MaxPreps top 25 national high school softball rankings

Video: Multiple home run robbing catches in one game
See multiple home runs turned to out in game of one-upmanship.

Los Alamitos was the No. 1 team when the MaxPreps Xcellent Preseason Top 50 Softball Rankings came out in mid-February. An early March loss, however, knocked the Griffins from that lofty perch. Their season has come full circle and Los Alamitos again sits atop the rankings after defeating previously ranked No. 1 Norco 3-1 in the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section Division 1 title game.

Los Alamitos senior Ryan Denhart pitched a three-hitter for the second time this season against Norco as the Griffins ended Norco's dream of a perfect season. The Cougars had been ranked No. 1 for 11 straight weeks and finished the season at 33-1.

Los Alamitos (28-3), which lost to Norco 1-0 on April 8 despite a three-hitter from Denhart, entered Saturday's game ranked No. 2. Norco was trying to become the first Southern Section D1 team to finish undefeated since Ocean Park went 32-0 in 1985.

Unbeaten Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.) moved to No. 2 this week, one ahead of Norco, and can make a case to displace Los Alamitos at No. 1. The Knights, led by junior pitcher Kat Sandercock, scored 329 runs and allowed just six in running the table. Sandercock (20 shutouts and 330 strikeouts in 151 innings) is a finalist for the MaxPreps National Player of the Year. A member of the U.S. Junior National Team, Sandercock also drove in 56 runs.

That said, California's Southern Section is considered the toughest softball district in the country. The three loses by Los Alamitos were by a total of seven runs and to a trio of teams loaded with future Division 1 players that combined to win 76 times.

The biggest mover of the week was Crown Point (Ind.), which moved from unranked to No. 13.

In addition to Crown Point, new to the Top 25 this week are Egg Harbor (N.J.), Chanhassen (Minn.), North Medford (Medford, Ore.) and Texas schools Keller and Krum.

1. (Last week 2) Los Alamitos (Calif.), 28-3
The Griffins, winners of 12 in a row, beat former No. 1 Norco in the CIF Southern Section championship game to avenge an loss earlier in the season.

2. (4) Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.), 27-0
The Knights won the state large school title. Season over.

3. (1) Norco (Calif.), 33-1
Before losing 3-1 to Los Alamitos, Norco won an 11-7 slugfest against Grand Terrace in the section semifinals.

4. (6) Woodinville (Wash.), 26-0
The Falcons closed out their season by winning the state 4A championship. Season over.

5. (3) Coral Springs Charter (Coral Springs, Fla.), 30-1
The Panthers won their third-straight 5A state softball championship. Season over.

6. (5) Hurricane (W. Va.), 36-1
The Redskins won their third-straight West Virginia large school title. Season over.

7. (9) Oak Park-River Forest (Oak Park, Ill.), 34-1
Oak Park ran its win streak to 14 straight after blanking Lane Tech (Chicago) for its third straight shutout. During the streak, Oak Park has scored 176 times. Oak Park plays on Monday in the state 4A super sections with the winner advancing to the state 4A semifinals on Friday.

8. (7) Oakleaf (Orange Park, Fla.), 30-2
Oakleaf won its final 26 games and the state 8A title. Season over.

9. (10) Lakewood (Hebron, Ohio), 32-1
Brenna Brownfield's two-run homer gave pitcher Courtney Vierstra the support she needed as the Lancers repeated as state D2 champions with a 2-1 win over Archbishop Hogan (Akron, Oh.). The Lancers breezed through the state tournament, outscoring opponents 87-8 in six games. The Lancers, who have won 60 of their last 61 games, finished the season on a 16-game win streak. Season over.

10. (11) La Cueva (Albuquerque), 28-0
The Bears won the state 6A title. Season over.

11. (17) Moniteau (West Sunbury, Pa.), 21-0
The top-seeded and unbeaten Warriors (21-0) rode the right arm of senior Kennedy DeMatteis to defeat Cranberry Area 9-0 and earn a berth in the state D2 tournament. DeMatteis was nearly perfect allowing a single to the second batter of the game before retiring the final 20 Cranberry batters. She struck out 11 and picked up her 13th shutout of the season and 45th shutout of her career.

