Last Thursday, Carlsbad softball took home a 8-2 win over the El Camino Wildcats. In an highly efficient game, the Lancers executed on both offense and defense, ultimately bringing their league record to 3-1 and their overall record to 14-7.

Both teams came out firing right from the start, quickly putting points on the board in the first inning. The first hit of the game came from the Wildcats, who capitalized on the connection with a stolen base followed by a score.

The Lancers quickly returned the favor, with senior Amanda Domingo hitting a double to send freshman Sam Lauro home. However, as the game progressed, both teams locked down defensively, keeping the score at 1-1 up until the third inning.

Carlsbad heated up in the bottom of the third, scoring five consecutive runs in the inning to take control of the game. The Lancers continued their dominance into the fourth, getting three quick outs and holding El Camino to no runs.

“Overall I think we played really well as a team” Domingo said. “Our defense had no errors and everyone had quality at bats and we were able to string a lot of hits together.”

Recently, the team has faced several issues off field, including injuries and ineligibility concerns for some of the players.

“Although it’s not a good thing that a lot of us have gotten injured, it made us work extra hard to get back to where we should be and we’re all closer because of it” senior pitcher Julie McDonald said.

Additionally, after losing several players from last year’s CIF championship team, this season began as a type of rebuild, with new players and returners working to find their niche.

“We started out a little slow in the beginning but we’re finally coming together as a new team and our recent game-play reflects that” senior shortstop Delainy Ogan said.

As the game progressed, El Camino briefly picked up their intensity, scoring one run in the top of the fifth and holding the Lancers scoreless in the bottom. Nevertheless, Carlsbad bounced back in the sixth, shutting down the Wildcats offense and scoring yet another run off an RBI from sophomore Sarah Schneider.

With this win the Lancers advance to first in their league, tied with rival opponent, La Costa Canyon. As CIF approaches, the team hopes to return to the championship and earn another title for the program. With a no excuse attitude and a will to win, the team looks forward to the remainder of the season.

“The key to our success is just keeping our energy up the whole game and keeping our momentum going” Domingo said. “Our team’s greatest strength is our ability to overcome adversity. We’ve fought through a lot this season and we’ve gained a cohesiveness through that.”