High school softball rankings: Bay Area News Group Top 20
Bay Area News Group Top 20
(Mercury News & East Bay Times)
(Records and statistics through Monday evening)
No. 1 ST. FRANCIS (5-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Update: The Lancers defeated Westmont, Carlmont and Hollister by a combined score of 18-1 last week. Senior Carly Cummings went 2 for 3 with a double, a triple and two RBIs in a 10-2 victory against Hollister.
Up next: Thursday vs. Rio Mesa-Oxnard, 5:15 p.m.
No. 2 FOOTHILL (6-0)
Previous ranking: 3
Update: Foothill did not play a game last week.
Up next: Today at Amador Valley, 4 p.m.
No. 3 SAN RAMON VALLEY (6-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Update: The Wolves defeated Liberty 1-0, rolled Pittsburg 20-1, and slipped past Carondelet 2-0. Paige McCleod and Sophia Baccei are both tied for the team lead with eight RBIs, and McCleod has both of the team’s two home runs.
Up next: Today at Monte Vista, 4 p.m.
No. 4 PINOLE VALLEY (11-0)
Previous ranking: 7
Update: Pinole Valley extended its winning streak to 10 games with a 5-0 victory at Acalanes. Senior star Aneesa Brewer went 3 for 4 and drove in two runners in the win. Beat Dougherty Valley 7-5 on Monday.
Up next: Wednesday at Las Lomas, 4 p.m.
No. 5 GRANADA (6-1)
Previous ranking: 5
Update: The Matadors defeated Amador Valley 5-0 in the team’s only game of the week. Pitcher Alex Mello struck out six and walked none in a complete-game shutout.
Up next: Tuesday at Livermore, 4:00 p.m.
No. 6 BENICIA (4-1)
Previous ranking: 6
Update: Benicia bookended a 12-0 loss to Vintage with a 9-8 victory vs. Dixon and a 11-7 triumph against St. Francis-Sacramento. Defeated Acalanes 10-0 to start the week. Sophomore Ary Banks-Lockhart went 3 for 4 with a double and home run against Saint Francis.
Up next: Wednesday vs. Rodriguez-Fairfield, 4 p.m.
No. 7 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (4-1)
Previous ranking: 2
Update: The Monarchs did not play a game last week, and perhaps that rust was partially to blame for a shocking 2-0 defeat at Willow Glen’s hands on Monday.
Up next: Wednesday at Notre Dame-Salinas, 4:30 p.m.
No. 8 CLAYTON VALLEY (5-1)
Previous ranking: 8
Update: The Ugly Eagles got through California 6-4 in extra innings in the team’s only game of last week, and then smashed Northgate 11-1. Layla Hernandez pitched all 11 innings against California, and sophomore Angelina Vargas had two RBIs.
Up next: Friday vs. Las Lomas, 1 p.m.
No. 9 MILPITAS (10-1)
Previous ranking: 9
Update: Milpitas started the week with victories over Mountain View, Los Gatos and Santa Teresa, and ended it with a 7-0 loss to Sequoia. Senior Madeline Le drove in both runs in the 2-1 victory over Los Gatos.
Up next: Today vs. Homestead, 4 p.m.
No. 10 LIVERMORE (6-2)
Previous ranking: 11
Update: Livermore defeated Amador Valley 6-4 in the team’s only game of the week. Senior Audrey Sweet had a RBI and a double to help the Cowboys improve to 5-2. Defeated Dublin 6-1 to start the week.
Up next: Tuesday at Amador Valley, 4 p.m.
No. 11 WESTMONT (8-2)
Previous ranking: NR
Update: Westmont rebounded from a loss to No. 1 St. Francis with a 1-0 victory against Gilroy, a 10-1 rout of ranked Capuchino, a shutout of Monterey and a 4-1 victory over Live Oak. Brianna Chambers-Lee had two home runs against Capuchino.
Up next: Today at Leland, 4 p.m.
No. 12 CAPUCHINO (7-1)
Previous ranking: 14
Update: Capuchino handed Hillsdale its first loss of the season, lost to Westmont 10-1, and then defeated Monterey 6-3. Senior Nohei Livingston struck out eight Monterey batters while also notching two hits in the most recent game.
Up next: Friday vs. St. Ignatius, 4 p.m.
No. 13 VALLEY CHRISTIAN (6-2)
Previous ranking: 15
Update: Valley Christian defeated Wilcox 8-7 and Cupertino 17-1 to finish the week 2-0. Junior Austen Zelmer had a home run and seven RBIs in the victory against Cupertino.
Up next: Thursday vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral, 4 p.m.
No. 14 HILLSDALE (7-1)
Previous ranking: 13
Update: Hillsdale lost its only game of the week 4-0 to Capuchino. Junior Claire Shelton leads the team with three HRs, and has nine RBIs, which is second only to Bianca Erickson’s 11.
Up next: Apr. 4 vs. Carlmont, 4:00 p.m.
No. 15 SAN LEANDRO (9-3)
Previous ranking: NR
Update: San Leandro routed St. Mary’s-Berkeley and Fremont-Oakland before winning a 14-10 thriller against Encinal to close the week. Freshman Jade Orta had six stolen bases against Encinal. Blanked Hayward 13-0 on Monday.
Up next: Thursday vs. TBD, 4 p.m.
No. 16 BRANHAM (7-2)
Previous ranking: 16
Update: Branham defeated Pioneer 13-5 and then shut out Homestead 4-0. Junior Kaliya Yco went 4 for 5 with a home run and five RBIs in the rout over Pioneer. Defeated Santa Teresa 5-4 to start the new week.
Up next: Thursday vs. Leland, 4 p.m.
No. 17 SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (8-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Update: The Fightin’ Irish were barely challenged for much of this season, winning six of its first eight games by double-digits. However, Cathedral was stunned 11-10 by a then-winless Woodside team on Monday.
Up next: Wednesday vs. El Camino, 4:00 p.m.
No. 18 WILLOW GLEN (5-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Update: Willow Glen earned perhaps the most impressive victory of the season when it went to then-No. 2 Archbishop Mitty and held the Monarchs to one hit in the 2-0 victory.
Up next: Thursday vs. Cupertino, 4 p.m
No. 19 JAMES LOGAN (4-2)
Previous ranking: 17
Update: James Logan lost to Moreau Catholic 4-1 before rebounding against Kennedy-Fremont 15-0. Ava Medellin and Malia Athey each stole two bases against Kennedy.
Up next: Today at Newark-Memorial, 4 p.m.
No. 20 NORTHGATE (7-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Update: Northgate was on a four-game winning streak, with the Broncos recently defeating Concord 18-4. Junior Marina Johnsen had four RBIs and freshman Taelyn Jriyasetapong accrued three steals against the Minutemen. That streak ended with a 11-1 loss to Clayton Valley Charter.
Up next: Thursday at Las Lomas, 4:30 p.m.
Teams eligible for the Bay Area News Group rankings come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.