Softball roundup: Del Oro tops Oak Ridge in nationally-ranked showdown; Foresthill seeks top seed

All eyes in the prep softball scene were on Loomis on Wednesday night as the top two teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section met for a showdown between nationally ranked Del Oro and Oak Ridge. With four games remaining in the regular season, Wednesday's game was crucial to determining the Sierra Foothill League championship and top seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs. Oak Ridge (15-2 overall, 6-2 SFL) entered as the 19th-ranked team, but the 23rd-ranked Golden Eagles scored three runs in the sixth inning for a 4-2 victory, their 10th consecutive win. Freshman Caelyn Campos was the difference for Del Oro (21-1, 9-1) with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning that put the Golden Eagles on top. In addition to Campos' timely hitting, sophomore Mikayla Finn pitched a four-hitter with 16 strikeouts and two walks. She now has five games this season with 10 or more strikeouts and is fourth in the state among sophomores with 151 strikeouts. The Golden Eagles and Trojans split the season series but Del Oro has a one-game lead in the standings. A league championship would cap a significant resurgence for Del Oro, which finished last in the SFL last season. Foresthill seeks top seed The Foresthill Lady Wildfires entered the week as the top-ranked team in the section in Division VII and are inching closer to the top seed in the playoffs. On Wednesday, Foresthill scored 11 runs in the final three innings to pull away from Faith Christian 15-8. Marissa Miller led Foresthill with two hits and four RBIs. Foresthill (6-4, 5-1 CVCL) freshman Lynnsey Drone has been a big reason for her team's success at the plate and in the circle. Drone leads the Wildfires in batting average, slugging percentage, stolen bases, ERA and strikeouts. She struck out six in six innings Wednesday. The Wildfires have two games remaining in the regular season and are second in the Central Valley California League behind Buckingham Charter. The Knights won the first matchup with Foresthill 5-1 on April 15. The two meet in the season finale April 30 in a game that could determine the league championship. Placer seeking league championship After back-to-back winless seasons, the Placer Hillgals are announcing their return to prominence with authority. Placer (15-4, 7-2 FVL) sits atop the Foothill Valley League with three games remaining. Placer is riding a five-game winning streak and has scored more than 10 runs in four consecutive games. The freshman duo of Carly Rice and Emma Herr have been strong with their bats while sophomore Paige Denniston has blasted eight home runs. Seniors Ella Osborne and Sydney Nitta also have been key contributors.