It's win or go home time as every team in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school softball rankings has reached postseason play while seven have already wrapped up their seasons.
Northwest Rankin (Brandon, Miss.) swept two games against Hernando to capture the 7A state championship, putting a bow on the perfect season for the Cougars.
Hannah Sullivan was the hero on Wednesday with a game-winning double. On Thursday, they finished off the title in a rain-shortened 6-3 victory.
For the fourth straight-year,
Orange Beach (Ala.) was crowned AHSAA State Softball Champions with a 2-1 win over the Brooks on Tuesday in the Class 4A bracket. The Makos finished the season on a 13-game win streak to cap off an incredible 46-1 mark.
Staying in Alabama,
Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.) needed nine innings and a clutch hit by
AhKeela Honeycutt to defeat Daphne 1-0 in the Class 7A championship game at Oxford's Choccolocco Park. This was the Huskies fourth championship over the past five seasons.
Long Beach State commit
Brynne Nally was phenomenal in the circle Friday night as
Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) beat
Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) 3-0 to win a record ninth CIF Southern Section championship. This was the third game between these two teams with the series tied. UCLA-bound senior shortstop
Kaniya Bragg hit a opposite field solo home run to in the sixth inning to put the final touches on the Mariners second-straight title.
Ridgeline coach Michael Anderson gets the celebratory bath after the Riverhawks grabbed the Utah Class 4A title. Freshman pitcher Brielle Gardiner led No. 18 Ridgeline to the title with a 27-1 mark, including a pair of complete-game wins over Desert Hills in the finals. (Photo: Matt Smith)
Standout freshman pitcher
Brielle Gardiner capped off her outstanding season tossing two complete games to help
Ridgeline (Millville, Utah) to the school's second state championship. The Riverhawks swept Desert Hills (St. George) 5-0 and 8-2 to bring home the 4A title. The freshman phenom was virtually unstoppable this season, posting a 27-1 record with 246 strikeouts.
The stage is set for Thursday as the Final Four in Florida's Class 6A are all teams that have lived in the MaxPreps Top 25 this season.
Bartow (Fla.), which features one of the top pitchers in the country in Florida-bound
Katelynn Oxley, facesone of the hottest hitting teams in
Doral Academy (Fla.). The Firebirds have outscored opponents 39-1 in state tournament play.
On the other side is No. 6
Pace (Fla.) battling No. 12
Bloomingdale (Valrico, Fla.). This is a matchup of two of the elite pitchers in the country. LSU-bound
Jayden Heavener struck out 14 and threw a no-hitter as the Patriots beat Hagerty (Oviedo) 4-0 in the 6A Regional Finals. For Bloomingdale, junior UCLA commit
Natalie Cable has struck out 327 with an 0.79 ERA in 150 innings.
MaxPreps Top 25 high school softball rankings
1. Katy (Texas)
Record: 39-1-1 |
Last week: 1
The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead and held on to beat Brazoswood 2-1 to advance to the 6A Region 3 finals against Kingwood.
2. Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.)
Record: 26-0 |
Last week: 2
Jaime Oakland and
Rebecca Quinn drove in three runs, while
Hayden Hummel tacked on a home run as the Lancers rolled to a 11-1 win over Carlmont (Belmont) on Saturday.
3. Northwest Rankin (Brandon, Miss.)
Record: 34-0 |
Last week: 3
Jolie Hays finished the season 20-0 with a 0.86 ERA. She ends her career with 497 strikeouts.
4. Orange Beach (Ala.)
Record: 46-1 |
Last week: 4
Sophomore
Ava Hodo drove in
Teagan Revette in the bottom of the 3rd to give the Makos a 2-1 lead.
Kaylee Favors and the defense would go on to capture a fourth-straight title.
5. Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.)
Record: 27-2 |
Last week: 11
Kayli Counts and
Annika Sogsti each drove in a run during the D1 section title game on Friday night.
6. Pace (Fla.)
Record: 26-2 |
Last week: 7
Mallory Baker hit a home run and drove in two as the Patriots beat Hagerty (Oviedo) 4-0.
