Stanislaus District softball rankings
Note: Records and statistics indicated are those reported to MaxPreps.
Large schools
Comprised of teams from the Modesto Metro Conference, Central California Conference, Valley Oak League and Western Athletic Conference.
1. (1) East Union (17-0, 9-0 VOL): Mikayla Bongi and Delaney Pamplin combined on a five-inning no-hitter, and William Penn commit Michelle Castro jump-started an 11-0 win over Kimball with a home run. The Lancers are No. 10 in Cal-Hi Sports’ state poll. Next: vs. Central Catholic on Tuesday.
2. (2) Oakdale (15-1, 9-1 VOL): The Mustangs are on the cusp of breaking into the state top-20 poll, and their case grows a little stronger with each home run. Fresno State-bound senior Haley Fuller has homered in four consecutive games and is tied for the team lead with six. Next: at Sierra on Thursday.
3. (3) Ceres (15-3, 8-0 WAC): The Bulldogs are on an offensive tear, scoring 10 or more runs in six of their last seven games. Senior Mahlena O’Neal leads the district in home runs (eight) and ranks second in RBIs (35). The Bulldogs host El Capitan this week before a showdown with Los Banos on May 3, a game that likely will decide the WAC title. Next: vs. El Capitan on Thursday.
4. (4) Merced (14-4, 9-0 CCC): UCLA-bound star Madilyn Nickles leads the section in strikeouts with 216 in 112 innings. To put her dominance in perspective: Nickles has fanned half the batters she’s faced. The Bears can clinch a share of the CCC title with a victory over Atwater. Nickles no-hit the Falcons last month. Next: at Atwater on Wednesday.
5. (5) Sierra (10-3, 7-3 VOL): The Timberwolves will look to avenge a tough loss to Oakdale on April 5. In that meeting, Sierra failed to summon the big hit. A diving catch by Oakdale center fielder Kindra Hackbarth robbed a Sierra player of a home run, and first baseman Lexi Webb snared a line drive with the bases loaded.Next: vs. Oakdale on Thursday.
Others to watch: Gregori (9-6, 6-0 MMC), Los Banos (16-2, 6-1 WAC), Manteca (13-7, 7-4 VOL).
Small schools
Comprised of teams from the Trans-Valley League, Southern League, Mother Lode League and Central California Athletic Alliance.
1. (1) Ripon (11-3, 3-0 TVL): A rematch of last spring’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division V final with Hughson never materialized Friday. Rain postponed the Indians’ showdown with the five-time defending champion Huskies. No makeup date has been announced. Next: at Hilmar on Wednesday.
2. (2) Mariposa (16-2-1, 9-0 SL): The Grizzlies have won 10 straight games and have the talent to run the table in the Southern League and section tournament. Coach Tony Williams has one of the best young clubs in the section with two sophomores, three juniors and five freshmen. Next: at Waterford on Tuesday.
3. (3) Calaveras (13-3, 10-1 MLL): The Redskins assumed the top spot in the Mother Lode League by avenging their only league loss. Sophomore Breanna Dunn went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and the Calaveras defense turned two double plays behind freshman Bri Head in a 7-2 victory over Linden. Next: vs. Bret Harte on Tuesday.
4. (4) Escalon (15-5, 3-1 TVL): MacKenzie Duval went 4 for 5 and drove in two runs, and the Cougars closed out Hilmar with a six-run seventh for a 10-0 win. Chardae Hoskins struck out 12 and improved to 8-3. Escalon has road games at Hughson (Friday) and Ripon (May 4) but must guard against complacency. Next: vs. Riverbank on Wednesday.
5. (5) Hughson (10-4, 3-1 TVL): The Huskies begin the week by visiting winless Mountain House and host Escalon on Friday. That game could decide the TVL’s No. 2 playoff seed. Hughson and Escalon are tied for second place, but the Cougars won their first meeting convincingly 10-3. Next: at Mountain House on Wednesday.
Others to watch: Waterford (13-6-1, 8-1 SL).
James Burns
This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Stanislaus District softball rankings."