Chelsea Lara, a senior at Refugio High School, began pitching in the fourth grade. Just about every day since then, she pitches 100 balls a day. Her talent landed her a pitcher’s spot with the Lady Cats six years later, when she was a sophomore.

Her hard ball attracted enough attention at Coastal Bend College that she signed to play college ball there next year.

“My dad told me to try it when I was in fourth grade,” Chelsea said. “Then I took pitching lessons here at the Little League field under Coach Ray from Corpus Christi.”

She found her athletic niche on the mound. On Friday night, the Lady Cats will face off with San Diego in Sinton at 7:30. Chelsea will more than likely take the mound.

“San Diego doesn’t ever give up,” she says, “but we don’t either.”

The second game of the three-game series in the playoffs will be in Alice.

“I’m trying to stay focused,” she said. “I was nervous during the last game... I’m always nervous during games.”

The first playoff game last Friday in Refugio drew the biggest crowd of the season.

“I blocked out all the people so I could stay focused,” Chelsea said.

The daughter of Ricardo and Roseanne Lara of Refugio, Chelsea has a younger sister, Priscilla, a freshman, who also plays ball.

From where did she inherit her talent?

“Mom can’t throw and Dad pitches weird, so I don’t know,” she says.

On Tuesday, the athlete had lunch with Officer Peter Silvas in the Lunch With a Badge Program hosted by Ron Lucich, owner of Tejas BBQ.