Video: Outfielder runs down fly ball
See this New York outfielder turn on the jets as she tracks down an outIn a week where seven teams fell out of the Top 25, Eagle enjoyed its second-straight week at No. 1, shutting out three opponents by a combined 42-0 margin.
The wins give the Mustangs 17 shutouts on the season and keep them atop the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. Eagle has won 56 of its last 57 games.
However, it's the team's power that continues to draw headlines. Ten of the 13 Mustangs have hit a home run this season.
Their 63 home runs this season tie them for the second-most all-time, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations Record Book. The single-season national record is 71, set by Pisgah (Ala.) in 2011.
Eagle, which has 21 run-rule victories, opens state tournament play on Thursday.
New to the Top 25 are La Habra (Calif.), Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.), Ironwood Ridge (Tucson, Ariz.), Belton (Texas), Downers Grove South (Ill.), Reheboth (Dothan, Ala.) and Union Grove (Wis.).
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
Ironwood Ridge has entered the Xcellent 25 this week after winning an Arizona state title.
Graphic by Ryan Escobar
1. (last week No. 1) Eagle (Idaho), 26-0Since moving to No. 1, the Mustangs routed Centennial (Boise), Boise and Mountain View (Meridian) by a combined 42-0 margin. For the season, they have scored 355 runs while allowing just 21. They have 16 shutouts and have allowed one run in a game five times.
2. (3) Grand Terrace (Calif.), 23-1Grand Terrace ended the regular season with a 15-2 win over Bloomington for its 21st-straight victory.
3. (6) Crown Point (Ind.), 20-1The Bulldogs have won five straight since losing, including 5-0 over Valparaiso and 3-0 over LaPorte. Junior
Mackenzie Dunlap is batting .536 with 21 RBIs.
4. (7) Los Alamitos (Calif.), 23-2The Griffins avenged one of their two losses by blanking Huntington Beach 7-0 and recorded their ninth shutout with a 3-0 win over Marina (Huntington Beach).
5. (5) West Orange (Winter Garden, Fla.), 30-1 *Season overWest Orange won Florida's 9A state title.
6. (8) Robinson (Texas), 34-0-1The Rockets beat China Spring 14-0 and 10-8 to win in the 4A regional quarterfinals. They play No. 7 LaGrange on Wednesday.
7. (2) La Grange (Texas), 35-2After running their win streak to 34, the Leopards lost 3-1 to Hargrave but won the regional title with a 6-5 win. They play unbeaten and No. 6 Robinson on Wednesday.
8. (9) Bald Knob (Ark.), 35-0The Bulldogs continued their playoff run with an 8-0 win over Genoa Central, as
Autumn Humes struck out 12 and pitched a no-hitter. She also hit her 10th home run of the season. Next up is the state 3A title game versus 27-7 Rose Bud on Saturday.
9. (11) East Carter (Grayson, Ky.), 28-0The Raiders got a no-hitter, a one-hitter and a three-hitter from sophomore
Montana Fouts in blanking Johnson Central, Green County and Russell. She struck out 44 in the three games. Fouts has a nation-leading 12 no-hitters this season.
10. (19) Curry (Jasper, Ala.), 43-2The Yellowjackets ran their win streak to 17 and recorded their fifth-straight playoff shutout victory. In the five wins, senior
Ashlee Swindle allowed just five base hits and homered three times. She is 41-2 on the season with 357 strikeouts in 236 innings.
11. (15) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.), 20-0The Golden Eagles defeated Northwest (Wichita), 8-3 and 12-3, and raised their team batting average to .524.
12. (12) Gainesville (Fla.), 28-2 *Season overGainesville won Florida's 7A title.
13. (16) Orange Lutheran (Calif.), 26-3Led by freshman
Ciara Briggs (.402 and a team-high 28 RBIs), the Lancers enter the postseason with a 14-game winning streak.
14. (18) Cape Fear (Fayetteville, N.C.), 25-0 The Colts opened the playoffs with a 5-2 win over Leesville (Raleigh) and followed it with a 2-0 win over South Central (Winterville).
15. (17) Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.), 16-0After winning three games last week, Sherwood's winning streak sits at 102. They have shutout victories over a dozen opponents.
16. (25) Etiwanda (Calif.), 28-2Vanessa Taukeiaho and
Megan Stevens have combined for 36 of the team's 62 home runs. The 62 round-trippers is one behind national leader Eagle. The national record is 71.
17. (NR) La Habra (Calif.), 26-1The Highlanders have won 23 straight since losing to No. 14 Orange Lutheran on March 10.
18. (23) Lakewood (Hebron, Ohio), 22-0KR Peacock homered to lead a 19-hit attack as Lakewood opened the playoffs with a 13-0 win over East.
19. (13) Union County (Union, S.C.), 27-1The Yellowjackets saw their 37-game winning streak end against Chapin in the first game of the best-of-three Upper State Championship, but won the next two 8-0 and 8-1 to move into the 3A state championship three-game series against Hartsville on Thursday.
20. (NR) Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.), 27-1 *Season overLed by freshman pitcher
Aspen Wesley (23-1, 0.19 ERA, 293 strikeouts in 148 innings), the Rockets repeated as 5A state champions and ended the season with 22 straight wins.
21. (NR) Ironwood Ridge (Tucson, Ariz.), 35-4Led by sophomore
Isabel Pacho's 59 RBIs, the Nighthawks captured the Arizona D-2 state title. They won 20 of their last 21 games.
22. (NR) Belton (Texas), 30-2The Tigers have won 28 straight (21 by shutout) and outscored their opponents 290-23. And 18 of their last 21 wins have been via shutout.
23. (NR) Downers Grove South (Ill.), 26-3Led by
Caroline Hedgcock's big offensive numbers (18 home runs), and
Payton Buresch's pitching, the Mustangs have won 16 of their last 17. They own wins over No. 3 Crown Point and No. 12 Gainesville.
24. (NR) Rehobeth (Dothan, Ala.), 55-4Since losing to 35-6 Dickson County (Tenn.), the Rebels have won seven in a row by a combined 74-4 margin. Led by junior outfielder
Talia Truitt (95 hits, 78 runs, .543 batting average, 59 stolen bases), the Rebels are batting .405 as a team. They have won 17 of their last 18 games.
25. (NR) Union Grove (Wis.), 18-1UGHS captured the Chippewa Falls Tournament last weekend, outscoring three opponents 28-4.
Dropped out: Deer Park (Texas), Lampeter-Strasburg (Penn.), East Union (Calif.), Oaks Christian (Calif.), Prior Lake (Minn.), Tahoma (Wash.), McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.).