Bee’s Best: Who won Del Oro-Destiny Christian Academy softball showdown?

The CIF State basketball championships are in the rearview mirror. So that could only mean that it’s time to get outdoors and onto the softball fields.

Destiny Christian Academy begins the 2026 season as The Sacramento Bee’s top-ranked team, returning a wealth of talent headlined by three-time Bee Player of the Year Ayla Tuua. The senior LSU commit was the first player to win the Bee’s Overall Player of the Year as a freshman in 2023, the Medium School Player of the Year honor as a sophomore and Small School Player of the Year as a junior.

All the while, the Lions have won two CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championships and two CIF NorCal Regional titles.

Destiny might have the best pitching rotation in the state. Alongside Tuua are Purdue commit Roxanne Sardo and standout sophomore Mia Jimenez. Each has gotten a start over Destiny’s first three games this season and have all produced double-digit strikeouts while allowing two earned runs or fewer in complete game victories.

“We can throw any of the three, so confident that they’re going to get the job done,” Destiny coach Shannon Tuua said. “They’re all three just getting better because of each other, and it’s such a load off of their shoulders when they know that, ‘Hey, if I don’t have my best stuff, I’ve got two girls behind me that do.’ And not a lot of ego from any of the three. ‘Hey, if it’s your turn to roll, we got your back. If it’s my turn, you guys got me.’”

Catcher and Vanguard commit McKayla “KK” Fulmer handles the pitching staff. Senior Maddie Woodcock, junior Takiyah Haygood and sophomore Aubrey Joiner fill out Tuua’s lineup card.

In a showdown Monday with another local powerhouse, Destiny shut out Del Oro of Placer County, thanks to a first-inning, two-run double from Tuua that sparked a 3-0 Lions win. Tuua also tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout with nine strikeouts to help Destiny move to 4-0 and draw big praise from the opposing coach.

“That’s what a great player does,” Del Oro coach Sean Erickson said of Tuua. “She made every kid in my dugout better tonight. She made me coach better tonight. She gave every one of us a reason to be accountable to be the best.”

Del Oro, meanwhile, is ranked No. 4 with wins over Placer County schools Woodcreek and Rocklin as well as Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills, with close losses to storied Sheldon of Sacramento in eight innings and Whitney. The Golden Eagles were last year’s Division I NorCal champion after a 24-win turnaround from the previous season. Erickson asked his team last year to turn in their smartphones for 30 days early in the season with the intent of growing team bonds and raising awareness for mental health.

Last year, lefty Mikayla Finn shared Bee Large School Player of the Year honors with teammate Abby Davidson, who is now playing at Utah Tech. Finn enters her junior year as the Golden Eagles’ ace and Davidson’s power in the lineup is replaced with the bat of sophomore Emma Johnson, who hit eight homers with 29 RBI in 2025.

Del Oro also returns All-Metro players Caelyn Campos, Chloe Champas, Avyn Brower and Kate Brown.

No. 2 Ponderosa is 7-0

No. 2 Ponderosa of Shingle Springs entered the week at 11-0, including wins over four teams that open in the top 10 of the initial 2026 Bee softball rankings.

Sophomore sensation Kate McCartney, who blasted nine home runs as a freshman, already has six this year. She leads the youth movement for the Bruins, which includes freshman Trinidey Fuss and sophomore Maisyn Perin. The trio of underclassmen lead the team in hitting while freshman Lauren Klomp is off to a 7-0 start with a 0.98 ERA and 79 strikeouts over her first 50 innings.

Sierra Foothill League is stout again

The Sierra Foothill League is once again loaded. Along with Del Oro, Whitney, Rocklin and Oak Ridge all begin the year in The Bee’s Top 10. Whitney sits at 3-0 in league play entering Tuesday, including wins over Del Oro and Oak Ridge.

The Wildcats are led by Brooklyn Steele, Bri Seffens, Sidney Kleiner, Rebecca Rau and sophomore hurler Taylor Cordell.

Rocklin junior ace Payton Prior is off to an 8-0 start with a sub-1.00 ERA while juniors Amanda Wetteland, Cat Alston and Addie Titlow and sophomore Sammie Snell anchor the Thunder lineup.

Reigning Division I section champ Oak Ridge, under new coaches Tamira Chatman and Katelin Eccles, is rejuvenated by the return of junior ace Kennedi Freeland, who sat out most of last season with an injury. Batterymate and Washington signee Brooklyn Paratore has already launched seven longballs this season. Emery Glaser and Gemma Almont are among several Trojans who will provide some pop in the order.

Delta League includes rivals

Elk Grove and Sheldon are the frontrunners for the Delta League title. The Thundering Herd is loaded with underclass talent, including freshmen Kadence Pettis, Madelyn Benzler, Kinslee Buck and Tamiayh Ward and sophomores Lauren Anderson and Izi Castillo.

The Huskies, meanwhile, are anchored by the one-two punch of Kentucky commit Kwinci Brown and UC Santa Barbara commit Micah Kennedy in the circle. Regan Wise, Grace Harding and Sinitalela Heleta bolster the offense.

Vanden, Sutter strong again

Reigning Division III section champion Vanden of Solano County brings back Bee All Metro First Teamer Niayli Calvo. The Florida commit hit .710 last year with six homers and 32 RBI. Daisy Pallares and Amiya Clay, among others pace the Vikings order.

Rounding out the opening top 10 is Sutter. Just two years removed from a perfect 30-0 campaign, the Huskies are off to another 8-0 start in 2026, led by juniors Brooklyn Murphey, Kalena Delacerna, Malaina Wilder and Paytyn Schamanski and sophomore Liliana Speakman.

The Bee’s Top 20

(Records as of Tuesday)

1. Destiny Christian (4-0)

2. Ponderosa (11-0)

3. Whitney (7-2)

4. Del Oro (3-3)

5. Rocklin (8-2)

6. Oak Ridge (6-3)

7. Elk Grove (8-2)

8. Vanden (2-2)

9. Sheldon (4-3)

10. Sutter (8-0)

11. Pioneer (6-1)

12. East Nicolaus (5-0)

13. Inderkum (8-2)

14. Franklin (7-4)

15. Liberty Ranch (3-4)

16. Laguna Creek (7-2)

17. Vacaville (3-4)

18. Davis (4-7)

19. St. Francis (5-5)

20. Placer (3-4)

Bubble: Bear River (5-4); Bradshaw Christian (5-1); Granite Bay (3-5); McClatchy (6-3); Pleasant Grove (3-2); Rio Linda (6-4); River Valley (8-2); Roseville (4-5-2); Woodcreek (5-5); Woodland Christian (3-2).

Nick Pecoraro is a longtime area high school sports journalist who has contributed to The Bee since 2021. He is a staff writer for MaxPreps.