Hit a softball into the gap, or let Kristin Lara hit one there, and the Bryan senior can really scoot. But those are among the few times Lara gets into running.

Lara is the center fielder and leadoff batter for the Lady Vikings, so running fast is part of her job description. She does it well, ranking 11th on the school's all-time stolen bases list with 29 even though this is her first season as a full-time starter.

And she would much rather be circling the bases or racing across the outfield than running around a track or a cross country trail.

"I never really liked running, but I knew I was kind of good at it," Lara said. "They asked me to run track in middle school, but I said no. I played tennis. I hated every minute of offseason [conditioning], but I knew once the season came, all those extra sprints and all those miles would pay off. I knew I would be able to see it on the bases or tracking down a ball in the outfield."

Bryan (16-10, 6-2 in 13-5A) is on track for a playoff berth going into the Crosstown Showdown against District 13-5A leader A&M Consolidated (17-10, 7-1) at noon Saturday.

Even if the Lady Vikings advance deep into the playoffs, the clock is ticking on the high school career of Lara, who is seventh in school history with 109 games played.

"I try to keep it in the back of my mind," Lara said. "I have been dreading my last game here. It's going to be sad once that day comes."

Kristin Lara and shortstop Ashley Lara, a sophomore, are the first sisters to start regularly for the Lady Vikings since Monica and Denise Briggs in 1997. Kristin is the oldest of five sisters, and family ties first bound her to softball.

The Lara family moved to Bryan when Kristin was 11 years old, and a cousin encouraged her to try softball. It was a slow start for the girl who has become quite speedy.

"I wasn't very good at all when I started," Lara said. "I could only throw and run. I couldn't catch, and I really couldn't hit.

"My sister [Ashley] was really good at it, and me and her compete a lot. I guess I just wanted to keep up with her and show her that I was better than her. Plus, my mom really encouraged me."

Lara made the varsity team as a sophomore, but she spent much of her first two years as a reserve outfielder and pinch runner. She stole 11 bases in each of the last two seasons.

"It was a little frustrating at first, but I understood why I had to wait my turn," Lara said. "There's a lot of good girls that come through this program. I knew that eventually I would get my shot, and I had to make the best of it."

Lara had always been a right-handed hitter, but she switched to batting lefty as a freshman. Hitting from the left side got Lara closer to first base and allowed her to take advantage of her speed.

Bryan coach Enrique Luna said Lara is much more than a slap hitter. This season, Lara is hitting .258 with three doubles, one triple and five runs batted in. She leads the team with 16 walks.

"Her stats don't really show it, but she's hitting the ball better this year as far as making more contact and hitting for more power," Luna said. "With her speed, batting from the left side, it becomes an extra weapon."

NOTES -- Lara will attend Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the fall, joining the softball program as an invited walk-on. ... Lara is third on Bryan's all-time list with 38 walks. She needs two more to move into second place. ... The Crosstown Showdown was moved from Friday night to noon Saturday to avoid conflict with the Relay for Life on the Texas A&M campus. The game is at the Aggie Softball Complex.

• Larry Bowen's e-mail address is larry.bowen@theeagle.com.

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