Fresno-area prep softball: Top 25 shakeup; aces pile up strikeouts; big games ahead
There was some movement again in The Fresno Bee’s Top 25 high school softball rankings.
Bullard moved up one spot to No. 10 after defeating then-No. 7 Tulare Western 11-1. It was a bad week for the Mustangs who also lost to unranked Reedley 1-0. The Mustangs dropped to No. 16.
Clovis West enters the Top 25 rankings at No. 21. After starting the season 1-5, the Golden Eagles found a groove, winning the past five games, including wins over Atascadero, Garces, Arroyo Grande, Kingsburg and Sanger.
Around the horn
▪ Lauryn Carranco finished with a four-hitter and had 16 strikeouts to give Clovis a 6-1 win over Stockdale. She continued to be dominant when she had 12 strikeouts in a one-hitter, beating El Diamante 2-0.
▪ Brynn Close had a one-hitter and also had a triple and four RBI to give Riverdale an 8-0 win over Mendota.
▪ Lilliana Garcia tossed a one-hitter and had 12 strikeouts to lead Hanford to a 5-0 victory over Tulare Union.
▪ Alyanna Gonzales of Kingsburg struck out 17 and threw a two-hitter in a 6-0 victory over Hanford West. She had three RBI in the win.
▪ Mia Nishikawa struck out 14 and finished with two RBI in Central’s 7-4 victory over San Benito.
▪ Megan Staton of Central Valley Christian tossed a no-hitter and had 17 strikeouts to lead the Cavaliers past Hoover 10-0. She also had a double and a triple and an RBI.
▪ Caruthers’ Paige Sterling had seven RBI after hitting 3 for 5 in the Blue Raiders’ win over Orosi. One of her hits was a home run.
On deck
▪ Fowler and Liberty-Madera Ranchos clash in a nonleague game at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
▪ Central travels to Kingsburg for a 6:30 p.m. game on Tuesday.
▪ Clovis West hosts Bullard in a big nonleague game at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
▪ In another big game, Buchanan hosts Hanford at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Top 25 rankings
(Records through Monday)
1. Clovis North 10-0 (Pvs.1)
2. Clovis 12-2 (Pvs.2)
3. Buchanan 10-3 (Pvs.3)
4. Liberty-Bakersfield 11-1 (Pvs.4)
5. Central 10-2 (Pvs.6) 10-2
6. Stockdale 7-4 (Pvs.5)
7. Hanford 8-3 (Pvs.9)
8. St. Joseph 11-5 (Pvs.8)
9. Paso Robles 11-4 (Pvs.10)
10. Bullard 5-4 (Pvs.11)
11. Liberty-Madera Ranchos 9-2 (Pvs.12)
12. Frontier 8-9 (Pvs.15)
13. Garces 10-7 (Pvs.16)
14. Independence 11-7 (Pvs.17)
15. Tulare Union 9-3-1 (Pvs.13)
16. Tulare Western 12-5-1 (Pvs. 7)
17. El Diamante 8-5 (Pvs.14)
18. Centennial 11-5-1 (Pvs.18)
19. Dinuba 8-5 (Pvs.19)
20. Monache 7-4-1 (Pvs. 21)
21. Clovis West 8-6 (Pvs. NR)
22. San Luis Obispo 8-4-1 (Pvs. 22)
23. Fowler 8-3 (Pvs.23)
24. Golden West 7-5 (Pvs.20)
25. Redwood 7-4-1 (Pvs. 25)
On the bubble: Kingsburg (8-7), Mission Oak (7-3-1), Highland (11-5), Garces (10-7), Chowchilla (6-4) Wasco (10-3), North (8-8), Morro Bay (7-1), Mission Prep (9-3), Immanuel (10-4), Mt. Whitney (7-5), San Joaquin Memorial (7-6-1), Arroyo Grande (7-7-1), Reedley (6-5-1), Sanger (6-6), Central Valley Christian (4-3), Caruthers (5-4), Bakersfield (4-6-1)
