Shore Sports Insider 2026 Week 6 Softball Top 10

Shore Sports Insider Softball Week 6 Top 10 Rankings

*Samantha Mayer contributed to this post*

 

1. St. John Vianney (16-0) Last Week 1: – St. John Vianney remains one of two undefeated teams in the Shore Conference, continuing to dominate nearly every opponent it has faced. The Lancers’ closest contest against a Shore Conference opponent came on opening day, a 5-0 victory over Middletown South.

SJV went 4-0 this past week, highlighted by key division wins over No. 6 Colts Neck and No. 5 Red Bank Catholic. With a 9-0 mark in division play, the Lancers have already secured the American Division title. Their final division game—and only scheduled matchup next week—comes against No. 3 Marlboro.

St. John Vianney also added non-conference victories over Allentown (10-4) and St. Thomas Aquinas to close out the week. Sophomore Olivia Lombardi had a standout stretch, hitting a home run in three consecutive games.

 

 

2. Donovan Catholic (17-0) Last Week: 2 – Donovan Catholic remains one of two undefeated teams in the Shore Conference, posting a 3-0 record this past week. The Griffins opened with victories over Point Boro and Southern, completing a perfect 10-0 run through the Freedom Division.

Donovan capped the week with an 8-5 win over Morris Catholic at Seton Hall. Junior Gylian Hixenbaugh delivered a standout performance in the circle, striking out 10 while allowing just one earned run. At the plate, Caroline Kopp led the offense with three RBI and two doubles.

With division play complete, Donovan now turns its focus toward the Shore Conference Tournament and the South Jersey Non-Public A tournament. The Griffins travel to Wall on Wednesday and host No. 5 Red Bank Catholic on Friday. Their previously postponed matchup against No. 3 Marlboro has been rescheduled for Saturday.

 

3. Marlboro (11-3) Last Week: 3 – Marlboro extended its winning streak to five games and currently sits in second place in the American Division with a 6-3 record.

Senior Emily Gaudio delivered an outstanding week, going 5-for-6 across two games, including driving in the game-winning run in extra innings against Red Bank Catholic on Tuesday. She also struck out 12 batters in that game to earn her eighth win of the season, and added a ninth victory with four innings of work against Middletown North. Junior Isabella Wuelfing provided strong relief in that matchup, striking out three batters. Wuelfing, who leads the team with a .488 batting average, also contributed offensively with her second home run of the season.

Marlboro faces a challenging week ahead, beginning with a key division matchup against No. 1 St. John Vianney on Monday to close out its division schedule. The Mustangs will then take on Mount St. Dominic in a non-conference game at Seton Hall on Thursday. Mount St. Dominic was previously ranked No. 3 in New Jersey before a loss to Steinert last week. Marlboro’s postponed game against No. 2 Donovan Catholic has been rescheduled for Saturday.

 

4. Middletown South (10-4) Last Week: 4 – Middletown South rebounded from back-to-back losses with consecutive victories over Middletown North and St. Mary (Rutherford).

Junior Riley Smith delivered a dominant performance in the circle, striking out 14 batters in a 2-0 win over St. Mary’s to bring her season total to 120 strikeouts. Sophomore Jordan Cowell provided key offensive production, driving in five runs across the two games, including both runs in the victory over St. Mary’s.

The Eagles travel to No. 6 Colts Neck on Monday for their final division matchup and currently sit tied with Marlboro at 6-3 in division play. They will then face Howell on Tuesday in a non-divisional game before taking on DePaul in a non-conference matchup on Saturday.

 

5. Red Bank Catholic (8-7) Last Week: 5 – Red Bank Catholic’s up-and-down season continued this past week, as the Caseys dropped their first two games before rebounding with a strong finish.

RBC opened the week with a 10-inning loss to No. 3 Marlboro. MacKenna Savage delivered a clutch, game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Caseys were unable to capitalize late. Savage also turned in a dominant performance in the circle, striking out 15 batters and surpassing the 200 career strikeout milestone.

After a loss to Steinert on Saturday, RBC bounced back with a 10-5 victory over Immaculate Heart on Sunday at Ivy Hill Park. Jayden Kane and Vivian Rudolph each drove in two runs to lead the offensive effort.

