ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Iliana Manzano, Southwest High softball
EL CENTRO — The Southwest High softball team picked up its school’s first CIF-San Diego Section title in that sport after defeating El Capitan 8-0 in the Div. III title game last week.
Helping the Eagles make history was junior catcher Iliana Manzano, who had a stellar performance behind the plate and in the batter’s box as well.
Manzano called starting hurler’s Sadriena Rodriguez pitches in the semifinal and the final, which is nothing new for the tight-knit duo.
“When they first let me start calling pitches (in November) I felt this huge responsibility on my shoulders, but after a while it just felt really natural,” the 17-year-old said.
In its two games last week, the starting battery gave up a combined 12 hits and had seven strikeouts.
“I have a lot of trust in Sadriena, and she has a lot of trust in me, so we just go out there and do our thing,” Manzano said.
As a batter, the three-year letter winner had two hits and one RBI that tied the game for the Eagles in the semifinal and a double and one RBI in the final to help break open the game in the third inning.
“I just wanted to go up there and help my team get on the board because I knew after we got those first few (runs), the team would finish the job,” she said with a smile.
Manzano said the experience of winning the title game was made even more memorable as she was the one to record the final out.
“I saw that she hit it up, and when I saw it, I just thought, ‘That’s my ball,’” Manzano said with a smile. “It was the best feeling in the world, especially with my team celebrating behind me.” My Favorites Pro athlete Cody Bellinger
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What do you enjoy most about your sport? I love that it takes me away from things, and I get to focus on just the game.
What is one of your more memorable moments in your sport? Winning CIF last week.
Who inspires you and why? Coach (Stephanie) Niebla and my brother inspire me. They always push me to my limit and know my potential even when I don’t see it myself.
What are your goals for the next season? To be a better teammate and increase my batting average.