Bell softball pitcher returns from injury to make major difference

Mackensi Mankel has nothing against cheerleaders. She just doesn’t want to be one.

Last spring Mankel, a junior, was the biggest cheerleader to be found for the L.D. Bell Lady Raiders softball team — but it was not by choice. She was in that role after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee early in the season in a tournament in Pearland.

But now she’s back in the lineup and giving Lady Raiders fans something to cheer for as she has helped her team return to the postseason as one of the top teams from a very tough District 7-6A.

In fact, she recently posted the highlight of her return by pitching a no-hitter in a 10-0 victory against rival Euless Trinity. She struck out nine and walked one.

“It’s been a long journey back for her that’s still not over,” L.D. Bell coach Thomas Shives said. “The perseverance to battle back from an ACL injury is a testament of who she is.

“It hasn’t been easy by any means. She still has setbacks, but she keeps battling through them. A lot of it now is the mental side. The confidence and just trusting her body have been the biggest hurdles for her.”

Mankel vividly remembers when the injury occurred. It happened doing something she had done so many times since she began playing softball at age 5.

Coming in from the outfield, she did her usual jump in the air, shouting “Let’s it y’all!” Only this time she didn’t come down as she had every other time in her life. Her knee bent in the wrong direction and took her season with it.

She knew it was bad right away.

“I shouted, ‘I broke my knee,’ ” she said. “It hurt really bad.”

But not nearly as bad as watching her teammates go on and play the season without her.

“It was tough watching the others play, wishing I could be out there and be a part of it,” she said. “I actually liked rehab. It gave me something to do.”

The Lady Raiders advanced to the playoffs, but Mankel could only watch and cheer.

“Oh man, that was hardest of all,” she said.

Mankel missed a total of seven months before she could return to action. But even now there are limitations.

“I’m definitely not as fast as I used to be, and I can’t slide or I’ll break my brace,” she said, adding with a slight chuckle, “That’s already happened once this year. I’m really aggressive in the outfield.”

In a practice, Mankel, true to her nature, dove for a fly ball. Her brace broke and she missed a week.

“Coach was mad at me, and now I’m not allowed to slide in the outfield,” she said.

Mankel said her goal is not just to return from the injury to full strength, but to be better than she was before. She has already accomplished that in the pitching circle, she said.

“I’m actually faster than I was before the injury. I throw in the low 60s now,” she said.

Mankel has six pitches in her repertoire: a fastball, change-up, screwball, curve, drop curve and a riser.

Mankel’s return has also seen her shift into something of a mentor to freshman pitching standout Kallie Erwin. It’s a role Mankel has welcomed, becoming great friends with Erwin.

“I don’t really look at how old she is,” Mankel said. “We’ve bonded. We joke around a lot.

“She’s definitely a challenge for me, but a good challenge. We make each other better, and that means the team gets better.”

Shives said Mankel’s comeback has been an inspiration to him and her teammates.

“It brings a respect that’s hard to get otherwise,” he said. “She is an everyday example of how the sport you love can be taken away from you at any time. Don’t take it for granted. It motivates everyone to give 100 percent and to enjoy the opportunities you have.”

Mankel still gives her usual shout of support, “Let’s get it, y’all!” Only now there’s a slight adjustment to its delivery.

“I don’t jump,” she said. “Now I do more of a bunny hop.”

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Bell softball pitcher returns from injury to make major difference."