Prep softball rankings: The twins takeover; Big Yuba upset; LeDoux tournament approaches

First-round conference action is underway and that means the intensity is picking up on the softball diamond. There was on major upset in the ranks, but Elk Grove, Del Oro, St. Francis, Vanden and Sheldon continue to dominate, while other teams are putting together winning streaks, trying to move up.

Among the top 12 teams in the rankings, there were only two losses this past week. One was a big upset to a previously unranked team, the other top 12 loss was a 2-1 nailbiter win for St. Francis over Folsom. That nonconference showdown featured two of the top pitchers in the Sacramento area, Hope Jenkins of St. Francis and Emma Fallen of Folsom. The two aces combined for 25 strikeouts, 14 by Jenkins.

Capital Valley Conference

Roseville, is still favored to win the CVC with a senior-laden team of talented Division I recruits. But the Honkers of previously un-ranked Yuba City stood their home ground with a 3-1 win on April Fool’s Day. Pitcher Alyssa Williams kept the Roseville’s bats silent to gain the upset.

The Tigers have a nonconference showcase at 11 a.m. Friday against Folsom in this weekend’s Stephanie LeDoux tournament at Maidu Park in Roseville. Vista del Lago, Woodcreek and Rocklin are among the competitors in what has been a Sacramento-area tradition. The tournament was nurtured by longtime Wookcreek coach Art Banks, the Roseville coach who is retiring after this season. Games start at 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Sierra Foothill League

No. 2 Del Oro’s winning streak stands at 11 after an impressive 18-7 victory over Whitney. Olivia Robison leads the team with a .488 average and five home runs, including a two-run blast in the five-run first inning against Whitney. Caroline Grimes has been powerful a the plate and in the circle for Sean Erickson’s Eagles.

The Del Oro defense, anchored by Oregon State-bound Jenna Birch, has been outstanding. The Eagles have 28 stolen bases. Speed, pitching, hitting, defense; Del Oro is impressive in all phases. Playing one of the most competitive schedules, the Eagles have outscored their opponents 114-28. They have a big rivalry test against Mallory Asaro’s No. 9 Rocklin (6-7) squad this week. Folsom and Granite Bay are also very good.

Delta League

The only team to beat Del Oro this year is No. 1 Elk Grove, which is now 11-0. Junior Aissa Silva continues to dominate batters in a big way. In 65 innings pitched, the lefty rise-baller has struck out 134 batters, 20 coming in one game last week. You need a magnifying glass to see her 0.11 ERA. She’s also hitting .341 at the plate and, amazingly, has Elk Grove’s only home run.

Amanda Buck’s Herd has other talent, like sophomore outfielders Taylor Fitzgerald and Addy Buckley, junior infielder Brooke Hanson and senior catcher Mo Berner. They have a big week ahead in the Delta, hosting Davis on Tuesday and two days later they head for No. 5 Sheldon. Husky/Herd rivalry is one of the biggest in high school softball locally. The Pac-12 rosters over the years have been dotted with players from these two teams.

Sheldon rebounded nicely from a 7-1 setback to No. 5 Vanden with a 12-1 win over Davis and a 6-0 blanking of No. 14 Pleasant Grove. D’Auna Johnson and Dakota Kennedy each homered in that one and pitcher Bre Romero spun a four-hitter with eight strikeouts for the win.

Foothill Valley League

No. 15 Ponderosa (9-3-1) is has been knocking at the door in the Foothill Valley League the last several years and is challenging the Oakmont/Lincoln juggernaut. No. 19 Lincoln is 5-6 but has played a little tougher schedule. However, the combined losses for both teams have come at the hands of the best teams in the area.

Pondo already owns a 3-1 win over Oakmont. Bruin pitcher Ana Niles posts a 1.17 ERA and is hitting .361 with a team-leading three home runs.

No. 8 Vista del Lago’s Eagles appear to rule the roost in the Capital Athletic League behind super shortstop Tayler Biehl’s hitting (.564, 4 HRs) and Cai Charlize’s pitching (0.33 ERA).

Lexi Coyle pitched a six-inning no-hitter as her Dixon Rams moved to 8-1 on the year. Senior Brianna Humphries is hitting .571 with three home runs for the Rams, who will be butting heads with the Rams of Casa Roble for the Golden Empire League crown.

In the PVL it looks like Marysville and Bear River will battle it out. The Metro Conference is up for grabs between McClatchy, Laguna Creek, River City and Monetery Trail.

Double Vision

We love to follow twin sister teammates, and we have at least three sets of outstanding twin siblings in our area. All are seniors.

Pitcher Hope and catcher Grace Jenkins, the UConn-bound battery from St. Francis, are well-documented due to both their hitting and defensive skills. Hope is one of the top pitchers in the area, recently recording a perfect game, striking out 15 of the 18 batters she faced in a six-innning 10-0 win over Pioneer. Grace is one of the best catchers in the area with great blocking skills and a cannon for an arm. Teams don’t run on the Jenkins girls. They lead the Troubadors in hitting too, Grace with a .667 average and Hope at .557. Each has a home run to their credit.

Another good pitcher/catcher twin sister combo is the Domenici duo from Lincoln. Pitcher Ava has a deadly array of pitches that keeps batters off-balance. Catcher Gianna is batting .344 and calling pitches for her sister. They shined as Lincoln has won their last three games. This fall Gianna and Ava will be flying off to Florida to play for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona.

Then there are the Jolley twins at No.10 Sutter (17-1), who had back-to-back home runs for the North Section defending champion Huskies to help them capture the Reed High School tournament recently in Reno. Then Ella hit three more dingers in the next two games to give her 10 long balls and 30 runs batted in. Each sister is hitting about .470. The Jolley sisters, who are are uncommitted, helped Sutter to a 49-game winning streak that was snapped this year by No.1 Elk Grove.

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The Bee’s Top 20 Softball Rankings

Entering Monday play

1. Elk Grove (11-0)

2. Del Oro (14-1)

3. St. Francis (9-1)

4. Vanden (7-0)

5. Sheldon (6-3)

6. Roseville (8-3)

7. Folsom (6-2-1)

8. Vista del Lago (9-1-1)

9. Rocklin (6-7)

10. Sutter (17-1)

11. East Nicolaus (12-0)

12. Woodcreek (11-3)

13. Granite Bay (9-3)

14. Pleasant Grove (6-5)

15. Ponderosa (9-3-1)

16. Whitney (3-6)

17. Wheatland (14-1)

18. Inderkum (11-4)

19. Lincoln (5-6)

20. Yuba City (4-7-1)

Bubble teams: Antelope (8-7), Casa Roble (11-5), Dixon (8-1), Liberty Ranch (7-0), Marysville (8-3), McClatchy (4-1), Monterey Trail (8-4), Oakmont (6-3)

This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 8:52 AM.