Shore Sports Insider Softball Week 5 Top 10 Rankings
*Samantha Mayer contributed to this submit*
1. St. John Vianney (12-0) Last Week 1: – After profitable 5 video games per week in the past, St. John Vianney solely performed two video games this week, beating No. 4 Marlboro and Middletown North to enhance to 7-0 within the American Division and pull inside one win of clinching the division title. Madison McDougall’s bat is on hearth, going 7-for-8 with two house runs and eight RBI’s in two video games. She hit for the cycle in opposition to Middletown North. She additionally pitched two shutouts, hanging out 17 batters over 9 innings. The Lancers have two non-conference video games as they journey to Allentown on Monday and play St. Thomas Aquinas on Sunday at Seton Hall. SJV can clinch the division title on Tuesday once they host No. 6 Colts Neck earlier than touring to No. 5 Red Bank Catholic on Thursday.
SJV’s Madison McDougall
2. Donovan Catholic (14-0) Last Week: 2 – Donovan Catholic had a busy weekend, enjoying three video games and profitable the South Jersey Classic. On Saturday they beat Gloucester Tech within the first-round and Kingsway within the semifinal. In the ultimate, they handed St. Joseph (Hammonton) their second lack of the season with a 7-6 win. Junior Isabella Cino belted her fifth house run of the season for the Griffins. Earlier within the week, the Griffins defeated Jackson and Pinelands to enhance to 8-0 within the Freedom Division and assure themselves a share of the division title. A win on Monday in opposition to Point Boro will safe Donovan the outright division title. Donovan follows that up with a division sport at house in opposition to Southern on Wednesday and on Friday they host No. 3 Marlboro in a non-divisional sport. Marlboro ended the Griffins Shore Conference Tournament run final season. Donovan performs Morris Catholic on Sunday at Branch Brook Park in Newark.
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Isabella Cino had a base hit and a run scored for Donovan within the South Jersey Non-Public A semifinal spherical in opposition to STA. Photo by Tom Smith
3. Marlboro (9-3) Last Week: 4 – Marlboro retains creeping up the rankings, transferring from sixth as much as third over the past two weeks. After falling to Colts Neck and Middletown South the primary time via the division, the Mustangs beat Colts Neck and Middletown South the second time round. Marlboro adopted that by handing Sayreville their first lack of the season, 6-2. The Mustangs ended the week with a big-time win over Immaculate Heart on Sunday. The Mustangs scored 4 runs within the high of the seventh inning to beat the 14th-ranked crew in New Jersey. Senior Emily Gaudio continues to roll on the mound for Marlboro, hanging out 9 batters in opposition to Middletown South and eight in opposition to IHA. She has a 1.03 ERA on the season in 68 innings pitched. Marlboro continues to battle the very best groups within the state with two division video games to start out the week. They are away on Tuesday in opposition to No. 5 Red Bank Catholic and residential Thursday in opposition to Middletown North. On Friday, the Mustangs journey to No. 2 Donovan Catholic in a non-divisional sport. Marlboro ended Donovan’s possibilities within the Shore Conference Tournament final 12 months with a 9-7 win in 10 innings.
Marlboro pitcher Emily Gaudio (Photo by Samantha Mayer)
4. Middletown South (8-4) Last Week: 3 – The Eagles began the week with their second straight walk-off win, scoring three runs within the backside of the seventh to tie the sport and profitable it within the eighth in opposition to RBC. Junior Nora Sarcone, the hero from Saturday, began the rally on Monday with a solo house run within the seventh and scored the game-winner within the eighth. Middletown South fell to Marlboro 4-1 and Raritan 8-2 to finish the week. Ace Riley Smith solely allowed one earned run in opposition to Marlboro and didn’t get the beginning in opposition to Raritan. The Eagles conclude their division video games with a house sport in opposition to Middletown North on Tuesday and a highway sport in opposition to No. 6 Colts Neck on Thursday. The Eagles face St. Mary (Rutherford) on Saturday in a non-conference sport.
Nora Sarcone celebrating after hitting a walk-off insider the park house run within the Shore vs CVC at Adventure Crossing. 4/18/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
5. Red Bank Catholic (7-4) Last Week: 5 – RBC began the week with a loss to No. 3 Middletown South after holding a 4-1 lead going into the seventh inning. The Caseys rebounded with a division win over No. 6 Colts Neck and a non-conference win in opposition to Randolph within the Black and Gold Invitational. Junior Grace Grimaldi crushed a 2-run house run within the backside of the fifth for the Caseys in a 2-1 victory. MacKenna Savage struck out 14 batters to boost her whole to 143 on the season. RBC hosts No. 3 Marlboro on Tuesday and No. 1 St. John Vianney on Thursday to complete their division schedule. RBC performs two non-conference video games on the weekend. They play Steinert on Saturday and Immaculate Heart on Sunday.