12. (12) Bentonville (Ark.), 29-1
The Tigers repeated with a state 7A title. Season over.

13. (NR) Crown Point (Ind.), 29-2
Alexis Holloway struck out 20 as Crown Point defeated former No. 8 Penn (Mishawaka) 3-1 in 13 innings, and then struck out 16 in a one-hit shutout over Hamilton Southeastern to earn a berth against Avon the 4A state title game on Saturday.

14. (24) East Carter (Grayson, Ky.), 33-3
The Raiders advanced to the Kentucky State Tournament field of 16 behind the pitching and hitting of junior Montana Fouts, who pitched a three-hit shutout, struck out 10 and doubled in the game's lone run in a 1-0 victory over Fleming County. Against Blazer (Ashland), she pitched a two-hitter and struck out 15 in a 2-0 win. The Raiders, winners of 16 straight, open state play on Thursday versus 28-9 Collins (Shelbyville).

15. (18) West Orange (Winter Garden, Fla.), 28-3
West Orange won its second straight 9A state title. Season over.

16. (16) Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), 28-5
Despite the three-hit pitching of senior Maddy Dwyer, the Lancers lost 1-0 to Los Alamitos in the section semifinals. Orange Lutheran stranded seven runners, including five in scoring position.

17. (13) Swan Valley (Saginaw, Mich.), 37-1
The Vikings saw their 36-game win streak end in a 6-5 loss to Mt. Pleasant, but bounced back to win the second game of the doubleheader 11-3 as Ali Fuller doubled three times and drove in six runs. All total, 10 Vikings had base hits in the win.

18. (NR) Egg Harbor Township (N.J.), 23-0
The Eagles captured their first state title with a 2-1 win over 23-5 Hunterdon last Saturday in the Group 1V title game. The Eagles have won 46 of their last 47 games.

19. (NR) Chanhassen (Minn.), 23-1
The Storm defeated Prior Lake,  2-1 and 5-2, in a battle of the state's top 4A teams last week and open the state large school tournament on Thursday against Maple Grove. Chanhassen outscored its opponents 200-18 this season. All three Storm pitchers — Taylor Manno (Rutgers), Maddie Schwartz (Wisconsin) and Marybeth Olson (Connecticut) — have signed to play collegiately.

20. (NR) Keller (Texas), 35-6-1
Keller survived a pair of 90-minute rain delays for a 5-1 win over Bowie (Austin) and repeat as Texas 6A champions. Sophomore Dylann Kaderka won her 30th game of the season by scattering six hits and Caraline Woodall drove in two runs in the title game. Keller opened the season ranked No. 5.

21. (NR) North Medford (Medford, Ore.), 30-1
Senior outfielder Mahal Miles singled and tripled to drive in three runs in a 10-run second inning as the Black Tornado blitzed Westview (Beaverton) to win the state 6A title and finish the season with 18 straight wins. North Medford batted .420 on the season and scored in double digits 20 times.

22. (22) Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 30-6
Hamilton won the state 6A title. Season over.

23. (25) Shawnee Heights (Tecumseh, Kan.), 24-0
The Thunderbirds captured the Kansas 5A state title. Season over.

24. (20) Parkland (Allentown, Pa.), 25-1
The Trojans beat Easton 2-1 before a 3-1 loss to Liberty (Bethlehem) snapped their 25-game win streak. Parkland's six seniors have gone 101-6 over the last four years. They open state 4A tournament action today against 21-5 Perkiomen (Collegeville).

25. (NR) Krum (Texas), 39-4
Led by tournament MVP Tristan Bridges, Krum won its first 4A state title with a 4-3 win over Liberty Hill. Bridges had two hits and pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts to finish the season with a 35-4 pitching record.

Dropped out: Grand Terrace (Calif.), St. John-Vianney (N.J.), Deer Park (Tex.), Penn (Ind.), Center Grove (Ind.), and Cape Fear (N.C).