Small schools load latest Lafayette area softball power rankings

LAFAYETTE — Risers, drop changes and a whirlwind of big wins have captivated another deep year for softball in the Lafayette Area.

And this season small school Class 1A and 2A programs have been getting the jump on 3A and 4A programs. Which teams rose and do any surprises await?

Find out which teams climbed on this edition of Lafayette area softball power rankings.

1. Harrison (17-3)

• A walk off home run by sophomore Ashley Dunk against Huntington North capped off another solid week Saturday for the Raiders who went 3-1 with victories over Roncalli, West Lafayette and a loss to Brownsburg.
• Senior catcher Ava Mobley continues to drive home runs with three RBI against Roncalli while senior Jadyn Ramer went 4-for-4 in the Raiders walkoff win over Huntington North.
• From the top of the order to the bottom, Harrison hasn't showed any weaknesses. It's one 10-run loss came against nationally ranked Lake Central on the road. The Raiders led by Mobley, Ramer, DePaul signee Chelsea Parker and Dunk have seven players batting above .300 with 45 plate appearances or more.
• Senior pitcher Rylan Gick is averaging 7.8 strikeouts per game with a 2.39 ERA in 17 appearances. Gick's change of speeds and choosing when to use her rise ball has kept teams off balance and chasing after pitches out of the strike zone.

2. Rossville (18-3) Class 1A

• Two wins over improved Lafayette Jeff plus run ruling Clinton Central and beating Delphi is an impressive line of work for the No. 3 ranked Class 1A program in the state by the Indiana High School Softball Coaches Association.
• Junior Virginia Tech commit Avery Layton has been close to unstoppable with a .452 batting average, 41 RBI and eight doubles but she's had plenty of help. Catcher Megan McDonald has hit five home runs with 23 RBI and a .345 batting average.
• Layton and freshman Allie Elliott might be the strongest 1-2 pitching combination in the Lafayette area. Both pitchers damage lineups. Layton tosses with greater velocity and utilizes a screwball that runs with elite spin towards right handed hitters. Elliott is elite when changing speeds and throws a rise ball. Both pitchers carry a combined 0.84 ERA with 234 strikeouts. Opposing teams are hitting .158 off Elliott and .100 off Layton.

3. North Newton (16-2) Class 2A

• North Newton has quietly risen to the challenge as one of the elite programs in the Lafayette area to watch. Wins over McCutcheon and Class 1A Sectional contender Tri-County plus the Spartans fell to 3A No. 7-ranked Boone Grove by two runs.
• Senior catcher and shortstop Summer Wynn is batting .523 with four home runs and 21 RBI while junior pitcher Sydney Rainsford is hitting .556 with 16 RBI. As a pitcher, Rainsford has allowed just three earned runs in 71.2 innings pitched and 177 strikeouts.

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4. Tri County (14-2) Class 1A

• An experienced defensive group led by senior Ariana Dominguez and junior Bella Dominguez has the Cavaliers in IHSAA Class 1A Sectional championship contention
• The elder Ariana is batting .473 with 32 RBI while the younger Bella has delivered at the top of the lineup with a .465 batting average while Grace Luck is hitting .568.
• Add sophomore pitcher Madilyn Nevitt into the picture (1.26 ERA, 98 strikeouts) and the Cavaliers have the potential to carry a long playoff stretch. But it'll have to get past Rossville in the first round of the IHSAA Class 1A Sectional playoffs.
• Tri-County owns key victories over Delphi, West Central and Rensselaer. The Cavaliers are the No. 5 ranked Class 1A team in Indiana.

5. McCutcheon (13-9, tied) Class 4A

• McCutcheon has a roster with 14 of 15 players comprised of underclassmen. Sophomore Kaidynn Peckinpaugh is batting .469 with a team high three home runs while junior Mallorie Beutel is hitting .466 with three home runs.
• McCutcheon has rotated through four different pitchers but has used Peckinpaugh. Peckinpaugh has logged 54.2 innings with 101 strikeouts and carries a 1.66 ERA.
• The Mavericks have earned wins against Delphi but falling to North Newton hurt the Mavericks stock.

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5. West Lafayette (14-7 tied) Class 3A

• This season and outlook might look a little bit differently for the Red Devils who have lost five games by three runs or less.
• While the outlook might seem a bit head-scratching, the Red Devils are still in position to make a deep sectional playoff run and likely face defending champion Western for a third time.
• West Lafayette senior shortstop Adrianne Tolen is batting .565 with 23 RBI while junior Bree Johnson carries a team-leading 27 RBI with a .431 batting average. Left handed sophomore outfielder and pitcher Izzy Ascarelli is batting .492. Playing consistent defense and coming up with big hits has been the differences in tight losses to McCutcheon (7-6), Western (4-3, 3-0), Tri-County (7-6) and Kankakee Valley (1-0).

Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@gannett.com , on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson .

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Small schools load latest Lafayette area softball power rankings