It's Monday and you know what that means - Eric Rueb's newest softball power rankings

Normally for my softball and lacrosse power rankings, I try to have a unique intro with some sort of take for each so the reader isn’t getting the same recycled garbage.

Not going to happen this week – but it’s not my fault. A harsh reality hit this weekend, and that’s my weekends are no longer mine.

I try and write the power rankings Saturday evening or Sunday morning, depending on what my life schedule is like. This week, life kicked me in the teeth.

Thursday afternoon I covered tennis and happened upon East Providence’s Abigail Ellison . Friday morning I had to caddie and my boss wanted Ellison's feature for Sunday’s paper, so that meant I had to write that Friday evening. Done.

Saturday and Sunday were spoken for. My daughter had soccer and basketball games and with my wife working, I was dadUber.

I slept in a little Saturday – in pain from the first loop of the year – and then decided to go to shoot Bay View-Smithfield softball. Got home, picked up Kid 2 and drove to Deerfield Park for soccer, then ripped north to Foxboro for basketball. Had dinner, got home, edited photos, missed David Pastrnak’s overtime goal because I decided to take my glasses off after the third period and fell asleep.

Sunday morning I posted my softball photos, wrote recaps on Saturday’s games , then realized that Wellesley, Mass., is farther away from Foster than I thought. Got in the car and got to the game on time, then had to jump in the car for another soccer game at Deerfield. Met my wife and oldest daughter out for dinner after the game and now I’m here, writing, instead of watching the Tom Brady roast like the rest of New England.

It was the fastest weekend in recorded history.

Sure, I would have loved to play 18 holes on Saturday morning. I could have answered the sports media group chat request for a meetup at Murphy’s Saturday night. Probably would have had a story or two to tell.

But instead I put a casual 200 miles or so on my car, talked all sorts of nonsense to my kid on the commute, pummeled through an O.A.R. live album and watched four games in two sports in two states without a single regret.

It was awesome.

Should be back on schedule next week. I’m not looking forward to the 6:30 wakeup call for our 8 a.m. lax game in North Kingstown Saturday, but the Allie’s Donuts should make it a Saturday to remember.

Here’s the spot where I remind coaches to send in scores and stats. It’s the home team’s responsibility, but if you win on the road and you want your kids to get a little publicity, you can guarantee coverage by emailing in yourself – PJSports@ProvidenceJournal.com .

Now that that’s done, let’s get on to the rankings:

Providence Journal Softball Power Rankings – Division I

1. La Salle (11-0 Division I-B)

It was a rough week for the Rams, who gave up four runs in a win over Cranston West, a third of their total runs allowed from the entire month of April. So yeah, that’s as close to bad as it gets for La Salle. If the message about the Rams’ dominance hasn’t been sent, it can be this week as they host Coventry on Tuesday and travel to take on Prout Thursday before hosting Chariho Saturday.

2. Coventry (10-1 Division I-A)

If the Oakers were going to lose a game, it was going to happen like it did last Thursday against Pilgrim – offense goes cold, talented opponents put bat on ball at right time and defense makes a costly miscue. Coventry will learn from the loss and move on. Tuesday at La Salle is big proving ground for the Oakers, but they’ve also got to get the job done at home against St. Raphael Thursday and St. Raphael Saturday.

3. Pilgrim (8-4 Division I-B)

And here come the Patriots. No team made bigger waves in the state last week than Pilgrim, which walloped Cranston West, upset Coventry, took care of St. Raphael and is suddenly a team nobody wants to play. The Patriots want to continue to make noise and can do so Tuesday when it hosts Prout before finishing the week at Chariho Thursday with a home game against Smithfield Saturday.

4. Cranston West (7-4 Division I-A)

The Falcons were in a funk, having dropped four of its previous six and facing a tough Prout team on the road Saturday. They responded with a win that may have changed their season. Cranston West is battling for playoff positioning and can’t afford many more slumps. The Falcons host St. Raphael Tuesday night, play at East Greenwich Thursday and close league play this week Saturday with a home game against North Kingstown.

5. Prout (8-3 Division I-B)

All of a sudden, the best softball story of 2024 is in a tailspin. The Crusaders’ lost to La Salle last Sunday , but then followed it by dropping a game to a struggling Bay View team. They got back on track with a win over a tough Cumberland team, but Saturday’s loss to Cranston West was detrimental for playoff positioning. This week is a tough one, with Prout traveling to Warwick to play Pilgrim Tuesday and hosting undefeated La Salle Thursday.

