GMC Softball: Top 10, schedule, rankings

GMC SOFTBALL TOP 10

1. South Plainfield (8-0) - Last week No. 2: South Plainfield has opened the season on a roll, winning eight straight games and outscoring opponents 57-5 in that span. Senior pitcher Katherine Vill has been an ace on the mound, allowing six runs on 25 hits and striking out 59 in 51 innings pitched. Jillian Holoboski leads the team with 12 hits and 11 RBI, while Caity Hughes has accumulated 11 hits and nine RBI with six stolen bases.

2. South Brunswick (6-0) - Last week No. 3: South Brunswick has gone 3-0 in its last three games, outscoring opponents 38-11 with wins over East Brunswick, Piscataway and Immaculata. Gabriella Brancaccio has allowed 12 runs in 31 innings with 21 strikeouts.

3. J.P. Stevens (4-1) - Last week No. 1: J.P. Stevens started the season 4-0 before falling to Monroe 7-6 on April 12. The Hawks will look to get back on track with a big game against South Brunswick on Wednesday before facing Edison on Friday.

4. Sayreville (6-1) - Last week No. 5: Sayreville lost its first game of the season with a 4-3 loss to Old Bridge on April 13, but bounced back with a 6-2 win over Bishop Ahr and a 12-7 victory over J.F. Kennedy. Pitcher Kelly Duffy has recorded 46 strikeouts in 40 innings and is currently 5-1.

5. Old Bridge (5-2) - Last week No. 8: Old Bridge started the season 2-2 before picking up back-to-back 4-3 wins over Bishop Ahr and Sayreville last week. The Knights won their third in a row with a win over Edison on Monday. Meaghan Dowdell has 54 strikeouts in 49 innings.

6. Bishop Ahr (4-3) - Last Week No. 4: Bishop Ahr started the season with wins over Colonia and J.F. Kennedy, but endured back-to-back losses to South Plainfield and Old Bridge before rebounding with a 5-4 win over North Brunswick. The Argonauts then lost to Sayreville before a 12-2 victory over Woodbridge. They'll face Perth Amboy and Colonia in their next two games.

7. Carteret (8-1) - Last ween No. 7: Carteret started off 7-0 before falling to Colonia 4-2 on Saturday, but bounced back with a win over Mother Seton. Caitlyn Murray has 40 strikeouts in 48 innings, and has also mustered 15 hits and 19 RBI in 26 at-bats with four stolen bases so far this season.

8. Monroe (3-4) - Last week No. 6: Monroe endured an 0-3 start to the season before beating Edison 15-0. The Falcons then fell to Notre Dame before rebounding with two straight wins over J.P. Stevens and East Brunswick. Monroe will face West Windsor-Plainsboro South on Tuesday before facing Old Bridge, Piscataway and South Plainfield later this week.

9. South River (5-1) - Last week NA: South River has won its last four games after starting the season 1-1. In its five wins the Rams have outscored their opponents 61-7. Mackenzie Garrick is 5-1 and has given up 13 runs in 34 innings with 75 strikeouts. She also leads the team with 14 hits, 10 RBI and five stolen bases.

10. Piscataway (1-3) - Last week No. 9: Piscataway has had a tough schedule so far this season, with losses against Old Bridge, Blair and South Brunswick. The Chiefs will look to get back on track with games against East Brunswick and Monroe this week.

Dropped out: East Brunswick 1-5. 

Records through Monday, April 17. Staff Writer Lauren Knego: lknego@gannettnj.com; on Twitter: @laurenknego

RANKINGS

Following are the updated Greater Middlesex Conference division standings and overall records for softball.

