Woodcreek rolling as Sacramento-area softball teams reach season’s midway point

There aren’t many teams in the Sacramento area playing hotter on the high school softball circuit than the Woodcreek Timberwolves of Roseville.

After a slow start — the Timberwolves began 1-3 and struggled to put more than four runs on the board — Woodcreek has started to figure things out. Entering Monday, Woodcreek had 13 wins in its past 14 games and have moved into the No. 8 position in the latest Sacramento Bee softball rankings.

“I think we figured out what works with which person where,” said senior Maryn MacNeil after a win over Roseville last week. “We’ve kind of had to adapt and put players out of their comfort zone and put them in new positions. And it’s all seemed to work, we’re doing really great right now.”

During those first four games, the Timberwolves collectively hit .276 and produced just 10 runs. During their current hot streak, Woodcreek has upped its team batting average to .379 and has averaged nearly eight runs per game.

“We finally learned how to wait on the ball,” MacNeil said. “We were hitting kind of rough to start, and then we started to get it back together when we went to Reno.”

MacNeil, the lone four-year varsity player on Woodcreek, hits .412 with a team-leading four home runs and 22 RBIs. The University of Hawaii scholarship commit also is 10-0 in the pitching circle with a 1.17 earned run average and 58 strikeouts in 72 innings.

“I feel like this is the year out of my four years that we’ve really been together as a team,” said MacNeil. “We all want the same thing and that’s to win.”

Woodcreek rolled through last week’s slate with a five-inning, 12-1 victory over crosstown rival Roseville on March 31. Chloe Preuss homered and drove in four, while sophomores Camryn Kelley and Aubrey Reddell each drove in two runs to aid MacNeil’s six-strikeout performance.

Last Thursday, Emily Cser outlasted East Nicolaus starter Stevie Knight in a scoreless pitchers’ duel into the seventh inning. MacNeil doubled to set the stage for a walk-off single from Preuss, who leads the team with a .442 average, for a 1-0 win to move to 14-4 overall.

The Timberwolves enter this week atop the Capital Valley Conference at 5-0 and continue league play with a home game against Rio Americano on Tuesday and a trip to Christian Brothers on Wednesday.

What sport are we playing?

We are in softball season, aren’t we? There sure were a lot of football scores across the diamonds last week.

▪ On March 31, Christian Brothers erupted for 20 runs against Rio Americano. Freshman Kaylee Foster led the way with four hits, including two doubles and two RBIs, for the Falcons. Caroline Siler and Sydney Anderson each had three hits for the Raiders.

▪ Also on March 31, Fairfield rocked Burbank by a score of 25-5. Mariah Giron homered in the Falcons’ first at-bat and freshman Karli Robinson hit for the cycle with five RBIs.

▪ Burbank responded with a 30-15 victory over Valley on Wednesday as Vaituolo Finau, LillyRose Jerbal, Marlie Jardines and Gabriela Chacon each scored four runs for the Titans.

▪ On April 1, Vacaville scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning in what was appearing to be headed for a five-inning game. But the Bulldogs had to earn all seven innings because Clayton Valley Charter scored 20. Mikayla Morgan had six hits with a homer and seven RBIs while Hayden Kyne added a homer in a five-hit day as the Bulldogs won 28-20.

▪ Del Oro freshman Emma Johnson went 3-for-3 and hit two home runs with five RBIs, and Ava Messina and Mikayla Finn combined to two-hit Folsom last Wednesday in a 22-0 final.

▪ On Thursday, Wheatland senior Chasidy Sills tossed a five-inning, one-hit shutout over Lincoln as the Pirates exploded for 20 runs on 21 hits. Sophia Logan, Ashtynne Agarenzo and Tatum Souza all had four hits for Wheatland.

▪ Casa Roble scored 31 runs on 32 hits in a Thursday shutout over Natomas. Cassandra Alvarez went 3-for-3 with six RBIs.

▪ Lexi Martinez hit a grand slam and drove in six runs while freshman Hazel Campbell collected five hits as Vacaville Christian beat San Juan 26-13.

▪ Perhaps the most bizarre output of the week came from Mesa Verde, which tallied 82 runs in three games. The Mavericks started with a 20-8 win over Highlands last Tuesday, followed with a 16-8 win over Vacaville Christian the next day and capped the week with a 46-27 win over Highlands.

In the week’s finale, Mesa Verde was set for a five-inning victory, leading 26-12 in the fifth, but Highlands stormed back for 15 runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 27-26 lead. The Mavericks then posted 16 runs in the sixth inning to win its fifth straight game. According to CalHiSports.com, Mesa Verde’s 46 runs is the most in a game ever by a Sacramento-area team.

Madison Martin went 5-for-6 with a homer, three triples and 11 RBIs, while Ilyana Franco drove in nine for the Mavericks on Thursday.

The Bee’s Top 20

(Records entering Monday)

1. Oak Ridge (14-0)

2. Del Oro (16-1)

3. Destiny Christian (7-1)

4. Rocklin (11-2)

5. Whitney (9-5)

6. Pioneer (11-3)

7. Sheldon (10-3)

8. Woodcreek (14-4)

9. Granite Bay (6-7)

10. Elk Grove (9-6)

11. Pleasant Grove (5-2)

12. East Nicolaus (10-2)

13. Vacaville (8-5)

14. Folsom (7-6-2)

15. Woodland Christian (13-1)

16. Yuba City (13-3-1)

17. Franklin (10-7-1)

18. Dixon (6-3)

19. Sutter (8-5)

20. Rio Linda (11-4)

Bubble: Bella Vista (7-8); Christian Brothers (6-8); Davis (11-6); Inderkum (9-7); Laguna Creek (5-5); Oakmont (8-5); Placer (11-4); Ponderosa (5-8); Roseville (5-6); Wheatland (9-4)

Nick Pecoraro is a sports journalist and host of “Premier Preps with Nick Pecoraro,” a weekly prep show available on YouTube that recaps games and teams in the Sacramento area each week. Find it at youtube.com/@PremierPreps.