SBLive Power 25 Ohio softball rankings: Holland Springfield ascends to No. 1

Although Watkins Memorial remains undefeated, the impressive performances Holland Springfield continues to produce nearly every game has moved the Blue Devils to No. 1 and dropped the Warriors to second.

Moving into the rankings this week are Lebanon and Lancaster.

Here’s week five of the SBLive Ohio Power 25 softball rankings:

1. Holland Springfield (18-0)

Last week: No. 2

The Blue Devils defeated Avon 7-1 on April 29 in the Prebis Memorial at LaGrange Keystone as pitcher Mady Yackee went 2-for-4 at the plate and struck out 12.

2. Watkins Memorial (19-0)

Last week: No. 1

Still without junior pitcher Carsyn Cassady because of injury until later this month, the Warriors leaned on their offense to beat Marysville 8-4 on April 25 and Heath 6-4 on April 26.

3. Cincinnati Oak Hills (21-0)

Last week: No. 3

The Highlanders have produced three double-digit wins over the past week to stay undefeated, beating Cincinnati Colerain 14-3 on April 25, Middletown 18-3 on April 26 and Cincinnati Sycamore 16-0 on April 28.

4. Austintown-Fitch (16-0)

Last week: No. 4

After defeating Warren Harding 19-0 on April 24 and 18-0 on April 25, the Falcons beat Warren Champion 6-3 on April 28 to stay unbeaten.

5. Athens (19-0)

Last week: No. 5

The No. 1-ranked team in the Division II state poll, Athens defeated New Concord John Glenn 13-6 on April 25 and Nelsonville-York 22-1 on April 26 to continue its perfect start.

6. Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (14-1)

Last week: No. 7

The Generals continued their impressive start by defeating Napoleon 14-0 on April 26 and then downing Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 14-6 and Wooster Triway 7-0 on April 29 at the Prebis Memorial.

7. Gahanna Lincoln (23-1)

Last week: No. 8 After beating Westerville Central 11-3 on April 27 to earn a season sweep of the Warhawks, the Lions beat Canfield South Range and Triway by 3-0 scores on April 29 at the Prebis Memorial.

8. Wheelersburg (16-0)

Last week: No. 6

The top-ranked team in the Division III state poll defeated Portsmouth West 10-4 on April 26 and Louisa (Kentucky) Lawrence County 13-0 on April 27 before edging Mount Washington (Kentucky) 7-5 on April 29.

9. Hopewell-Loudon (20-0)

Last week: No. 10

The Chieftains have won all but two games by more than six runs. After beating Mount Blanchard Riverdale 10-0 on April 25, they defeated Elmore Woodmore 23-2 on April 27 and Lakeside Danbury 11-1 on April 29.

10. Chillicothe Unioto (18-1)

Last week: No. 11

The Shermans have won 16 in a row, including beating Chillicothe Huntington 8-0 on April 25 and Piketon 6-0 on April 26.

11. Alliance Marlington (16-1)

Last week: No. 12

The Dukes edged Beloit West Branch 2-0 on April 25 and blew past Minerva 15-0 on April 27 to continue a nine-game winning streak.

12. Canfield (15-1)

Last week: No. 14

After beating Youngstown Boardman 6-4 on April 25, the Cardinals defeated Columbiana Crestview 12-0 on April 26 and Amherst Steele 7-3 on April 29 in the Prebis Memorial.

13. Minster (16-1)

Last week: No. 16

Now on a 17-game winning streak, the Wildcats defeated Fort Recovery 9-2 on April 27 and Lima Bath 10-0 and Russia 5-4 on April 29.

14. Lewistown Indian Lake (18-1)

Last week: No. 15

The Lakers followed a 10-3 win over Bellefontaine on April 25 by edging Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan 6-5 on April 26.

15. Strasburg-Franklin (19-2)

Last week: No. 21

Winners of five in a row, the Tigers defeated Malvern 12-0 on April 26, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 5-2 on April 27 and Sugarcreek Garaway 11-2 on April 29.

16. LaGrange Keystone (19-1)

Last week: No. 9

The Wildcats defeated Sheffield Brookside 12-0 on April 26 and Oberlin 21-5 on April 27 but endured their first loss at the Prebis Memorial, falling to Amherst Steele 4-2 on April 29.

17. Brecksville-Broadview Heights (17-2)

Last week: No. 22

The Bees have continued their hot play following a pair of early-April losses, including beating North Royalton 8-0 on April 25 and Twinsburg 9-5 on April 26 and downing Columbia Station Columbia 8-0 and Youngstown Ursuline 11-1 on April 29 in the Prebis Memorial.

18. Lebanon (17-2)

Last week: Unranked

Riding a 14-game winning streak that includes a 4-3 win over Gahanna on April 23, the Warriors move into the rankings following a week in which they beat Cincinnati Glen Este 15-5 on April 25 and Centerville 4-0 on April 29.

19. Uniontown Green (12-1)

Last week: No. 22

20. Bowerston Conotton Valley (16-2)

Last week: No. 20

The Bulldogs earned a pair of close wins last week, defeating Uniontown Lake 4-3 on April 25 and Massillon Perry 4-2 on April 26.

21. Warren Champion (17-2)

Last week: No. 23

The Rockets’ only losses are to Strasburg-Franklin. They’ve won eight in a row since then, including beating Magnolia Sandy Valley 16-1 on April 27 and New Matamoras Frontier 10-0 on April 28.

22. Wooster Triway (14-3)

Last week: No. 13

The Titans got tripped up twice April 29 at the Prebis Memorial, falling 3-0 to Gahanna and 7-0 to Anthony Wayne. That followed a 2-1 win over Massillon Tuslaw on April 26.

23. Lancaster (14-4)

Last week: Unranked

The Golden Gales have won seven in a row, including defeating Teays Valley 8-0 on April 25, Groveport 12-1 on April 26 and Reynoldsburg 13-1 on April 27. While Teays Valley was ranked 18th a week ago, Lancaster returns to the rankings after not being ranked the last two weeks.

24. Miamisburg (15-3)

Last week: No. 23

The Vikings shutout Kettering Fairmont 10-0 on April 18 and beat the Firebirds 15-3 the next day to continue what has become a 12-game winning streak.

25. New Concord John Glenn (17-3)

Last week: No. 16

After beating Dresden Tri-Valley 9-0 on April 19, the Little Muskies lost 3-1 to New Lexington on April 20 before bouncing back with a 15-2 win April 24 over Warsaw River View.

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