Whitney rolls past Rodriguez for second straight section title

Top-seeded Whitney continued its dominant postseason run Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 7 Rodriguez 11-1 in five innings to capture the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I softball championship at Sacramento State's Shea Stadium. The title marked the Wildcats' second consecutive section crown after winning the Division II championship last season and capped off the program's fourth straight appearance in a section final. Powered by timely hitting, aggressive baserunning and another explosive offensive performance, Whitney overwhelmed Rodriguez early and never let up on the way to another banner. Whitney coach April Steele credited her team's commitment and buy-in from the jump, saying that they never lost focus even as the school year winds down. "I think that the best part is they buy in. Yesterday was Senior Ditch Day, and all nine of my senior girls were on campus happily," said Steele. "They said, 'This moment's more important.' We went with the theme last month that life is about memories, and you have a choice, and we choose to make memories." Whitney made a memorable impact from the jump Saturday afternoon, putting up crooked numbers in the first, second, third and fifth innings to secure the decisive victory. Sophomore catcher Kaitlyn Johnson led the offense with three RBI singles, including the decisive hit that walked off the run rule victory in the bottom of the fifth. "We knew this was her future," said Steele of Johnson, noting that she started the season on the JV team. "We just kept telling her to keep swinging and the ball's going to fall. I think she knows we believe in her, and now it's starting to be her time." Whitney's offense produced 11 runs on 11 hits and showcased the depth that has carried the Wildcats all season. Rebecca Rau delivered a perfect day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a triple while scoring twice. Bri Seffens finished 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored, while Sidney Kleiner added a pair of hits and drove in three runs. Lulu Im went 2-for-3 with an RBI. "They believed in the coaching plans that we gave them. We had a completely different approach at the plate this year, and they took it and ran with it," said Steele. "We had a ton of selfless at-bats with ground balls scoring runs, pop flies scoring runs. They just believe in what we're doing." Sophomore ace Taylor Cordell was dominant in the circle, striking out five without walking anyone while giving up one run on six hits. It is Cordell's second straight section title in her young high school career, but while she has pitched the Wildcats to consecutive victories she notes that it is a team effort. "I've relied mostly on my coaches and the girls around me," said Cordell. "It's not easy to come in as a freshman and do all of it, but I've had these coaches behind my back the whole time. I've just had a great support system." Rodriguez routinely threatened throughout the game, but for every time the Mustangs delivered a jab Cordell would slam the door shut before they could muster up any offense. "Keeping composure is one of the biggest things for me and not letting the moment get too big," said Cordell. "I would tell myself, 'Yeah, we're in a section game, yeah, they just got a hit off me, but don't let the moment get too big. It's okay to fail.' The biggest thing is keeping my composure." The Wildcats (24-8) advance to the CIF NorCal Regional Tournament for the fourth consecutive season but will have a week off before brackets are announced on May 31. Steele said the girls will get some well-deserved time off as it is their last week of school, but will remain hard at work as they look to continue their deep postseason run.