16 standouts on the softball field: Where do Gardner-area teams stand?
Narragansett and Oakmont have set themselves apart as the top two Gardner-area softball teams, both within the cusp of a playoff appearance.
Monty Tech is still in the playoff mix, but a strong finish to the season is needed. Gardner, Quabbin and Murdock have gone through their ups and down this spring.
Here's where the area teams stand heading into the homestretch of the season.
Narragansett Regional
The Warriors are 6-5 and have won a handful of games by a large margin. They defeated Quabbin (13-5), Murdock (14-1) and Gardner (12-1) during a three-game winning streak. Most of their losses were hard-fought close ones too, like a 2-0 loss to West Boylston and 7-5 defeat against Tahanto.
Cassidy Paradis and Mia Manca are both impressive pitchers for Narragansett, both of whom can also hit. Gianna Manca contributes at the plate as well.
Narragansett will play both West Boylston and Maynard for the second time in the next two weeks with the chance to for redemption and to show how they have improved since the beginning of the season.
Oakmont
With a record of 6-6, Oakmont is in a solid spot at this point in the season. Even looking at the losses, the team still competed hard and lost some close games against Groton-Dunstable (8-7) and Tyngsborough (7-4).
Some of the Spartans' big wins include an 8-1 victory over Leominster, 15-7 against Quabbin and two wins over Westborough.
Jenn Busziewicz and Alison Hazel have been constants for Oakmont producing at the plate. Olivia Souers is another top hitter, as well as contributing from the circle.
Monty Tech
Monty Tech currently has a record of 5-9 and after a slow start to the season has gotten into a groove. The Bulldogs erupted the last two weeks of April with four consecutive wins against Notre Dame, Blackstone Valley, Narragansett and Greater Lowell.
Some of the key contributors this season are Maggie Pernaa, Bridget Divoll, Delanie Stuart and Holli Blood.
Gardner
Gardner softball is 3-8, earning those three wins at the end of April during a win streak. They defeated Maynard, Murdock and Quabbin but most recently suffered three losses to Narragansett, West Boylston and Quabbin.
Violet Walsh has been succeeding from the circle. In the Wildcats' 6-5 victory over Maynard, Walsh totaled 10 strikeouts. She also struck out 12 in a 11-4 win against Murdock.
Emma McNamara adds a big bat, as does Megan Minns.
More: Which of these 13 athletes stood out the most in the latest Gardner area games?
Quabbin
Quabbin has seen struggles this season. The team is 2-9, picking up its second win this week. Coming off a win could help propel them into the last few weeks of the season. The Panthers' first win came early in the season against Quaboag, 18-3, and the latest against Gardner, 17-8, after losing to them by just one last week.
Senior Meaghan Doyle had four runs in the win against Gardner. Teammates Hannah Baxter and Maggie Allen also help from the plate.
More: Oakmont's high power ranking & more: The latest from Gardner-area baseball
Murdock
The Blue Devils are struggling this season and have yet to get their first victory. At 0-8, they have faced tough competition. Murdock still has six games on the schedule to work toward a win, including a rematch against Gardner.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: What's going on with Gardner-area high school softball?
