CIRCLING BACK

LANCASTER

When Sara Gonzales isn’t pitching a softball, she is talking about pitching a softball.

Several times a week, the Paraclete High junior works with aspiring pitchers from the Eastside Little League in Lancaster, teaching girls 10-12 years old the nuances of the sport’s most demanding position.

The youngsters look up to Gonzales, 17, the most successful pitcher in the Antelope Valley this season.

“There’s always a lot of little girls at our games,” Paraclete teammate Heather Brown said. “They’re there to cheer for Sara.”

Coaching runs in the family. Sara’s father, Mike, is Paraclete’s pitching coach and has coached Little League and travel softball teams in the region.

“I love helping the girls pitch,” Sara said. “And they’ve become my little fan club. It’s kind of like being a role model and I work my hardest to live up to that.”

At Paraclete, Gonzales has put on a clinic almost every time she’s stepped into the circle.

Entering Tuesday’s nonleague game with Westridge, Gonzales was 11-1 with a 0.26 earned-run average and 102 strikeouts in 82 1/3 innings. She also has a save.

Her dominance has thrown her little Division V school into the spotlight, as well as into The Times’ regional rankings, where the Spirits (13-2) are No. 7.

Gonzales isn’t just beefing up her statistics against small schools. She has defeated Quartz Hill and Antelope Valley twice each, Highland and Alemany.

But no victory was bigger than the 3-2 decision she earned against Foothill League power Valencia on April 2 in the championship game of the High Desert Classic.

Overcoming the stomach flu, Gonzales rolled out of her sickbed, struck out nine in a four-hitter and held off the No. 2 team in Southern Section Division I long enough for her teammates to mount a game-winning rally in the seventh inning.

“You could tell she definitely wasn’t at full strength,” Coach Margaret Neill said. “But that’s what kind of kid she is. She knew she was needed, so she took care of herself the best she could and went out there. She wants the game in her hands.”

For the first time in her career, Gonzales has that opportunity on a regular basis.

As a freshman, she worked in a rotation with Lauren McDonald and Amanda Wachsmuth. When Wachsmuth transferred to Palmdale last season, it left Gonzales and McDonald.

With McDonald’s graduation, the circle belongs to Gonzales.

“It’s helped my pitching a lot,” she said. “When you get more innings, you’re that much sharper and it helps you become more dominant.”

Gonzales, allowing an average of under a hit every three innings, is on pace to break several Paraclete season records.

She is three short of the mark of 12 for shutouts and needs one no-hitter to match the record of four.

Gonzales, who has received letters from several Division I colleges, could attract even more interest this summer when she pitches for the nationally ranked Valley Breeze 18-under Gold team. Last summer, she helped the Orange County BatBusters 16-under team finish second in the nation.

But her focus is on Paraclete, which is seeking a share of its 21st consecutive league title, but that’s not a lock for the Spirits, ranked No. 2 in their division.

Alpha League rival Village Christian (12-0) is ranked No. 1. The teams meet April 26.