Vista Murrieta's view is now from the top five while going up into the top 10 this week is Canyon of Anaheim and Livermore. The only newcomer is a team with a baseball counterpart already among state's best.

(After games of Saturday, May 2)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

Compiled by Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Writeups by Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens, Steve Brand and Mark Tennis

1.  (1)  Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 25-0
The Monarchs continue to roll after two wins last week but believe it or not someone has finally scored on Mitty in WCAL play after Valley Christian (San Jose) scratched out a run in a 3-1 Monarch victory. They may have scored on her but Kealanl Ricketts made the Warrior girls pay by smacking two home runs (seventh and eighth) and driving in all three runs. Earlier in the week in a non-league matchup of state-ranked teams, Ricketts threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts and was 2-for-4 from the plate against No. 19 Notre Dame (Salinas) in a 1-0 victory. Coach Sarah Thomas' girls wrap up league play with home games against St. Ignatius (San Francisco) and Notre Dame of Belmont, then it's on to the playoffs as Mitty continues to chase the mythical national title, currently coming into the week at No. 2 in the FAB 50.  

2.  (2)  Sheldon (Sacramento) 21-1
Another week and another two wins for the Huskies as they defeated St. Francis of Sacramento and Pleasant Grove behind two shutouts by Jolene Henderson. Henderson was a walk away from a perfect game against the Troubadours as she didn't allow a hit and struck out 15 in the Huskies' 3-0 victory. The last time the Huskies played the state-ranked Eagles it took 13 innings before the Huskies were able to pull off a 1-0 win but there was no need for extra innings last week in the rematch as Sheldon scored the only runs of the game in the fifth inning for a 2-0 win. Henderson struck out 16 and allowed just one hit and one walk, both to Ally Carda. The Huskies should end the regular season with two wins this week as they play Monterey Trail and Florin, which they both defeated by a 14-1 margin earlier this season.

3.  (3)  Norco 23-2
Teagan Gerhart had a little company in the spotlight this week as she combined with Emily Lock to blank Corona, 8-0, on just one hit before shutting down J.W. North (Riverside), 6-1, all by herself. Gerhart hurled the first four innings, striking out nine, before Lock came in and had just as much success. One game later, Gerhart was in charge as the Cougars made it 17 straight. This week will be the Kam May-Gerhart showdown, Part II, when Norco faces new No. 6 Santiago (Corona) on Thursday. The last time these two took the circle, Norco was able to walk away with a 2-1 victory and plenty of respect for the Sharks. The Cougars are hoping to give Teagen a little rest the first game of the week, a practice that has worked well in recent outings.

4.  (4)  Freedom (Oakley) 18-3
It was two more shutouts last week for Hannah Williams after 11-0 and 2-0 blankings of Brentwood's Liberty and Heritage, respectively. Williams now has five consecutive shutouts. Liberty was a one-hitter with eight strikeouts in a five-inning mercy affair where she faced the minimum 15 batters. Heritage was a two-hitter where she fanned 10 and hit a batter. To top it off, in the Liberty game, Williams had two three-run home runs (five homers on season) and knocked in six runners. Senior Susan Robertson also was 2-for-2 against Liberty with a double and an RBI. The Falcons have two road games this week. First they've got Pittsburg and then it's a rematch with Emily Allard and Deer Valley of Antioch. 

5.  (7)  Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 19-4
Taylor and Tatum Edwards made life miserable for Temecula Valley, allowing Vista Murrieta to move up two places in this week's rankings. In the series opener, Tatum allowed just three hits and fanned 11 in the circle while Taylor doubled and collected three RBI in a 7-0 victory. The Broncos appeared to be on their way to another easy victory, one that would eventually prove to be their sixth straight, jumping on top 7-1 before TV rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh. Tatum, who had four RBI in the game, came on to get the last two outs to nail down the 7-6 win. Taylor went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Next up for the Broncos is a home and away series with Great Oak (Temecula).

6.  (9)  Santiago (Corona) 18-3
Last week it was Poly (Riverside) and this week it's Norco. That's life in the Big VIII. The Sharks rallied to down No. 14 Poly as Kam May outdueled Desi Ybarra, 3-2. The teams were deadlocked at 2-2 when Brianna Turang bashed a run-scoring double for the victory. It was a lot easier against Roosevelt (Eastvale) as May easily equaled the school career pitching record of 91 wins by also going 5-of-6 with a double at the plate in the 18-2 rout. In the Sharks' 2-1 setback to Norco the first time around, May allowed a home run to Kelsey Gerhart and that proved the difference. Santiago had a string of seven straight shutouts prior to last week's games and it might take another one to upend Norco.

7.  (11)   Hart (Newhall) 21-3
Of all the teams in this week's rankings, the Indians were likely the most tired at the end of the week as they played four games, which included two that went to extra innings. Jessica Shults and Tracy Chandless each homered while Lauren Anderson had a team-best three RBI as the Indians opened the week with a 13-0 win at Golden Valley. In the next game, Hart led West Ranch 2-0 after five innings but that one went to 12 innings before the Indians came up with a 4-3 walk-off win. Melissa Brown had four hits and scored twice while Tracy Chandless had three hits, including a double and a solo home run. The next two games were in the Thousand Oaks tourney where Hart came home with the title. In the semis, the Indians got past Agoura of Agoura Hills, 2-1, in eight innings. State-ranked Riverside Poly was the foe in the final and no extra innings were needed. Hart won, 5-0, scoring all five runs in the fifth inning.

