Title chases about to kick off: South Shore top 10 high school softball rankings

When the MIAA released its latest power rankings Tuesday morning, there were 23 South Shore softball teams in playoff positions and four others that were still within reach of qualifying as the regular season winds down.

Four of those teams were in the top 10 in their respective divisions with Silver Lake (No. 3 seed in Division 2) being the highest ranked.

Last season, Middleboro (Division 3) was the only local state champ, thanks to a 15-3 win over Norton in the final . Archbishop Williams narrowly missed out on its own title shot as the Bishops were denied in the Division 4 semifinals by eventual champ Joseph Case.

Here's our second Top 10 high school softball ranking of the season. If you want a refresher, this was our first ranking.

Records as of Wednesday morning and last year's final ranking are in parenthesis. We've also included each team's MIAA power ranking as of Tuesday morning.

On the bubble: Hingham (11-7), Marshfield (11-5), Hanover (10-8), Oliver Ames (10-8), Norwell (10-5), East Bridgewater (9-9), Fontbonne Academy (10-7), Cohasset (8-7), Plymouth North (8-11), South Shore Tech (11-6)

10. Notre Dame Academy (10-6, bubble)

It was a tough call pulling one of the many contenders from the pool of bubble teams to kick off our top 10. We'll go with the Cougars, mostly on the basis of their recent win over town rival Hingham, which in turn swept both regular-season meetings with Marshfield. (And, yes, this isn't an exact science since Hanover just beat NDA.) Pitcher Shannon MacLeod continues to impress for Notre Dame. MIAA power ranking: No. 18 in Division 2

9. Pembroke (12-7, bubble)

The Titans have lost dropped four of their last six games, although they've been outscored by a grand total of five runs in those losses. Senior pitcher Kelly McGee has picked up where she left off last season when she was an All-Scholastic. Senior outfielder Ava Dunphy's take on McGee: "She's essential. She's our backbone." The Titans finish the regular season Thursday at Plymouth South. MIAA power ranking: No. 17 in Division 3

8. Braintree (9-9, 9)

Don't let the .500 record fool you; the Wamps are a strong team. Their opponents' rating, which calculates strength of schedule in the MIAA power-ranking formula, is 3.20 – the highest of any team in our Top 10. Braintree closes out the regular season with two more tough games – at Milton on Wednesday and home against Archbishop Williams on Friday. They lost the first meeting with both of them. MIAA power ranking: No. 18 in Division 1

7. Middleboro (13-3, 8)

The Sachems' only losses have come against Dighton-Rehoboth (16-3 record, ranked No. 1 in Division 3), Abington (18-1, No. 8 in Division 4) and Bishop Feehan (9-9, No. 11 in Division 1). So you might want to avoid the defending Division 3 state champs in the playoffs, if possible. Middleboro wraps up the regular season Friday with a rematch against D-R on the road. MIAA power ranking: No. 14 in Division 2

6. Bridgewater-Raynham (11-5, 4)

The Trojans have emerged from a mini slump (a 2-4 record between April 17 and May 2) to win six straight, a streak that kicked off with a pair of quality wins over fellow Top 10 team Braintree, by scores of 6-2 and 11-6. B-R has one of the busiest closing schedules of any South Shore team with four regular-season games left, starting with Wednesday's trip to Brockton. MIAA power ranking: No. 14 in Division 1

5. Plymouth South (15-2, 6)

The Panthers have posted double-digit wins for four straight seasons, but this version appears to be their best. Freshman pitcher Kaylee Gendron has been terrific; it helps that she's throwing to four-year starter Lauren Trostel, one of the best catchers in the area. South's only losses have come to Silver Lake and Marshfield, and they'll take a five-game win streak into Thursday's regular-season finale against Pembroke. MIAA power ranking: No. 11 in Division 2

More: Racing to the top: Plymouth South softball has found its next ace in this freshman

4. Archbishop Williams (13-4, 2)

The Bishops' 11-6 victory over Arlington Catholic last week clinched their first Catholic Central League championship since 2006. Alyssa Burke led the way in that one, going 4-for-5 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Archies had a little wobble recently, losing three straight to St. Mary's, Bishop Fenwick and King Philip (by a combined total of 6 runs), but five straight wins have gotten them back on track. MIAA power ranking: No. 6 in Division 3

More: Ondrick, Archbishop Williams softball off to flying start after first Final Four in 2023

3. Milton (15-2, 5)

The Wildcats are a fine example of how a program's progress isn't always linear. Milton had a breakthrough 13-7 campaign in 2022, then took a step backwards last spring, finishing under .500. Now the 'Cats are back, having lost only twice – to fellow Bay State Conference powerhouses Needham (11-6 record) and Walpole (16-1 record). Loaded with seniors, Milton appears primed for a deep playoff run. MIAA power ranking: No. 5 in Division 2

More: 'We're good': After rocky 2023 campaign, Milton softball has been unbeatable this spring

2. Abington (18-1, 1)

The Green Wave are more like a 1B than a true 2 on this list, having won six in a row since their only loss – a 3-1 setback against Notre Dame Academy on May 4. They avenged that defeat six days later, winning 1-0 behind yet another pitching gem from sophomore standout Elsie Testa , who just this week threw her first career no-hitter in a walk-off win over fellow Top 10er Pembroke. MIAA power ranking: No. 8 in Division 4

1. Silver Lake (15-2, 3)

Concerns about the Lakers' hitting , which appeared valid early in the season, have evaporated. They've won 12 straight since getting no-hit by Lincoln-Sudbury on April 17 – a game that featured a malfunctioning sprinkler in the pitching circle . During their win streak, coach Tony Pina's team has outscored opponents by an incredible count of 130-6. The Patriot League Keenan Division champs have thrown nine shutouts during the run and have quality wins over Hanover, Hingham, Marshfield, Pembroke and Plymouth South. MIAA power ranking: No. 3 in Division 2

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Title chases about to kick off: South Shore top 10 high school softball rankings