Grace Grimaldi drove within the sport profitable run within the backside of the eighth inning in opposition to Allentown within the Shore vs CVC at Adventure Crossing. 4/18/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
6. Colts Neck (5-7) Last Week: 6 – After a sluggish begin to the season, Colts Neck is beginning to roll, profitable three out of its final 4 video games. Monday, they beat Middletown North 3-0 for the second time this season, however adopted that with their solely loss in that span to RBC. The Cougars ended the week with a 9-3 win over No. 9 Raritan and a 5-3 win over Ramapo in further innings on the Black and Gold Invitational. Senior Julia Watkins hit a 2-out single to attain Angela Sasso and Jillian Heyser within the eighth inning. Sasso appears to be like to be again to full power, hanging out 12 batters on Sunday and 10 in opposition to Middletown North. Colts Neck travels to No. 1 St. John Vianney on Tuesday and hosts No. 4 Middletown South on Thursday to complete their division schedule. Friday, they host Southern in a non-divisional sport.
Angela Sasso completed with 8 strikeouts in opposition to Middletown North. 4/4/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
7. Barnegat (12-0) Last Week: 7 – Barnegat stays one in every of three groups to nonetheless be undefeated within the Shore Conference after profitable two division video games in opposition to New Egypt and Toms River South final week. The Bengals will look to complete undefeated within the Independence Division this week, touring to Point Beach on Monday and internet hosting Brick Memorial on Wednesday. Barnegat squeaked by the Mustangs within the first sport, profitable 1-0 within the eighth inning. Junior Gianna Gomez had her second sport of the season with 20 or extra strikeouts to extend her whole to 172 on the season, which places her on the high of the chief board in New Jersey. Barnegat travels to Central on Thursday in a non-divisional sport and ends the week on Saturday, internet hosting Southern within the Ocean County Tournament Semifinal.
Gianna Gomez struck out 13 batters within the second-round of the OCT in opposition to Pinelands. 4/18/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
8. Holmdel (9-1) Last Week: 8 – Holmdel’s undefeated season got here to an finish final week with a division loss to Howell. Howell scored 5 runs within the 4th inning to win 5-4 and tighten the division race between Holmdel, Raritan, and Matawan. Holmdel owns the head-to-head in opposition to Raritan after beating them on Monday for the second time this season. Senior Emma Vanario was 8-for-11 with a house run and 10 RBI’s in three video games final week. Holmdel hosts Colonia on Monday in a non-conference sport. The Hornets can clinch a division title on Tuesday as they host Matawan. They comply with that on the highway in opposition to Freehold Township on Thursday to complete their division video games.
9. Raritan (9-4) Last Week: 9 – Raritan break up their 4 video games this week and are one sport behind Holmdel within the Independence Division however misplaced to the Hornets for the second time on Monday. The Rockets rebounded with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Freehold Township, benefiting from an error. Raritan ended the week splitting in opposition to two ranked opponents within the American Division. The Rockets fell to No. 6 Colts Neck on Friday, 9-3, and defeated No. 3 Middletown South on Saturday, 8-2. Junior Holly Bellofatto hit a house run and drove in 4 runs within the sport. Junior Payton Fleming gained two video games in the course of the week on the mound for Raritan. Raritan travels to Monmouth on Monday in a non-divisional sport to start out the week. The Rockets finish the week with two video games in opposition to division opponents. They journey to Howell on Tuesday and host Wall on Thursday.
10. Toms River East (8-2) Last Week: 10 – The Raiders proceed to roll within the Independence Division, defeating Toms River South and Brick Memorial to enhance to 6-2 within the division. East shut out each groups, 10-0. Freshman Brianna DeLima has turn into a powerful second possibility for the Raiders behind Kylie Paladino. DeLima struck out 14 batters in opposition to the Mustangs, her second double-digit strikeout efficiency of the season. TRE wraps up division play with video games on the highway in opposition to New Egypt on Monday and Point Beach on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Raiders journey to Jackson to play within the Ocean County Tournament semifinal. East ends their busy week on the highway in opposition to Pinelands on Friday.
Bubble:
Middletown North
Southern
Freehold Boro