Rocklin High’s varsity softball team will open the Sac-Joaquin Section, Division II playoffs Friday against Grant at the Sacramento Softball Complex.

Grant (9-10-1) placed third in the Metro League while Rocklin (21-5 overall) won the Sierra Foothill League for the first time in school history.

Grant beat Sacramento 6-1 Friday to break the tie for third place and qualify for the playoffs.

Friday’s game will start at 5 p.m. The first round is single elimination while the tournament is double elimination after the first round. All playoff games will be held at the Sacramento Softball Complex for DII.

Friday’s winner will play at 4 p.m. Saturday and the winner of that will play at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the semi-finals. The section finals will be played at 5 p.m. May 22.

Last year, the first time Rocklin ever reached the playoffs, the Thunder were eliminated in the semifinals.

“Our main goal is to get past the first game,” Rocklin coach Bob Townsend said. “On any given day you don’t know which group, where their head will be.”

McClatchy is the only Metro League team Rocklin has played this season and the Thunder beat the first-place Lions 1-0 April 12.

“(The Metro League) is not as strong as the Sierra Valley Conference or the Sierra Foothill League,” Townsend said.

The Thunder finished the SFL season 10-2 after losing 3-1 at Woodcreek May 6 in the regular season finale.

Woodcreek scored all its runs in the first two innings off Rocklin’s ace Britany Linton (six innings, one earned run, six hits, two walks, no strikeouts) and the Thunder couldn’t complete the comeback.

Townsend really wanted to win although Rocklin had already clinched the title prior to the game. Woodcreek earned the SFL’s second and final playoff spot by beating Roseville 2-1 May 8.

“It was a big deal, we wanted to win that game,” Townsend said. “They had hits but nothing with any power. A dinker here and a dinker there and that’s what got us. It was a frustrating game. We wanted to win it but when we came down to it we didn’t have to win it.”

Annie Bates (2-for-2, steal), Paige Emerson (1-3, steal) and Kari Davis (1-3) led the Rocklin offense.

“I don’t think the loss will affect the attitude (of the team),” Townsend said.

The plan is for Linton, a senior, to start each game on the rubber for the Thunder in the playoffs.