Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Alejandra Gallardo - Multitalented

Mustang

Tony Altobelli

Perhaps right fielder Alejandra Gallardo was just a little more

excited than the rest of her Costa Mesa High softball teammates after the

Mustangs’ 3-2 win over Corona del Mar on April 24.

Sure, the win gave the Mustangs a shot at the Pacific Coast League

title and sure, it was Gallardo who drove in the winning run with in the

seventh-inning with a key hit, but Gallardo was giddy for another reason.

It gave her an opportunity to jump inside the pitcher’s circle against

her crosstown rivals. “The coach told me if we beat CdM, I could pitch

against Estancia,” Gallardo said. “We really wanted it and I gave it all

I had. When we won, I couldn’t wait for the next game.”

All the hours of staying after practice to work on pitching was going

to finally pay off for the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week and she would

not let this opportunity slip on by.

Against Estancia two days later, Gallardo blanked the Eagles in her

varsity pitching debut as the Mustangs won, 11-0.

“I was a pitcher in junior varsity last year, so it wasn’t totally new

for me,” Gallardo said. “When I’m pitching, I just try to stay under

control and throw as many strikes as I can. I was just out there having

fun, like I always am.”

Gallardo’s versatility has allowed Coach Rick Buonarigo to her in the

outfield, while allowing junior Tess Lindsay the majority of the innings.

“We’re stronger with her in the field,” Buonarigo said. “The great

thing about Alejandra is that she can play just any position we need her

to be at. Next year, she could be pitching, in the infield, outfield. She

would probably catch for us if we needed her to.”

Gallardo just wants to help the team, wherever she may play. “Tess is

doing a wonderful job pitching for us and I’m very happy for her,”

Gallardo said. “It was an adjustment moving to right field, but now I’m

pretty much used to it. If the coach needs me out there, I’ll go out

there.”

Wherever she goes, Gallardo is bringing her bat with her. She is

hitting .465 this season, much to the delight of Buonarigo.

“Her improvement on hitting has been just remarkable,” Buonarigo said.

“She still needs a little more knowledge in the strike zone, but she’ll

keep working at it and be one heck of a hitter.”

Gallardo began her career playing baseball six years ago. “I recently

tried hitting a baseball and I thought my hands were going to fall off,”

Gallardo said. “I think softball is much easier as far as hitting goes.”

Next year, Gallardo will stay fit as a Mustangs’ cheerleader, when

she’s not playing year-round softball. “Cheerleading will be a blast,”

Gallardo said. “I can’t wait for that.”

In terms of beyond high school, Gallardo has a hard time seeing it

without grass stains and dirty uniforms. “I just can’t picture myself not

playing softball,” she said. “It’s just so relaxing out there, playing

with my friends. I just want to play forever.”

When not on the softball field, Gallardo is a big fan of marine

biology. “That’s a field I’d really like to get into in college,” she

said. “It’s a fascinating topic.”