By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer
A softball game becomes a lot easier to manage with a lockdown pitcher.
That’s exactly how Port Isabel coach Jesus Garza felt each time senior starter Victoria Cantu took the ball.
Cantu was dominant this season as the Lady Tarpons’ ace. In 76 innings pitched, she allowed four earned runs, giving her an ERA of 0.37. She also compiled 11 wins and a 4.85 strikeout-walk ratio.
“Having a pitcher like (Cantu), I just know she’s going to get the job done,” Garza said. “It’s relaxing. It’s not as stressful. Just knowing that I have somebody out there that’s going to do her job and do it well is relaxing and reassuring.”
For her accomplishments, Cantu has been named The Brownsville Herald’s 2015 All-Metro Softball Pitcher of the Year.
“It’s an honor and a blessing at the same time,” Cantu said. “It’s something I’ve worked hard for six years, and thanks to my family I was able to be blessed with everything that I have.
“I could have done better, but my defense is what helped me a lot. Without them, I would not have been able to keep that ERA.”
She attributes her ability to maintain a level of control on her pitches that has been years in the making. As a first-year starter, she finally got the chance to repeatedly show it off.
“Hitting my spots a lot.That’s what I’ve always worked on,” Cantu said. “Especially keeping (the ball) low and keeping (opposing batters) off balance a lot of the time.”
Though she was only the primary pitcher for one season, her coach recognizes the lasting impact she, along with All-Metro MVP Kelcie Swink, has had on the fabric of the Lady Tarpons’ team moving forward.
“They’ve worked so hard,” Garza said. “They’ve set examples for other players, and I’m hoping that whoever watched them practice and watched them play can come in and do what’s expected.
“It’ll be easy for me to say next year, ‘Why can’t you do this like Kelcie or work like Victoria?’ because they saw it. There was an example set for them. Filling their spots will be difficult, but I’m hoping that there are other girls out there that are going to work all summer and come in and put in extra work after practice and on the weekends.”
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.