Softball: It’s been a rough ride for Camarillo

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Things have gotten off to a rough start for Camarillo. The 1-4 Scorpions already have twice as many losses as they did all of last season, and there’s no guarantee a Pacific View League title will be theirs now that Oxnard Pacifica has shown it’s one of the better teams in Ventura County.

Still, let’s give the Scorpions a break. Four of their five games have been against some of the best teams in Southern California. Just look at this minefield of a schedule: A home-opening doubleheader with Valencia (ranked No. 3 by The Times) followed by a nonleague game against No. 2 Corona Santiago and a Nike Faster to First tournament game with No. 17 Anaheim Canyon.

I know Camarillo lost all of those games, but I don’t see anyone else out in the PVL playing opponents of this caliber. Besides, it hasn’t been all bad news. Sophomore Jennifer Manuel and her .500 batting average has been a pleasant surprise and seniors Delaney Willard and Hannah Klein have been solid.

The problem is these players, as good as they are, can’t be expected to replace Lindsey Dean and Lindsey Pierce.

We’ll see how things pan out, but thanks to its tough-as-nails schedule, I know Camarillo will win yet another league crown and I wouldn’t be surprised if they made it beyond the second round of the division playoffs.

-- Austin Knoblauch

-- Image from www.wiaa.com