7. Kaukauna (Wis.)
Record: 23-0 |
Last week: 8
The Ghosts closed out the regular season winning their 104th straight win.
8. Bartow (Fla.)
Record: 29-1 |
Last week: 9
In a game that saw 15 strikeouts on each side, it was
Destiney Driskell who singled home the lone run in the eight giving the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 thrilling win over Melbourne.
9. Summerville (S.C.)
Record: 29-0 |
Last week: 10
Ansley Bennett tossed a no-hitter on Monday as the Lady Wave are one game away from back-to-back titles.
10. Doral Academy (Fla.)
Record: 26-1 |
Last week: 12
Junior
Sarah Breaux jacked two home runs and
Meagan Villazon added another during the Firebirds' 12-1 win over St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale).
11. Watkins Memorial (Pataskala, Ohio)
Record: 28-1 |
Last week: 13
Kyliee Trouton went deep as Warriors bats stayed hot in a 10-0 win over Olentangy Orange (Lewis Center) in the Division 1 state playoffs.
12. Bloomingdale (Valrico, Fla.)
Record: 24-1 |
Last week: 14
Junior
Paige Sanchez had a pair of hits and three RBI during the Bulls' 8-1 win over East Lake (Tarpon Springs).
13. Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.)
Record: 37-6 |
Last week: 18
Sara Phillips tossed a four-hit shutout, collecting 12 strikeouts in the nine-inning state championship victory.
14. Guyer (Denton, Texas)
Record: 35-3 |
Last week: 15
After losing game 1 9-5 to Southlake Carroll, the Wildcats bounced back after a Game 1 loss to Southlake Carroll (Southlake) to win the next two to advance to the 6A Region 1 finals.
15. Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Record: 28-4-1 |
Last week: 18
Season complete. Class 6A state champions.
16. Skyview (Vancouver, Wash.)
Record: 22-0-1 |
Last week: 19
The Storm closed out the regular season with an 11-4 win over Kentwood (Covington).
Maddie Milhorn had three hits and a pair of RBI in the win.
17. Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, La.)
Record: 35-2 |
Last week: 20
Season complete. Division III (Select) state champions.
18. Ridgeline (Millville, Utah)
Record: 30-1 |
Last week: NR
The Riverhawks blasted 42 home runs this season.
Anne Wallace had 11,
Ellie Pond with 10 and freshman
Brielle Gardiner added nine.
19. Melissa (Texas)
Record: 34-2-1 |
Last week: 21
Alex Starr pitched two complete-game shutouts as the Cardinals took a pair from Wakeland to advance to the 5A Region 2 finals.
20. Austintown-Fitch (Youngstown, Ohio)
Record: 19-1 |
Last week: 22
Sydnie Watts mowed down 16 batters during the Falcons' 8-0 win over Chardon in the D1 playoffs.
21. Carterville (Ill.)
Record: 32-1 |
Last week: 23
The Lions closed out the regular season with their 32nd straight victory.
Caidence Phillips drove in the winning run in the seventh to beat Murphysboro 3-2.
22. Woodgrove (Purcellville, Va.)
Record: 19-0 |
Last week: 24
The Wolverines finished the regular season allowing only three runs all season. Sixteen of their 19 games were shutouts.
23. Silverdale Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Record: 47-3 |
Last week: 25
The Seahawks open up Division II Class A state tournament play on Tuesday against Lakeway Christian.
24. Marist (Chicago)
Record: 30-3 |
Last week: NR
Caroline O'Brien hit a walk-off blast to lift the RedHawks to a 4-3 win over Lake Central (St. John, Ind.) on Friday.
25. Liberty (Texas)
Record: 38-2 |
Last week: NR
Bayleigh Taylor and
Hollie Thomas went deep to lift the Panthers to the 4A Regional 3 finals.
On the bubble: Melbourne (Fla.), 29-1;
Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), 21-4,
Lake Central (St. John, Ind.), 28-1;
Hudsonville (Mich.), 32-0;
Whitney (Rocklin, Calif.), 20-2.
