Story and Interview by: Emma Breer

The Chowchilla Lightning, a team from a small community in California, couldn’t be in greater disbelief at their first opportunity to play at the 12U Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series (AFCS) this summer. This team has been together since they were eight years old. They have grown and worked together to earn the opportunity to play on such a stage that the Alliance provides. Coach Luis Guardado prides himself on trying to be a good role model for these young girls. He tries to create an environment where he can bond with them and the girls can form strong friendships in their little town. Coach Guardado is “extremely proud to be coaching this young group of talented girls.” It is important to him to recognize that each player contributes an important role to the team. It was a grind over the weekend they won their berth. They played in games that went into extra innings, getting into situations that required every player to come up clutch in some way. By the end of the weekend, it wasn’t just one player making a difference, but an entire team working together to get a berth. 

The following are some Chowchilla Lightning players to watch out for: 

Carson Vlot is one of the catchers on this young roster. She exhibits strong leadership skills that help guide her team through games on and off the field. 

Aubrey Trinidade is one of their team captains. As one of their team’s designated leaders, she will be someone they look to in tough situations. 

Jenesis Guardado is one of the pitchers on this team. In the tournament where they qualified, she threw nine innings in the semifinal game, proving herself reliable on the mound. 

The Chowchilla Lightning couldn’t believe they qualified for the AFCS when they won the Grip and Rip Qualifier. They’re excited that their hard work paid off and look forward to the opportunity to play on one of the greatest stages in softball. 

About the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series:

The Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series (AFCS) is the premier National Championship in youth softball. The AFCS format emulates the NCAA Softball Post Season helping prepare our athletes for the next level. A National Champion is crowned at each age level and Tier from 10U to 18U. The AFCS will take place in Westfield and Kokomo, IN and Southern California this summer. To learn more about the AFCS and see a list of qualified teams, click HERE.