South Jersey Softball Mean 15 rankings for May 14
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Following one of the wildest weeks of the season so far, we take another swing at ranking the top high school softball teams in the region.
(Records and stats through Wednesday's games)
South Jersey Mean 15 rankings
1, Northern Burlington (18-2, last week’s ranking: 1). The Greyhounds had their 18-game winning streak come to a halt with a 4-0 loss to Robbinsville on May 12. The team has posted 155 runs (7.5 rpg) with Haley MacArthur (22 runs) and Riley Pieloch (21) leading the way. Northern will travel to Bordentown tonight for a prime-time game.
2. Gloucester (17-1, 3). The Lions are knocking on the door of the ranking’s penthouse again thanks to an nine-game winning streak. Senior Emma Dick has thrown four shutouts in her last five starts and has yielded just one earned run over her last six turns (37 innings), lowering her ERA to 0.78.
3. Cherokee (16-4, 5). Eleven consecutive wins for the Chiefs has vaulted the team up two spots. The 1-2 punch of seniors Allie Cunane and Cali Taylor have rung up a combined 219 strikeouts in 130 innings while posting a 1.29 ERA.
4. St. Joseph Academy (20-3, 6). The Wildcats reach the 20-win mark for the third time in the last four seasons. The team improved to 3-1 against Vineland after an 8-7 victory in eight innings in the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament semifinal round on May 13. Senior Isabella Ramos is batting .377 with 30 runs scored, which ranks second on the club.
5. Vineland (14-7, 4). The Fighting Clan are 6-2 in their last eight games, the two losses by a combined three runs to Cedar Creek and St. Joseph. Senior Beatrice Sotomayor has slugged a team-best six homers and is tied for first on the club with 18 stolen bases.
6. Kingsway (15-5, 2). The Dragons dropped consecutive games to the Colonial Conference’s Gloucester and Haddon Heights. Freshman pitcher Sydney Schiavone has struck out 110 hitters in 51 innings and boasts a 2.05 ERA.
7. Ocean City (18-5, 7). Following a 14-4 loss to Southern, the Red Raiders rebounded with an 8-1 victory at Bordentown on May 12. The team will host Hammonton in the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament semifinal round this afternoon. Sophomore Leah Catto has filled up the stat sheet with 41 hits, 37 runs scored, 17 walks and 6 stolen bases. She has 13 extra-base hits, including 10 two-baggers.
8. Audubon (14-8, 14). The Green Wave are 7-1 over their last eight games, including four straight wins with a Senior Night triumph over Haddon Township on May 13. Senior Emma Speyerer is closing in on becoming a member of the 40-40-40 club with 42 hits, 38 runs scored and 35 stolen bases.
9. Cherry Hill East (12-4, 8). After losing consecutive games for the first time this season, the Cougars clawed their way back into the win column with a 13-3 triumph over Shawnee on May 13. The team has swiped 52 bags including a team-leading 13 by both Kiersten Costello and Evelyn Stover.
10. West Deptford (15-6, NR). The Eagles get back on track with four wins over their last five games with a big showdown against Gloucester County Tech in the Eastern Viking Invitational on May 15. Junior Joelle Kulnis has produced 26 hits, 24 runs scored and 18 stolen bases.
11. Haddon Heights (14-7, NR). The Garnets appear to be heating up at a great time as they polished off wins over Gloucester County Tech and Kingsway in their last three games. Junior Ruby Caviston is second on the club with 21 knocks.
12. Paul VI (14-6, 12). Six straight wins for the Eagles, who will get their shot at No. 1 Northern Burlington on Friday. Junior Jules Jackson has posted some huge offensive numbers across the board, including a .694 batting average, 43 hits, 54 runs scored and 36 stolen bases.
13. Gloucester County Tech (13-10, 15). The Cheetahs’ rollercoaster season continued this week with a big win over Delsea before couldn’t hold five-run lead during an 8-7 loss to Kingsway. Junior Cameryn Hilliard has swatted two homers in her last three games, giving her a team-best five round-trippers with 22 RBIs.
14. Hammonton (18-2, NR). The Blue Devils advanced to the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament semifinal round with a 10-0 win over Buena on May 11. The team will travel to Ocean City for today’s semifinal. Hammonton has three players with 30-or-more hits – Leah Alexander (35), Kamryn Barker (31) and Layla Cuneo-Snouffer (31).
15. Delsea (13-7, 13). The Crusaders were cooled off with a 3-1 loss to Gloucester County Tech on May 11, snapping a seven-game winning streak. Sophomore Landyn Ferrari has at least one knock in 16 of her last 17 games, raising her batting average to .387.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey Softball Mean 15 rankings for May 14