The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Charger duo of sophomore Mia Anzaldua and junior Harley Morales is a prime example of what a good pitcher-catcher relationship can produce.
Their relationship not only worked, it anchored the defense during the Lady Chargers’ best season in program history.
It also has led to Anzaldua being tabbed as The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro Pitcher of the Year, and Morales earning the title of All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year.
With Morales calling pitches and eyeing the infield, Anzaldua felt at ease as she routinely fanned batter after batter.
“When you have a talented catcher who motivates you to do your best when things aren’t going your way, that definitely makes a difference in the way the game goes,” Anzaldua said of Morales’ presence. “Having Harley as a wall behind the plate gives you extra motivation to push and finish the game strong.”
But for Morales, simply making her teammates comfortable is a large part of her job description.
“I try to pump them up as much as I can,” Morales said. “It’s a lot of work to go out there and pitch in front of everyone and strike out a lot of people. So I try to give as much of my energy to them as I can.”
The duo relies on trust more than anything else in hopes that their on-field relationship translates to success for the entire team.
“I trust her and she knows what to do and when to do it,” Anzaldua said. “Her talking on the field is a motivation and a push. She’s very talented and you look up to her character.”
“Just seeing so many strikeouts every game makes me feel like I’m a part of it,” Morales added. “My pitchers work hard, I work hard and when we put it together, it’s good.”
And it seemed to pay off as Anzaldua struck out 163 batters in 78.1 innings for an 0.89 ERA and posted a 12-3 record in the circle.
On the season, Anzaldua gave up just 30 hits and 10 earned runs on her way to being named an All-District 32-5A first-team pitcher.
Only a sophomore, Anzaldua has shined in her role this season as she was a good complement to junior pitcher and All-Metro and District MVP Cassie Valdez.
However, head coach Ray Cardenas says she has as good an arm as anyone in the Valley and because of her confidence, trusts her just as much as her junior teammate.
“Mia is so special and in most places, she would, without a doubt, have a ton of accolades behind her,” Cardenas said. “She is not intimidated by anything. She’s not fearful of coming inside on them, the name of the batter, the jersey they’re wearing or who they represent. I’ve never seen someone so fearless while attacking and trying to get the ball by and by any means necessary.”
Behind the plate, Morales’ decision-making proved just as valuable.
The junior recorded 346 putouts in 364 total chances and recorded a .992 fielding percentage and was an All-District 32-5A second-team catcher.
With having to be the proverbial wall behind the plate, keeping runners honest and making the right throws proved to be that much harder, but Morales was consistent all year long with just three errors.
“When you have girls who throw with so much velocity and motion on the ball, it’s difficult to be a wall back there, but Harley does a fantastic job,” Cardenas said. “She’s got a strong arm, she’s powerful and it helps us defensively that we can have someone who can pick off someone at any base. It gives us a defensive advantage we wouldn’t have without her.
“Everyday she trains on her skills and it shows. Without a doubt she’s the reason our pitching is successful.”
With Anzaldua and Morales around for another year, the Lady Chargers hope to see their defense stay dominant for one more season.