With key pitcher hurting, McClatchy High softball grinds past Kennedy
Her back was so tight and tender that it was difficult to tie shoes or twist, so imagine the grimace that comes with trying to unleash a windmill softball pitch.
That was Ashleigh Dendas on Thursday afternoon, grinding her way through seven innings of work for the No. 16 McClatchy Lions.
The only senior on the roster and the lone team captain, Dendas tossed a complete-game effort against rival Kennedy, striking out 14 and finding the strength to leap for joy while watching a walk-off winner in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure a 6-5 victory in a Metro League contest at McClatchy.
Dendas pitching with guts and results is nothing new. She’s done it for four sterling seasons and will pitch on scholarship at Cal State Fullerton this fall. The pleasant surprise for the Lions has been the bat of Ayla Tate and the sudden power of Jocelyn Rodriguez. Those two played a role at the plate as the Lions moved to 5-1 in warming up for Metro League games against Laguna Creek and River City next week before taking on powerhouse programs in No. 2 Sheldon and No. 4 Elk Grove in nonleague games.
Tate’s walk-off double was the final at-bat Thursday and scored Annalyn Brown. Rodriguez, a shy freshman, belted her first prep home run in the second inning, a three-run blast for a 4-0 lead.
“Dendas gave us everything she had, and she had tears in her eyes, she was hurting so bad, but she stayed in there, wanted to stay in there, and she got it done,” McClatchy coach Chris Abar said. “Just a great effort. And Tate? She had one hit here her first two seasons. Now she’s tearing it up.”
Tate can hardly believe her surge. The junior second baseman had two hits Thursday and scored a run. She had put the mental aspect of the game with the physical part, her coach said.
“My freshman and sophomore year, it was a struggle for me at the plate,” she said. “I’ve worked hard. I’ve surprised myself. It’s fun to get hits. It’s fun to win.”
As for Rodriguez, she was steady at third base again and belted her homer over the centerfield fence, taking a Kennedy outfielder with her.
Funny story about that fence. The groundskeeper, who mowed the outfield grass a while back, also plowed right over that fence, which might be a big reason why he’s now called, “the former groundskeeper.” Kennedy players and parents repaired the fence. They wanted a fence instead of open green fields that would stretch to the baseball field or football field.
Dendes is the heart of the team and said she was determined to win this contest against a Kennedy team that is competitive under coach Caitlyn Seymour and seems poised to win its second game of the season.
“I had to focus on spin and location while pitching because the speed wasn’t there with my back,” Dendas said. “I wanted to stay out there. I wanted to do it for the team. All of these girls, this being my senior season, they’re the most impressive group of girls. We’re having so much fun.”
McClatchy was down to eight players by the third inning when injuries sidelined two players. So the Lions played on with two outfielders and held off Kennedy’s rally. Samya Felton had two hits and drove in three for Kennedy, and Emelia Araiza had two RBIs. Molly Herzog had two RBIs and caught two deep fly balls in the outfield off the bat of Dendas, whom Seymour called a “great player.”
Seymour, a 2012 Kennedy graduate, said she was impressed with her team’s resolve to push a Metro League powerhouse to the brink.
“We’ve come a long way in a short period of time,” the coach said. “My team played with heart, and I am so proud of them for the way they fought to the end.”
For McClatchy coach Abar, the joy of coaching now includes coaching his daughter, junior first baseman Serena Abar. She bats leadoff and had two hits and a walk. Other key cogs this season include outfielder Renee Turley, who had a hit, an RBI and scored a run, shortstop Annalyn Brown (two hits, a run), do-all Lilly Jarvis (a walk) and catcher Mikayala Broadway (a hit and a run).
“Love coaching,” coach Abar said. “I played for (McClatchy athletic director) Rob Feickert here in 1998. Sports really kept me out of trouble. I needed them. It’s been a joy coaching here.”
Abar has won nine consecutive Metro League championships. Do we hear 10? Dendas is counting on it. There will be no Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs this spring, so the Metro is the primary prize.
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 5:25 AM.