Prep softball: Second-ranked Del Oro rolls on behind defense, Manley’s powerful shot

Del Oro senior Kendal Manley is relishing her senior season.

And deservedly so, after multiple knee injuries have kept her sidelined for a majority of her high school softball career.

“She’s really battled to get her body where she wants it,” Del Oro coach Sean Erickson said. “She’s first in, last out in every workout.”

Manley tore her ACL and missed her sophomore season before reinjuring the same knee, along with her meniscus, and playing in only one game during her junior year.

“It’s honestly taken a lot of turns,” Manley said. “I wasn’t expecting all this.”

After surgery and rehab, Manley was cleared to play her senior season in December. And that’s good news for the Golden Eagles.

“It’s been great to be back having a great team this year,” she said. “I just love being out here. I was at all the games the last two years, and I just love playing and I just want to be there for my team. My knee has felt great, so why not?”

On Wednesday in Loomis, The Bee’s No. 2-ranked Del Oro won its eighth straight game, improving to 11-1 and 3-0 in the Sierra Foothill League with Manley leading the charge at the plate. In the third inning, Manley crushed an 0-1 pitch over a high-rise platform beyond dead center field, sparking a 6-3 win over No. 9 Rocklin. It was Manley’s team-leading fourth home run of the season.

“I honestly have not been expecting to be this good,” she said after the game.

One person who is not surprised at Manley’s production is Erickson, who’s coached her since her freshman season at Del Oro.

“She flicks her wrists and the ball is outta here,” Erickson said. “She has that type of power. It doesn’t look like she’s even trying. We all wish we were that strong.”

Del Oro also got a two-run homer from senior shortstop Haylee Engelbrecht, a complete game in the circle from senior Caroline Grimes and a highlight-reel’s worth of defensive plays from its Division I-bound middle infield.

The Golden Eagles made three double plays Wednesday, including a sensational turn in the fourth. With a runner on first, Rocklin’s Marissa Robertson sent a hot shot up the middle, but second baseman Jenna Birch (Oregon State) made a diving backhanded stop, flipped the ball out of her glove to Engelbrecht (Nevada), who made a quick turn from second and fired to Daniella Morillas at first to complete the gem of a play.

“Sometimes the softball gods will shine down on you,” Erickson said. “If not for three double plays, we might have gotten ourselves into some trouble. But we put a lot of trust in our defense and a lot of trust in our boppers, and we came through today.”

Manley, Birch, Engelbrecht and Idaho State-bound catcher Olivia Robison were all part of the 2019 Del Oro team that reached the Sac-Joaquin Section finals. The Golden Eagles ultimately fell short of the program’s eighth section crown with an 11-4 loss to Vacaville. COVID-19 precautions canceled the last two postseasons, so this Del Oro bunch is hoping for a return trip to sections to finish what it started four years ago.

“That was brutal going through sections as freshmen,” Manley said. “It’s exciting to be doing as well as we are this senior year and finishing off strong.”

For Rocklin (4-7, 0-3 SFL), head coach Mallory Moller has the talent to replace last year’s All-Metro Players of the Year, Jayla Castro (UCLA) and Brook Thompson (Boise State).

Senior sisters Bella and Alexa Garcia bookend the Thunder lineup and have combined to hit .358 while scoring 18 runs. Princeton-bound lefty Brielle Wright has 63 strikeouts and a 1.96 ERA in 50 innings. Junior Jillian Moeller hit a three-run homer on Wednesday. And sophomore shortstop Sydney Barker, who homered on the first varsity pitch she ever saw as a freshman, is a star in the making for Rocklin.

“We’ve got kids who’ve learned from the best of the best,” Moller said. “We’ve got a talented younger group that is still learning and paying their dues, but they will be something to watch.”

And the Thunder don’t duck anyone. All of Rocklin’s seven losses have come against teams that reside in the Bee’s top 10. Top-ranked Elk Grove, No. 3 St. Francis, No. 4 Sheldon, No. 7 Vista del Lago, No. 8 Folsom and No. 10 Granite Bay have combined to go 48-5-2.

“We scheduled the hardest teams for a reason,” Moller said. “Going and crushing somebody doesn’t help us out. We don’t learn anything. What stands out about this group is they want to be faced with these challenges.”

Rocklin and Del Oro will square up again on April 5 in Rocklin and May 4 in Loomis.

This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 7:59 AM.