The Caseys face a busy week ahead, hosting No. 10 Raritan on Tuesday and St. Rose on Wednesday before traveling to No. 2 Donovan Catholic on Friday. RBC will close out its regular season schedule against Mount St. Dominic.

 

6. Colts Neck (5-8) Last Week: 6 –

Colts Neck played just one game this past week, facing No. 1 St. John Vianney on Tuesday. Their scheduled non-conference matchup against Southern on Thursday was postponed due to rain.

The Cougars will host No. 4 Middletown South in their final division game before shifting focus toward the Shore Conference Tournament. They are set to face Howell on Wednesday and Wall on Friday in non-divisional matchups as they prepare for postseason play.

Colts Neck will look to generate more consistency at the plate in these games as it aims to return to the SCT final for the second consecutive season.

 

7. Barnegat (14-1) Last Week: 7 –

Barnegat suffered its first loss of the season in the Ocean County Tournament semifinal on Saturday, falling to Southern, 4-0, after surrendering early runs. The Bengals avoid dropping to an otherwise perfect record and two wins over a surging Toms River East team that is now one spot behind them.

The Bengals had previously clinched the Independence Division title with a dominant 10-0 victory over Brick Memorial on Wednesday. In that game, junior Gianna Gomez delivered a historic performance, recording all 18 outs via strikeout while allowing just one walk. She continues to lead the state with 214 strikeouts this season.

Barnegat will play three non-divisional games next week, hosting Toms River North on Monday and Wall on Wednesday before traveling to No. 10 Raritan on Thursday. The stretch will serve as a strong test as the Bengals prepare for the Shore Conference and sectional tournaments.

 

8. Toms River East (12-3) Last Week: 10 – Toms River East extended its winning streak to eight games with a 4-0 week, highlighted by a key 8-5 victory over Jackson in the Ocean County Tournament semifinal.

The Raiders scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to secure the win and advance to their second OCT final in three years. Sophomore Maya Ballaccomo delivered a standout performance, going 5-for-5 with three doubles. She currently leads the team with a .500 batting average and has driven in 10 runs this season.

Toms River East travels to Central on Monday and hosts Lacey on Tuesday in non-divisional matchups. The Raiders will then face Southern in the Ocean County Tournament championship game on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Adventure Sports Complex in Jackson.

 

9. Holmdel (11-2) Last Week: 8 – Holmdel was upset on Friday, falling to Point Beach, 5-4. The Hornets now have two losses to unranked teams causing them to drop in the rankings. Holmdel opened the week with two decisive victories, defeating Colonia 8-0 in a non-conference matchup and Matawan 13-2 to improve to 8-1 in the Colonial Division.

The Hornets’ opportunity to clinch the division title was postponed due to rain on Thursday, but they will have another chance on Monday when they travel to Freehold Township. A win would secure the title outright, while a loss could result in a shared championship with No. 10 Raritan.

The Hornets now face a busy week, traveling to Ocean on Tuesday and Freehold Boro on Thursday before closing out the regular season against Brick Memorial on Friday.

 

10. Raritan (11-4) Last Week: 9 – After a loss to Colts Neck more than a week ago, Raritan has responded with three consecutive victories to improve to 6-2 in the Colonial Division. The Rockets dropped in large part due to Holmdel, a team they lost to twice, falling to Point Beach.

The Rockets held off Howell to remain within one game of Holmdel in the division race. Junior Holly Bellofatto continued her strong season in that game, hitting her sixth home run while maintaining an impressive .543 batting average.

Raritan will look to close out its division schedule with games at Matawan on Monday and at home against Wall on Saturday. To earn a share of the division title, the Rockets must win both contests and receive help from Freehold Township in its matchup with Holmdel.

The week also features key tests against ranked opponents, as Raritan travels to No. 5 Red Bank Catholic on Tuesday and hosts No. 7 Barnegat on Thursday in preparation for postseason play.

 

Bubble:

Ocean (9-3)

Southern (8-6)

Middletown North (6-11)