Desert Oasis’ Alissa Perkins (28) grins after making it safely to second base after hitting a double during the softball game on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at Faith Lutheran High School. (Liv Paggiarino/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Vanessa Alvarado was in her first year as the Desert Oasis High School softball coach when freshman Alissa Perkins came to the team’s tryouts. One thing immediately stood out.

“Obviously, the first thing you see is her prosthetic (leg),” Alvarado recalled.

Fibular hemimelia is a rare condition that led to Alissa being born without a fibula in her left leg. That resulted in amputation surgery when she was 9 months old, and she has worn a prosthesis ever since.

At the tryout, Alvarado wanted to be mindful of any potential limitations.…