and substantial playing time which should bode well next year. A pair of juniors in third baseman Becca Lee and left-handed pitcher Isabella Tarpley-Cruz led the team in multiple statistical categories and will be relied upon as key seniors next spring. Tarpley-Cruz led the Lady Lancers in batting average (.455), stolen bases (10), runs (16) and hits (20) in her second varsity season. Lee meanwhile, led the group in slugging percentage (.683), triples (3), and RBIs (12).

Junior Isabella Tarpley-Cruz successfully lays down a bunt against Antelope. Photo by Rick Sloan

Additionally, sophomore outfielder Sarah-Irene Njuki ranked in the top three of several offensive categories and was a key contributor as well. Seeing the young players step into big roles has Bradley already looking forward to next year. 

“That’s something we’re motivated by and looking forward to,” Bradley said regarding the returning young players who figure to become key contributors on an improved team next spring. “Towards the end of the season we saw smiles, we saw freedom. Just playing. We saw the hope for the future.”

So while the scoreboard may not reflect the progress that was made this spring, the Lady Lancers should be able to look back at this season a year from now as a building block towards a solid foundation for the program.

Junior Tiah Kennedy gets a base hit against Kennedy. Photo by Rick Sloan