High School Sports

Prep softball: Buchanan, Clovis set for Nos. 1-2 showdown

Top-ranked Buchanan and pitcher Katie January play at No. 2 Clovis at 6:30 p.m. Friday in a showdown for first place in the Tri-River Athletic Conference softball race.
Top-ranked Buchanan and pitcher Katie January play at No. 2 Clovis at 6:30 p.m. Friday in a showdown for first place in the Tri-River Athletic Conference softball race. ckohlruss@fresnobee.com

The Bee’s top two ranked softball teams in the Central Section will clash Friday when No. 2 Clovis hosts No. 1 Buchanan in a Tri-River Athletic Conference game.

The Bears (17-4) have won four straight, including their first three league games to take the lead in the TRAC race.

The defending section Division I champion Cougars (17-3) have won two in a row after opening TRAC play April 8 with a 4-2 loss in eight innings to Clovis East.

First pitch for Friday’s game at Clovis High is set for 6:30 p.m.

First place will also be on the line Friday in the North Yosemite and North Sequoia leagues.

In the NYL, Roosevelt (10-3-1, 3-0) hosts Sunnyside (8-12, 3-0) at 3:30 p.m., while Liberty-Madera Ranchos (15-4, 2-0) plays at Kerman (12-8-1, 3-0) at 4 p.m.

Nick Giannandrea: 559-441-6103, @NickG_FB

Softball

The Bee’s Central Section Rankings

Overall Top 20

(Records through April 19)

  • 1. Buchanan 17-4
  • 2. Clovis 17-3
  • 3. Central 16-4
  • 4. Madera 18-5
  • 5. Clovis East 14-7
  • 6. Bullard 11-8
  • 7. Stockdale 12-4
  • 8. Liberty-Bakersfield 14-7-1
  • 9. Frontier 13-9
  • 10. Hanford 11-9-1
  • 11. El Diamante 14-7
  • 12. Hanford West 12-9
  • 13. Liberty-Madera Ranchos 15-4
  • 14. Sanger 14-8
  • 15. Selma 16-4
  • 16. Dinuba 15-41
  • 17. Monache 16-4
  • 18. Mission Oak 14-4-1
  • 19. Clovis West 6-12-1
  • 20. Clovis North 7-10

Divisional Rankings

Division I: 1. Buchanan; 2. Clovis; 3. Central

Division II: 1. Madera; 2. El Diamante; 3. Sanger

Division III: 1. Hanford; 2. Liberty-Madera Ranchos; 3. Dinuba

Division IV: 1. Selma; 2. Mission Oak; 3. Wasco 13-5

Division V: 1. Caruthers 13-2-3; 2. Firebaugh 14-6; 3. Coalinga 15-5-1

Division VI: 1. Orange Cove 13-5; 2. Parlier 9-7; 3. Frazier Mountain 6-4

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Prep softball: Buchanan, Clovis set for Nos. 1-2 showdown."

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