STEWING : Cumberland (6-5 Division I-A), East Greenwich (6-5 Division I-A), Chariho (7-5 Division I-B).

Providence Journal Softball Power Rankings – Division II

1. Ponaganset (9-0 Division II)

The Chieftains did it two ways this week, with Chloe Barber pitching a gem in a shutout of West Warwick before the bats did the work putting up two touchdowns in a win over Middletown. Ponaganset is the most complete team in D-II, but this week will have a playoff feel with two tough teams – at Scituate on Monday and a home game against suddenly red-hot LNP.

2. Westerly (9-0 Division II)

Much like Ponaganset, the Bulldogs had to work for a win – grinding out a 4-3 victory over LNP – and cruised in another. Also like the Chieftains, Westerly has a big matchup coming this week. The Bulldogs open at home against Narragansett Monday, but Wednesday’s road game against Johnston will be the test they need as they prepare for their game with Ponaganset on May 16.

3. West Warwick (7-3 Division II)

Don’t count the Wizards out of the D-II race. Monday’s loss to Ponaganset hurt, but losing 2-0 to the Chieftains is a solid showing – and with a one-run loss to Westerly on the resume as well, shows West Warwick can play with those teams. This week is about taking care of business, which means not messing around when Woonsocket comes to town Monday or at Toll Gate Wednesday.

4. LNP (5-3 Division II)

Turns out all the team that nearly wasn’t just needed some time together to build chemistry . Nobody in D-II had a better week than the Wildcats, who put a scare into Westerly and then took down Johnston and Scituate, making them the hottest non-undefeated team in the division. LNP – that’s Lincoln/North Providence for the uninformed – will try to keep the hot streak going Tuesday in Lincoln against South Kingstown before traveling to paly Ponaganset Wednesday and Barrington Friday.

5. Johnston (6-2 Division II)

The Panthers followed their first loss with a great extra-innings win over Scituate last Monday, but the loss to LNP was a step back. Johnston has the pitching, has the confidence and now it just needs the consistency. The Panthers need to be on their game at BNS in Burrillville Monday and at home Wednesday against Westerly, but they can’t sleep on Woonsocket at home on Saturday either.

STEWING : Scituate (4-3 Division II)

Providence Journal Softball Power Rankings – Division III

1. Cranston East (9-0 Division III)

The Thunderbolts aren’t the favorite in D-III because they’re unbeatable; they’re the favorites because, with the style they play, its really hard to image them losing twice. Two wins last week kept their record spotless and one game this week – at Davies Thursday – gives them plenty of time to refine their defense and come up with new ways to make the offense more exciting than it already is.

2. Tiverton (5-3 Division III)

After closing the previous week with a loss vs. Cranston East, the Tigers weren’t at their best for the start of last week and took an unexpected L to Davies. That should serve as a wakeup call – and looks as much, after a blowout win over Exeter-West Greenwich – that Tiverton needs if it wants to get to a championship level. The Tigers will see defending D-III champ Mount St. Charles on the road Monday and at home Tuesday before closing the week at Rogers on Thursday.

3. Pawtucket (7-3 Division III)

You can’t really say Sholman isn’t locked in. Pawtucket is beating the teams its supposed to – and without much issue – but the losses to Cranston East and Tiverton have them firmly in this third spot. Sholman needs to stay sharp down the homestretch and one game this week – hosting Rogers Tuesday – will give it time to work on what it needs to challenge for the crown.

4. Davies (5-4 Division III)

The Patriots were a distance fourth or fifth most of the season, but showed some signs of closing the gap last week after a tough loss to Pawtucket and a win over Tiverton. Can that growth continue this week? Davies needs to stay on point Monday at Central and Thursday’s home game against Cranston East could be one that defines the season.

Providence Journal Division IV Softball Update

Central Falls, still undefeated. The Providence Co-Op – that’s Times2, Paul Cuffee, St. Patrick and Lincoln School – had a dramatic win over Classical and is looking like the team that could end up playing for the D-IV title.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: It's Monday and you know what that means - Eric Rueb's newest softball power rankings