By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer
The left side of the infield is relied upon to make a great number of the defensive plays throughout a game. With the majority of batters being right handed, ground balls are typically pulled to the shortstop and third baseman.
Fortunately for the Lady Falcons, they have the tandem of senior third baseman Karina Gonzalez and junior shortstop Maya Guevara to anchor the infield. The duo excels at what Los Fresnos coach Traci Blackman preaches: defense.
“I think defensively, we have a very strong team,” Blackman said. “But the left side gets a lot of balls hit to them, and they work very well together. They do a great job.
“We do have other players on our team that stand out, but coming off some of the games we just came off of, that side was really (peppered), and they did a great job of getting the outs we needed.”
Gonzalez recently signed to play softball at Graceland University in Iowa . She was recruited in part for the tenacity she shows while manning the hot corner.
“My defense has really been on, I know my team has my back and I can always count on them,” said Gonzalez, who relishes the uncertainty that comes with playing the position. “ There’s some pretty hard shots at third, it’s just all about not being afraid. You never know if the batter’s going to bunt or if it’s going to get hit hard, so you have to be ready for anything.”
Her coach noted her toughness as well.
“Defensively, (Gonzalez) is quick, and she’s got a great arm,” Blackman said. “She’s not afraid, and she plays every game the best she can.”
Her counterpart, Guevara, possesses many of the same qualities.
“You have to cover a lot of ground and you have to cover a lot of bases, too,” Guevara said. “Especially on the bunt when you have to go to third.”
Her coach believes her shortstop ranks among the best in the area, and she’s been pleased with what she’s demonstrated on both sides of the ball.
“Maya has great range and a great arm,” Blackman said. “She makes plays that I don’t think other players in our district can make. And offensively she also stands out, she has a great bat.”
Guevara, who is the Lady Falcons’ leadoff batter, and Gonzalez, who bats third, have undoubtedly used their offensive ability to aid Los Fresnos this year. But it is their defense that will likely be most heavily leaned upon during the playoffs, which are fast approaching.
“I think defensively, we’re going to have to stay strong in order to win games,” Blackman said. “Our pitchers do a great job keeping batters off balance, but at the same time, we don’t have an overpowering pitcher, so we rely on our defense. When our pitchers hit their spots, batters put the ball where we need it to be.”
Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.