D.C. Beltway Area: Top 10 Softball

Softball Top 10
Rankings and records as of May 18

1. McDonough (17-0) — LW: 2
Rams enter Maryland 2A semifinals having surrendered just one run all season. Senior Melanie Mitchell pitched third perfect game of season in 17-strikeout, 2-0 win over Howard County power Hammond in 2A South semifinals last Wednesday, and followed with 6-0 shutout of Gwynn Park on Friday in regional final.

2. Battlefield (18-1) — LW: 1
Dropped first game of season 4-3 to Loudoun Valley on May 8, but the Bobcats bounced back to win next three including a 10-0 shutout of Loudoun Valley on May 14.

3. South County (21-1) — LW: 4
Defeated Lee and West Potomac by combined 18-0 count in Patriot District tournament last week.

4. Broad Run (17-2) — LW: 6
Shut out three opponents last week by a combined 17-0, including 1-0 wins over Park View and Potomac Falls.

5. Northern (16-2) — LW: 9
Defending Maryland 3A state champ avenged one of season’s losses with 3-1 win over No. 7 Huntingtown in 3A South final. Patriots open defense of championship with state semfinal showdown with Fallston on Tuesday.

6. Loudoun Valley (17-2) — LW: 7
Had huge 4-3 win over Battlefileld on May 8, but dropped most recent encounter with the No. 2 Bobcats 10-0 last Thursday.

7. Huntingtown (16-1) — LW: 3
Hurricanes’ season came to an end with 3-1 loss to county rival and defending state champion Northern in 3A South championship game last Friday.

8. Sherwood (16-1) — LW: NR
Warriors defeated Gaithersburg 5-4 to win the 4A West. Will play North Carroll in Maryland 4A semifinals on Tuesday.

9. Yorktown (14-2) — LW: NR
Offense has been rolling, as team outscored opponents 42-3 in three wins last week.

10. Briar Woods (15-4) — LW: NR
Falcons went 3-0 last week, including a 1-0 win over Potomac Falls.

Others Receiving Consideration
Damascus (13-2)
C.H. Flowers (16-1)
Hayfield (16-3)
Madison (16-4)
McLean (18-4)
Bishop O’Connell (21-4)
Saint Mary’s Ryken (18-4)
Stone Bridge (15-5)
Westfield (15-5)

**Rankings include teams from Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Prince William County, the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference and the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.

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Comments? E-mail Andy States at astates@digitalsports.com.