A turbulent week in the San Mateo County high school softball scene has resulted in widespread movement in Patch’s county rankings.
Capuchino has unseated Hillsdale at the top spot for the first time, and suddenly-clicking Aragon hopes its surge isn’t too late to earn a Central Coast Section playoff berth. Meanwhile, Carlmont and Notre Dame are finding the pitching-by-committee route isn’t as dependable as when they had a single top hurler in recent years.
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, here is a look at San Mateo County’s current pecking order. The top-10 weekly rankings are drawn from all schools in the county.
Records are based on reported games played through Friday, April 29.
SOFTBALL
1. Capuchino 16-4 (Last week: 2) Shakes off 17 strikeouts to hand Hillsdale and ace Richwood a 2-0 defeat
2. Hillsdale 19-4 (1) Still has 1 ½-game lead in PAL Bay but stumble vs. Cap eliminates breathing room
3. Aragon 10-12 (6) Duddy (4-for-4) and Bowman (two hits, two RBIs) spark 5-2 victory over Carlmont
4. Carlmont 16-6 (3) Growing pains: Scots have lost three of last four, getting outscored 12-4 in the process
5. Notre Dame 13-9-1 (4) Needs some feel-good wins before playoffs; games vs. SHC and Burlingame could suffice
6. Terra Nova 10-8 (7) In position to challenge for Bay’s final CCS spot but has 4 games left vs. Cap, Hillsdale and Carlmont
7. Burlingame 8-14 (8) After competing in recent losses to Hillsdale and Carlmont, gets more tough tests vs. Aragon and Cap
8. Half Moon Bay 5-15 (5) Momentum can be fleeting; Cougars fall in three straight one-run games
9. San Mateo 10-3 (9) Takes commanding lead in PAL Ocean as Gomez and Pineda key 4-2 win at second-place Woodside
10. Woodside 15-4 (10) Inability to get clutch hits vs. San Mateo and Sutton means Ocean title and CCS berth appear unlikely
