Manning sisters lead All-City team
Dale High School’s Dani Manning and youngster sister Delanie, pictured, are on The Oklahoman’s annual All-City Slowpitch Softball Team. They combined for 86 home runs.
DALE — Dani Manning had an idea her statistics were impressive. Then she saw them.
“I’ve never had a season as great as that one,” Manning said.
Dale’s star senior delivered an incredibly dominant slowpitch softball season as she led the Pirates to a second straight Class 4A state championship. The numbers she posted are the only true way to appreciate it.
She hit 41 home runs and drove in 103. She scored 101 times. She batted .774. She also hit 16 doubles and a triple.
“This spring, she was the best slowpitch player that we’ve ever seen,” Dale coach Andy Powell said. Manning is The Oklahoman’s All-City Slowpitch Softball Player of the Year.
An Oklahoma Baptist signee, she’s been regarded as one of the top players in the area. This season, a few factors led
The only stat I cared about was home runs because Delanie started to outhit me. I know we shouldn’t have, but I told her I was going to hit more home runs.” Dale’s Dani Manning
to her remarkable dominance.
She was competing with her sophomore sister Delanie, who posted similar numbers with 45 homers and 131 RBIs.
“The only stat I cared about was home runs because Delanie started to outhit me,” Dani said. “I know we shouldn’t have, but I told her I was going to hit more home runs.”
Delanie got off to a better start, hitting nearly four times as many homers in the first few weeks. Then Dani got hot and was moved behind Delanie in the batting order.
Teams suddenly had to pick which player to pitch to. It was a losing situation.
“I think it inspired both of them,” Powell said. “I hate to compare a MarisMantle deal, but it was kinda like that. They both wanted to beat each other.”
And the Mannings used the state’s bat rules to their advantage.
They used a DeMarini men’s league bat, which produced more power. It was an inch longer and a few ounces heavier at 34 inches and 25 ounces. It was “hot,” meaning it produced more.
Dale purchased three of the bats. At the state tournament, two failed testing. Powell noticed 36 of the same model deemed illegal from other teams.
He was thankful to have saved an extra bat that passed testing. The Pirates scored 16, 18 and 36 runs in their three state tournament games.
Dani Manning hit four home runs that day. Dale hit a total of 11 in the title game alone.
“Everyone was trying to get one passed,” Powell said. “But everyone doesn’t have the Mannings that are big and strong like we do.”