The softball power rankings return this week after a week off (because we all need a break sometimes), so there is a lot to get through.
This will be the last power rankings as well since the tournament begins next week.
Let’s dive in.
1. Piketon (19-2, 11-1 SVC)
Even though they dropped their first Scioto Valley Conference game to Unioto on April 28, they have bounced back with five straight wins — four against SVC opponents.
Both games against Unioto this season were one-run games — a 9-8 win and a 6-5 loss.
As of the end of April, Piketon players are some of the tops in terms of stats. None more so than Aubrey Heath, who was first in home runs with 11, first in runs scored with 40, second in RBIs with 33, second in batting average at .604, and second in doubles with 11 as the calendar flipped to May.
Addy Blakeman is behind Heath in terms of home runs.
Pitcher Kyndall Carroll had 10 wins by April 30 to lead the league and was fifth in strikeouts with 51. She has an earned run average under 3.
Jaylin Forbes was sitting first in RBIs with 34, first in doubles with 14, first in triples with six, third in BA at .583 and fifth in runs scored with 26. Piketon is the No. 4 seed in the Division V district tournament.
Last time’s rank: 1
2. Chillicothe (15-5, 7-3 FAC)
It would be very easy to give the Lady Cavaliers the No. 1 spot here. After all, Chillicothe was awarded the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Division III district tournament.
They are a juggernaut, and if they faced Piketon head-to-head, then it would make all of this easier.
But since they don’t play, we are forced to make a tough call on this one. Since the last list, Chillicothe has one more loss ― a 12-0 shutout courtesy of Jackson. It gives them three losses in the Frontier Athletic Conference and pushes them to third in the league behind Hillsboro and Jackson.
Cadie Boltenhouse, CJ Rittinger, and Bri Cousins have been forces of nature, whether it be with batting average, on-base percentage, RBIs or pretty much any other stat on the planet. We can’t wait to see what they do in the tournament.
Last ranking: 2
3. Adena (14-6, 8-4)
The Warriors got a marquee win over Unioto on May 7, defeating the Shermans 7-1 to pass them by on this list.
Adelynn Nelson hit a home run in the win, her third of the season. Nelson has the third highest batting average on the team as of May 4 at .419. Adriana Guarnieri is second on the team at .481 and Marly Halcomb is leading with .633. Five of their players — Halcomb, Guarnieri, Nelson, Allie Bossert and Addy Cottrill ― have double-digit RBIs.
The team is currently on a five-game winning streak. Adena is the No. 7 seed in the Division V district tournament.
Last ranking: 6
4. Unioto (12-8, 8-3)
Unioto would have been the No. 3 if they hadn’t lost to Adena.
Unioto ruled the league last year in going undefeated. This year’s team is different and has learned to win in different ways. Sometimes it is Kendal Walker with her shutdown pitching. Other times, it is just timely hitting from players like Macie Cox, who was responsible for four RBIs against Westfall.
Mackenzie Welch is in the top three of home runs in the SVC.
Unioto was given the No. 4 seed in the Division III district tournament, where if they win against Miami Trace, they advance to face Chillicothe, a team they beat 1-0 earlier.
Last ranking: 4
5. Westfall (10-11, 8-5)
Westfall hadn’t won in almost two weeks before their May 7 victory against Zane Trace, 10-5. Prior to that, the Mustangs had five straight losses, getting outscored 46 to 12 in those contests.
The key to success in getting off the schneid. The offense got spurred by Jill Butcher, who went 3-for-3 with an inside-the-park home run against Zane Trace. Not to be outdone, Kenzie Cook also hit a homer.
So does this mean Westfall is back to winning? Well, they face a hot team in Adena on May 9.
In Division V, Westfall is the No. 8 seed.
Last ranking: 3
6. Huntington (11-12, 5-8)
The Lady Huntsmen have won three of their last four games. Their only loss in that time was to Piketon.
They have three players — Allie Baker, Taylor Tisdale and Savannah Bushatz — in the top 10 of the league in terms of batting average going into May. Baker and Bushatz are also in the top five in terms of runs scored, while Baker and Tisdale are in the top five in RBIs. When their offense is clicking, they are hard to beat.
In Division V, Huntington is the No. 10 seed and will host No. 15 Zane Trace at 5 p.m. May 13.
Last ranking: 7
7. Zane Trace (7-14, 5-6)
The Pioneers have hit a skid in the latter part of the season, losing their last four games by a combined 35-15 margin.
Despite the losses, pitcher Brynn Wipert remains one of the best in the league. She has an ERA of 2.71 with 114 strikeouts. If she is on point during the tournament, all she’ll need is the offense to come through for her.
Last ranking: 5
8. Southeastern (9-14, 4-9)
Inconsistency has snuck into the Panthers’ games lately.
They beat Zane Trace on April 28, then lost to Piketon and Unioto on April 29 and April 30, only to bounce back and beat Westfall on May 2 before losing to Adena on May 5 and Huntington on May 7.
Kylie Williams continues to be a standout with her pitching. Heading into May, she was leading the league in strikeouts. The losses seem to be occurring when the offense isn’t there to back her up.
In Division 5, Southeastern is the No. 11 seed.
Last ranking: 8
9. Waverly (6-12, 3-5 SOC)
Have we used the word frustrating in terms of the Tigers yet? Well, if we haven’t, here it is. They are frustrating because, despite losing five games from April 22 to April 30, they started May with a 4-2 win over Northwest. It was one of those games where Lexi Smith was on her game in the circle. She helped her own case by recording two hits and an RBI as well, while Addi Hudnell, Hayden Jones and Whitley Brown also added RBIs. Two of their arguably best players, Ava Robertson and Caris Risner, had one hit between them.
That is why we use frustrating because the talent is there, and it feels like we have been waiting all season to see it all come together.
In Division IV, Waverly is the No. 10 seed.
Last ranking: 9
10 Paint Valley (5-14, 0-11 SVC)
It hasn’t been a great season. There isn’t much to say about that.
But that doesn’t mean this is a team that doesn’t have positives.
It starts with senor Sophi Stauffer. She plays like someone who doesn’t care about records and goes all out, which says a lot about her character.
She is a leader, and when she graduates, it is going to be up to others to step up and fill those shoes. If we had to make an early prediction on next season’s leaders, look at Delainey Mannion and Kasarah Cantrell.
Last ranking: 10
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Softball power rankings: Piketon and Chillicothe are the best of the bunch
Reporting by Lancaster Eagle-Gazette / Chillicothe Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