8.  (12)  Canyon (Anaheim) 23-6
Sophomore pitcher Cheyenne Tarango tossed a pair of one-hitters as the Comanches clubbed Villa Park and El Dorado of Placentia last week by identical 8-0 scores. Against El Dorado, Briana Gwaltney also stood out with a home run. This week, Canyon started out on Tuesday with an immediate showdown against No. 17 El Modena. The team has won six straight entering the week and 18 of the last 20. The two teams Canyon has lost to in that stretch? Just look up to Vista Murrieta and Sheldon.

9.  (13)  Livermore 18-2
Last week Coach Bill Keller was hoping his Cowgirls would crack the ESPN RISE FAB 50 and no sooner had he asked but his team received the No. 41 spot. This week they may go even higher after getting a four-spot bump in these rankings with 4-0 and 2-0 victories over Carondelet (Concord) and Amador Valley of Pleasanton, respectively. That gets the team to 10-0 in the East Bay Athletic League with four games remaining over the next two weeks before the CIF North Coast Section Division I playoffs begin. Against Carondelet, Livermore smacked the ball around to the tune of 11 hits and Jessica Varady scattered four hits and struck out five to get the win. Varady, who according to Keller "is an extremely smart pitcher who works hard at getting ground balls,” came back with a solid performance in a six-hitter with four strikeouts against Amador Valley to improve to 16-2 this season. The senior hurler, who is being looked at seriously by Sonoma State, got some help against the Dons from senior right-fielder Megan Ramirez who made a diving catch of a line shot to snuff out a rally with runners on first and second. This week it's Monte Vista (Danville) at home and California of San Ramon on the road.  

10.  (8)  Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 19-5
Eagles' ace Ally Carda did all she could to match her 13 innings of not allowing an earned run the last time they faced No. 2 Sheldon but surrendered two runs in the fifth inning which were the only runs of the game. Carda was the lone Eagle to reach base on her own merit as she picked up their lone walk and base hit of the game. Earlier in the week, Jazmine Lee had three hits with a homer and two RBI while teammate Alex Bailey also had two RBI as Pleasant Grove defeated Folsom 5-1 before heading to Sheldon for the final game of the week. Carda allowed just two hits against the Bulldogs while striking out 18 and not allowing an earned run.  

11.  (6)  Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga) 20-2
It doesn't take a genius to realize that only two things can happen if you don't score and two of them aren't very satisfying. The Eagles could not push across a run against Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) despite having eight innings to do so, wasting a triple by Elizabeth Santana and a 2-for-3 day at the plate by Tera Vaughn. Etiwanda made sure the drop in the rankings wasn't more than five places by scoring three runs in the first inning en route to an 11-3 rout of Rancho Cucamonga where Vaughn went 3-for-4 and Santana made sure she wasn't left on base by smashing a home run. Natalee Pulver scattered six hits and amassed 10 Ks. Up this week are Alta Loma and Claremont.

12.  (16)  Bullard (Fresno) 18-6
Adriana Bencomo pitched a no-hitter and Jacqui Beraza went 2-for-3 for a  triple and two RBI as the Knights kept rolling with a 10-0 win last Friday over Reedley. Earlier in the week, head coach Jaime Maxey's club knocked off Sanger, 4-2. The two wins pushed Bullard's current win streak to 11 games and shows that the team isn't about to let up on the gas pedal after it won the Best of the West tourney in Santa Maria in April.

13.  (5)  Tesoro (Las Flores) 19-2
We could have plummeted the Titans even further than this after they dropped their first two games of the season last week. They are still 19-2 and have the opportunity to make up somewhat for last week's debacle with a win on Friday against Aliso Niguel of Aliso Viejo in a game that decides the South Coast League championship. Tesoro's 3-0 loss to Mission Viejo wasn't that bad, but falling 8-1 to San Clemente was a collapse. After not giving up any more than four runs in a single game all season, the Titans allowed seven to the Tritons in just one inning. If Tesoro loses any more games this week, then next week the Titans might drop completely out of the top 20.

14.  (14)  Poly (Riverside) 19-6
Most teams that go 2-2 for the week figure to drop in the rankings but it's who you lose to that keeps you solidly in the Top 20. In what has to be one of the toughest weeks of the season, the Bears fought back from that heart-breaking 3-2 loss to Santiago to beat Corona 3-1 on a walk-off homer by Britney Butler. A 6-0 victory over Thousand Oaks, hosts of the Thousand Oaks Tournament, was followed by a 5-0 setback to No. 7-ranked Hart (Newhall) even though Desi Ybarra fanned 12 and only allowed four hits. The Bears must be careful not to allow two opportunities for victory to slip away this week against Centennial (Corona) and Roosevelt (Eastvale).

