DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) – Alyssa Zabala, a softball pitcher at Doral Academy Charter High School, is the definition of an ace with her arsenal of pitches at her disposal.
“I throw a fastball, a change up, a curveball, a screwball and a riseball,” said Zabala.
Zabala is leading Doral Academy with her electrifying right arm. In just four years, she is a 37-4 with 523 strikeouts giving up less than a run per game.
“I set, like, a high expectation for myself, so then the following years having to keep up that expectation and do better every year, I think it’s helped me in the long run because I am always looking to surpass what I did the year before,” said Zabala.
William Viruet, the head coach at Doral Academy, recognizes the incredible talent that Zabala has.
“I’ve been here for 12 years and there’s no doubt that Alyssa is on top and it’s not just because, you know, she throws hard there’s more to it, it’s the total package with her,” said Viruet.
Zabala and her Firebird’s teammates are seeking back-to-back state titles.
“We can have bases loaded, two outs, game on the line, I know for a fact that she’s going to strike the next batter out,” said Anabela Abdullah, a teammate.
The Louisville Cardinal-commit has honed her skills under the watchful eye of Doral Academy pitching coach Kristina Picon. Picon is also Zabala’s mother.
“She’s very dominant and it seems like the tougher the competition the better she is,” said Picon. “She’s one of those pitchers that steps up to the game.”
Zabala gets her softball skills from both her mom and dad. Her parents shined on the baseball diamond growing up.
Her father was a star catcher at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School and at Miami-Dade College while her mother was a pitcher at Florida Atlantic University.
“I definitely had no other choice. I mean, I have videos from when I was four, five, and I was there with my mom and my dad yelling in the background of the videos,” said Zabala.
Years later, her parents are still there with Zabala’s mom literally involved with every pitch.
“Being that I am her coach as well, I’m calling the pitches, so a lot of times it could come back on me to what’s going on, but she seems to step up whenever there’s a pressure situation,” said Picon.
Another thing in Zabala’s bloodline is working in television.
When Zabala is not on the field striking out opposing batters, she is reporting for her schools television program and winning national competitions.
Zabala is following her father’s footsteps as he happens to be a photo journalist.
“My dad is, obviously, in the field so from a young age I’ve always seen him in the field. I just love being on camera. I love talking. That’s something I inherited from my dad, because he’s the same way. My dad loves attention the same way I do,” said Zabala.
A big reason why Zabala chose to pursue higher education in Louisville is because of the university’s great journalism program.
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