Adrianna Puente began her athletic career years ago as a soccer player, but when one of her soccer coaches invited her to play on his softball team a whole new world opened up to her. Since then she has developed into a dominant pitcher not by overpowering anyone, but by accurately directing her pitches.

   “Being an effective pitcher requires a lot of hard work. You have to make sure you hit your spots or else the girls will hit the ball all over the place,” said Puente, the Otay Ranch High School ace. “You also need to learn how to pitch to each girl. It is a little difficult at first, but after a while you get the hang of it.”

   Puente came in last year as a freshman, took over a starting roll and showed great promise. It didn’t take her long to win over her coach, David Marin.

   “Adrianna is one of the hardest workers that we have on this team. There is never any quit in that kid. When she is on the field she always gives it 100%. In the off-season she is a soccer player, so she picks up a softball in February, plays until May and then she is done. She comes back nine months later, picks up the ball again and throws strike after strike. She does nothing (softball related) in the off-season because she is a soccer player, but then she comes in here throwing strikes. That is just amazing to me.”

   In a sport that depends so heavily on pitching every team needs a least one good one to succeed. That fact is not lost on Marin.

   “Without her, we are nowhere, but thanks (in a large part to her we are right around .500). She keeps us in the games all of the time.” 

   For Puente, pitching is all about placement.

   “I hit my outside corners around the knees a lot. I think it is a good strategy and it seems to be getting them. My coaches have been working with me on that.  I like to get them swinging.”

   Puente is very grateful for the coaching she has received.

   “The coaching here has been awesome. I have learned a lot from them about becoming a better player and becoming a better team player. I love this team.”

   The Mustangs have to contend this year with stiff competition offered by teams like Eastlake, Hilltop and reigning champion Bonita Vista High. Puente is more focused on maintaining the progress she has seen.

   “We have been doing really well and lot better than last year, but sadly we will be losing a lot of seniors. I guess we will have to worry about next year.”

   While her attention is completely on softball at the moment, she knows that once the season ends in May she will return to kicking a big ball rather than pitching a little one.

   “Soccer (requires) more, lower body and softball is more upper body. Between the two of them I get a pretty good workout. Soccer is more of a mind game using your feet and about knowing where to pass the ball. Pitching in softball is about knowing where to pitch the ball and then being able to do it.”

   Though only a sophomore, Puente is already thinking about college.

   “I would love to play in college. That is my lifelong dream along with one day becoming a professional athlete.”