15.  (17)  El Camino (Oceanside) 19-4
Pitching was dominant for the Wildcats as they continue to build momentum in the Palomar League. Olive Naotola and Celine Doerr combined for a 7-0 shutout of Vista as Sharla Kliebenstein sparked the offense by going 2-for-2 with a homer and double and two RBI. They next handed the ball to ace Naomi Amu and she improved to 9-0 on the season by striking out 10 in a 5-0 whitewashing of Rancho Buena Vista (Vista). Amu slammed a home run for good measure. The Wildcats, who have won four in a row, get Carlsbad and Rancho Bernardo this week as they attempt to continue a slow climb in the rankings as the only San Diego Section representative.

16.  (19)  San Benito (Hollister) 22-3
Despite a head-to-head loss, the Haybaler girls get to go ahead of Tri-County League arch-rival Notre Dame (Salinas) after a win over the Gilroy team that beat ND earlier in the week. Besides the 5-2 win over Gilroy, Coach Scott Smith's girls posted two shutouts last week with 7-0 and 9-0 victories over Salinas' Alvarez and Alisal, respectively. Against Alisal, both Jessica Vest and Marissa Adame went deep and Marissa Ibarra went six innings and gave a up a hit and a walk while striking out 13. Taylor Powell had three hits and three RBIs. For sophomore, Vest it was her fifth home run this season. Things could change again next week, however, as the Haybaler girls host Notre Dame on Tuesday then travel to Gilroy on Thursday.

17.  (20)  El Modena (Orange) 18-8
Despite the eight losses, the Vanguards could jump up even more next week if they can beat Canyon of Anaheim on Tuesday. In a 5-0 win last week against Villa Park, freshman Alyson Kulp smashed a pair of homers while sophomore Haylie Wagner pitched a one-hitter. El Modena also topped Brea Olinda, 7-0, last week and began this week with just one run allowed in its last six outings. Like Canyon, the Vanguards also are loaded with numerous underclass standouts so get used to seeing both of these schools in the state top 20 – and probably the ESPN RISE FAB 50 – for a long time to come.

18.  (nr)  Marina (Huntington Beach) 20-3
The Vikings have now won eight straight after a nice road win against Esperanza and a home win over Fountain Valley last week. The 6-2 win over Esperanza was the bigger of the two as the Aztecs also have been among the top five ranked teams most of the year in Orange County. Jamie Sullivan led the offensive attack with three hits, four RBI, and a homer while throwing two scoreless innings in the circle. Against Fountain Valley, Taysia Kaufman and Sullivan combined for a two-hit shutout in a 3-0 Marina triumph. The team starts a stretch of three straight road games with games at Newport Harbor and Edison of Huntington Beach this week.

19.  (18)  Notre Dame (Salinas) 21-6-1
What could easily have been a three win week turned into two losses as the Spirits suffered 1-0 setbacks to Gilroy and No. 1 Mitty of San Jose sandwiched around a 13-1 drubbing of visiting cross-town Alvarez. Coach Joe Given's girls drop a notch but get to stay in the rankings due to the closeness of the Mitty loss. Against Gilroy, senior hurler Kylie Linnane pitched a complete game three-hitter with 10 strikeouts and no walks but the offense disappeared. It reappeared in the Alvarez win with Shanae Gasperson leading the way with three RBIs but then came Mitty whose Keilani Ricketts no-hit them to end the week. On tap this week is the rematch on Tuesday with San Benito. A Notre Dame win re-jump the Spirits back in front of the Balers next week.  

20.  (10)  Valencia 20-6
These are no longer the highest ranked Vikings in our state rankings after a pair of late leads turned into heartbreaking losses last week against Saugus and Canyon of Canyon Country. Against Saugus, Amy Moore knocked in two of Valencia's four runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 4-0 lead only to see it quickly go away as the Vikings gave up four runs before they recorded three outs and then saw Saugus win it 5-4 with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Against Canyon, Madison Shipman hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to tie the game and then with the help of an error Valencia scored again to take the 3-2 lead in the third inning. Unfortunately, the Vikings wouldn't score again and only managed three hits the entire game leaving the door open for the Cowgirls to wrangle up a run in the sixth inning to tie it and then two more runs in the seventh to give the Vikings a 5-3 loss. If Valencia wasn't a two-time defending CIF Southern Section champion in Division I, it wouldn't be ranked at all this week. Having recent success like that, though, does help a team in this situation in our rankings system.

Dropped Out:
Previous No. 15 Thousand Oaks.

On the Bubble:
Alemany (Mission Hills) 16-7, Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo) 16-8-1, Ayala (Chino Hills) 18-8, Centennial (Bakersfield) 21-4-1, Foothill (Pleasanton) 15-5, Lakewood 16-6, M.L. King (Riverside) 16-7, Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 17-4-1, Poway 19-5, Rodriguez (Fairfield) 15-8, Royal (Simi Valley) 15-7, Simi Valley 16-7, Sutter 28-0, Upland 17-5.

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