What we learned, takeaways from this past week in high school baseball and softball

CHILLICOTHE − Another week down, and another set of shakeups in the baseball and softball worlds.

The races for the top of the Scioto Valley Conference continue to tighten, even as Zane Trace and Unioto each sit undefeated atop the baseball and softball standings, respectively. Chillicothe softball is rebounding and closing in on a potential return to an even record. Westfall is in a groove of its own.

Another week brings plenty of developments from around the area. Here are four takeaways, including ones you might have missed, from area baseball and softball teams over the past week.

Scioto Valley Conference Softball:Unioto softball overruns Adena, takes control of first place in Scioto Valley Conference

VOTE:Cast your vote now for the April 7-13 Chillicothe Gazette Athletes of the Week

A milestone for Ron Allen

Zane Trace is fresh off a shutout win over Westfall on Monday night, and coach Ron Allen was able to celebrate a personal milestone in that game. Allen earned his 500th career win as a coach, reinforcing himself as one of the winningest coaches in the state.

Of course, it's more than likely a coincidence that the Pioneers won by a 5-0 margin for Allen's 500th win. But who's truly to say. Either way, Allen's milestone comes in the midst of a dominant stretch for the Pioneers. They're 5-0 in Scioto Valley Conference play, two games ahead of any other team in the standings. The win over the Mustangs, aside from being a point of celebration, also grants the Pioneers further separation.

Huntington and Unioto building up

Although the Shermans and Huntsmen are both carrying a pair of conference losses, both are building back up after their respective losses to the Pioneers. The Huntsmen, for instance, have gone on a four-game win streak to blow off steam. In that span, they've outscored opponents 39-2. Braylon Leach has also stood out in his last two games, having put up five hits, scored three times and batted in a pair.

Unioto hasn't slouched either. Ashton Crace just threw a no-hitter against Adena on Monday, and Dylan Grubbs had his own time in the spotlight after a strong performance on both sides of the ball against a 6-3 Jackson squad on Saturday.

Is Chillicothe softball breaking out?

The Cavaliers, after a slow start to the year, seem to have hit a stride through their mid-April schedule. They've won four of their last five games, with the only interruption through that span being a 10-6 loss to Miami Trace last Wednesday. Not to mention the offense having hit double figures in three of those wins. The only exception was its 8-5 win over Huntington on April 6.

As of Tuesday morning, the Cavaliers are sitting just one game below .500 both in the Frontier Athletic Conference and overall on the year. Their winning ways are guaranteed to last, but the past five games are solid indication that the Cavaliers are moving in the right direction.

Westfall softball making a climb

One of the quickest about faces in the area has been Westfall's quick ascent up the standings over the past week and change. Since the start of conference play, Westfall has recovered from an 0-3 overall start and jumped to third in the SVC standings. Now, it sits at 3-5 overall with a 3-1 SVC record − its only conference loss came against Adena on April 1.

When lined up against SVC opponents, the Mustangs have been cleaning house. Adrina Hicks has struck out 25 in her last three games against SVC opponents. 13 of the Mustangs' runs in those three SVC wins were batted in by Sydney Fuller, who hit two home runs and a double in their most recent win over Zane Trace.

The results don't lie − the Mustangs are in a groove. While it's contained to within the conference at this point, they've had brushes with small-scale successes. They did only lose to a tough Sheridan team by three runs last Saturday, and their rematch with Logan Elm that same day saw the offense drop nine runs despite the loss.