Del Oro blanks Alameda for 2nd straight NorCal title

One word sums up Del Oro High School's run through the CIF NorCal Regional Division II softball playoffs: dominant. The Golden Eagles did not allow a run in three postseason games and surrendered just eight hits along the way. Second-seeded Del Oro punctuated its commanding run Saturday morning with a 5-0 victory over top-seeded Alameda on the road, securing the program's second consecutive NorCal championship. Del Oro (23-8) won 10 of its last 11 games and ended the season ranked No. 6 in California on MaxPreps. Del Oro struck in the second inning. After walks by Kate Brown and Nancy Barberio and a groundout by Macey Davis moved runners into scoring position, freshman Katharine Popovski delivered an RBI single to center. Two batters later, Chloe Champas lined a two-RBI single to right field. That was more than enough support for Popovski. The Hornets (24-6) loading the bases with one out in the fifth, but Del Oro escaped the jam when Maddy Yoon popped out to shortstop Nancy Barberio and Sadie Ramirez was caught trying to advance home to end the inning. The Golden Eagles added two insurance runs in the sixth. Barberio opened the frame with a single and scored on Popovski's RBI single. Hailey Miller scored to make it 5-0 before Alameda cut down Grace Johnson at the plate to end the inning. Popovski walked two and struck out six in pitching a shutout. The performance was even more impressive considering Del Oro entered the championship game without several key contributors. With questions surrounding how the Golden Eagles would respond, coach Sean Erickson said his focus immediately shifted to the circle. "You immediately think about the circle," Erickson said. "Katherine this year, she's been nothing short of amazing. I knew she was ready. She wanted that game." According to Erickson, the freshman embraced the opportunity from the moment she learned she would have the ball. "Basically, what was said to me by Katherine Popovski was, 'I'm not missing this chance,' " Erickson said. Popovski rewarded that confidence with one of the best performances of her young career. Erickson praised her ability to command all areas of the plate and, just as importantly, her ability to move on from adversity. "She's not too high, she's not too low," Erickson said. "Every single time I turned to her this season, she was ready to go." With several regular starters unavailable, Del Oro also found offense throughout the lineup. Champas stepped into the leadoff spot and delivered two RBIs, while the Golden Eagles consistently put pressure on Alameda with quality at-bats. "Chloe has been a leadoff hitter here, she's been a two hitter here, she's been a nine hitter here, and she's achieved at all levels," Erickson said. "We had 12 line drives, gap to gap, had base hits, bunted when needed to, and the kids played the game the right way." Erickson said adversity throughout the season prepared his team for moments like Saturday. "The obstacle you think is the disconnect when you lose your premium players," Erickson said. "What it does, for some reason, is it hardens their mettle. Iron sharpens iron, and you've got to be able to endure whatever comes your way." Erickson noticed a different reaction from his veteran group after winning their second consecutive NorCal title. "They were so proud of themselves at the end that it didn't lead to this giant pile, it didn't lead to an over-exuberance," Erickson said. "It led to, 'We just did it again.' That's maturity. That's this group."