The Bee’s Softball Top 20: Sheldon leads Delta League. Yuba City worst to first in CVC?
The rain and wet conditions have not allowed for much softball throughout much of Northern California these past few weeks, so there is not a great body of work to use for The Bee’s updated Sacramento-area rankings.
But as the clouds clear, look who’s back on top in the Delta League: Mary Jo Truesdale’s young, sixth-ranked Sheldon Huskies, thought to be in another rebuilding year, are winning with three freshmen and two sophomores playing major roles for the longtime Elk Grove Unified School District powerhouse.
Freshman Micah Kennedy carries a 1.44 earned run average in the circle, striking out two batters per inning. At the plate, she is hitting .435, just a few points behind fellow freshman Grace Harding, who leads the team. Trusedale can also count on sophomore pitcher Kwinci Brown, who has a 2.04 ERA and has smacked two home runs at the plate.
“These young pitchers complement each other very well,” said Trusedale, who is building her 27th Huskies squad. “They both throw a nice drop and rise. Micah is mixing in a change-up and a curve.”
Kennedy had a double and two RBI to lift the Huskies over No. 3 Pleasant Grove last week in Delta League play. Pleasant Grove ace Maddie Lawson gave up just one other hit to the Huskies in the 10-inning, 3-2 instant classic between the two storied programs. It was 1-1 after seven innings, but Sheldon pushed across two runs in the top of the 10th and the Eagles were unable to overcome four errors on defense.
Truesdale said she likes the way her young squad is coming together at the start of league play.
“It’s been a great team effort and they are improving daily. What a fun, coachable team they are,” the spirited coach said.
Upstart Davis in Delta hunt
It looks like the entire Delta League is stepping up.
No. 8 St. Francis was on a roll before being tripped up by surprising Davis, 4-3 in extra innings. The Troubadours are 9-3 and 2-1 in the Delta. Davis is in second place and is 10-2 overall. Davis and St. Francis are playing their final season in the Delta before a realignment shift to the power-packed Sierra Foothill League starting the next academic year.
Capital, Vista leads CAL
In the Capital Athletic League, Riley Dossey has been a pleasant surprise for No. 11 Vista del Lago and its plan to defend the league crown against Capital Christian. Dossey has popped three home runs in just nine games while hitting for a .444 average.
But Ayla Tuua and the new Bee top-ranked Capital Christian Cougars have beefed up their schedule to prove they are the team to beat. Tuua is the area’s ace pitcher and has four home runs in just eight games for the Cougars. She is hitting .611 and gets on base in three out of four at bats. She is the reigning Bee Player of the Year, and, as a sophomore, she’s popping the radar gun at 70 mph as the team ace.
If one Tuua is good, then two Tuuas are even better. Sister Alannah, a senior, is hitting .500 and actually has more extra-base hits than her super sophomore sister. With the Cougar defense solidifying behind the two Tuuas, Capital Christian must be the favorite to win the Capital Athletic League.
Oak Ridge leads SFL
Oak Ridge, with its two-headed monster pitching staff tossing a two-hitter, has taken over the top spot in the Sierra Foothill League with a 3-1 road win over previously Bee No. 1-ranked Whitney.
The No. 3 Trojans are 4-0 in league play and 9-1 overall, with their only loss coming at the hands of Capital Christian in nonleague play.
Freshman Kennedi Freeland has given up just two earned runs and one extra-base hit this season. She is 5-1 with a 0.31 earned run average. She shares pitching duties with junior Ellison Schroeder, who is 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA. Shortstop Carly Short leads OR with a .462 batting average.
Whitney is a half-game back in the SFL with a 4-1 record and is 5-2 overall. Catcher Mya Flindt leads the No. 4 Wildcats with a .462 average while pitcher Hanna Duncan is hitting .400 while sporting a 0.59 ERA in the circle. The best news out of Whitney is that a former head coach, the beloved Mike Mello, is recovering well after a recent surgery.
Yuba City surges in CVC
There has been a major turnaround in the Capital Valley Conference as the Yuba City Honkers are looking to go from worst to first. After finishing with just one league win a year ago, the Honkers are 12-4 overall and 1-0 in the CVC.
Junior infielder Tori Hernandez is hitting at a .512 clip with three home runs and six doubles. On the pitching rubber, she has a 1.45 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 63 innings.
Roseville hopes to compete for the CVC title with a power hitting catcher who leads the Sac-Joaquin Section with 10 home runs. Senior Bella Tonso has 10 long balls and a whopping 30 RBIs in just 17 games. Karissa Avila’s three homers compliment her team-leading .436 average.
Pondo leads the FVC
Ponderosa is off to a good start in defending its Foothill Valley League and CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championships.
The fourth-ranked Bruins are 8-2 behind the pitching and hitting of Chase Mueller. Sadie Ward leads the team with a .462 average.
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Softball
Records entering Tuesday
1. Capital Christian (7-2)
2. Oak Ridge (9-1)
3. Pleasant Grove (6-3)
4. Whitney (5-2)
5. Ponderosa (8-2)
6. Sheldon (10-4)
7. Vacaville (9-4)
8. St. Francis (9-3)
9. Yuba City (12-4)
10. Sutter (14-0)
11. Vista del Lago (10-5)
12. Dixon (7-2)
13. Rocklin (6-8-1)
14. Elk Grove (7-7)
15. Pioneer (8-3)
16. Folsom (7-8)
17. Bella Vista (9-2)
18. Roseville (10-8)
19. Davis (10-2)
20. Wheatland (10-4)
Bubble: Christian Brothers (9-4), Cosumnes Oaks (6-7), Granite Bay (5-7), Inderkum (8-6-1), Mesa Verde (8-3), Rio Linda (11-3), Rosemont (7-0), Twelve Bridges (7-4), Vacaville (6-3), Woodcreek (5-4).
— Pete Dufour/PeteBeeSports@gmail.com