GMC WHITE

South Plainfield (6-0) 8-0

Sayreville (6-0) 6-1

Bishop Ahr (4-2) 4-3

Colonia (3-4) 5-6

J.F. Kennedy (3-4) 4-6

Woodbridge (2-4) 3-7

North Brunswick (1-6) 1-7

Perth Amboy (0-5) 0-5

GMC RED

South Brunswick (4-0) 6-0

Monroe (3-1) 3-4

J.P. Stevens (2-1) 4-1

Old Bridge (2-1) 4-2

Piscataway (1-2) 1-3

East Brunswick (1-4) 1-5

Edison (0-4) 1-6

GMC GOLD

South River (5-0) 5-1

East Brunswick Tech (4-1) 4-1

Perth Amboy Tech (3-1) 4-1

South Amboy (3-2) 3-3

Highland Park (2-2) 2-2

Timothy Christian (1-3) 1-3

Woodbridge Academy (1-3) 1-3

Wardlaw-Hartridge (1-3) 1-3

Piscataway Tech (0-5) 0-6

GMC BLUE

Carteret (6-0) 7-1

Metuchen (3-1) 4-2

Spotswood (3-2) 4-4

Dunellen (2-2) 3-3

Middlesex (2-2) 4-4

Mother Seton (1-4) 1-4

New Brunswick (0-6) 0-6

SCHEDULE FOR APRIL 17-22

MONDAY, APRIL 17

Carteret at Mother Seton, 11 a.m.

Colonia at South Plainfield, 11 a.m.

Woodbridge at Bishop Ahr, 11 a.m.

Perth Amboy at North Brunswick, 3:45 p.m.

Dunellen at Metuchen, 4 p.m.

East Brunswick Tech at South Amboy, 4 p.m.

J.F. Kennedy at Sayreville, 4 p.m.

Middlesex at Spotswood, 4 p.m.

Old Bridge at Edison, 4 p.m.

South River at Timothy Christian, 4 p.m.

Woodbridge Academy at Wardlaw-Hartridge, 4 p.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 18

Carteret at J.F. Kennedy, 11 a.m.

East Brunswick Tech at Somerset Tech, 4 p.m.

Spotswood at Sayreville, 4 p.m.

West Windsor-Plainsboro South at Monroe, 4 p.m.

Woodbridge Academy at Wardlaw-Hartridge, 4 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19

Bishop Ahr at Perth Amboy, 10:30 a.m.

J.F. Kennedy at Woodbridge, 11 a.m.

J.P. Stevens at South Brunswick, 3:45 p.m.

Old Bridge at Monroe, 3:45 p.m.

Metuchen at Carteret, 4 p.m.

New Brunswick at Mother Seton, 4 p.m.

North Brunswick at Colonia, 4 p.m.

Perth Amboy Tech at Woodbridge Academy, 4 p.m.

Piscataway at East Brunswick, 4 p.m.

Piscataway Tech at East Brunswick Tech, 4 p.m.

Sayreville at South Plainfield, 4 p.m.

South Amboy at Highland Park, 4 p.m.

Spotswood at Dunellen, 4 p.m.

Wardlaw-Hartridge at South River, 4:15 p.m.

THURSDAY, APRIL 20

Elizabeth at Middlesex, 11 a.m.

New Brunswick at Piscataway Tech, 3:45 p.m.

Old Bridge at Colonia, 4 p.m.

Timothy Christian at Wardlaw-Hartridge, 4 p.m.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

Bishop Ahr at Colonia, 11 a.m.

North Brunswick at South Plainfield, 3:45 p.m.

South Brunswick at Old Bridge, 3:45 p.m.

Carteret at Spotswood, 4 p.m.

Edison at J.P. Stevens, 4 p.m.

J.F. Kennedy at Perth Amboy, 4 p.m.

Middlesex at New Brunswick, 4 p.m.

Mother Seton at Metuchen, 4 p.m.

Perth Amboy Tech at East Brunswick Tech, 4 p.m.

Piscataway at Monroe, 4 p.m.

Sayreville at Woodbridge, 4 p.m.

South Amboy at Piscataway Tech, 4 p.m.

Timothy Christian at Woodbridge Academy, 4 p.m.

Wardlaw-Hartridge at Highland Park, 4:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

East Brunswick at J.F. Kennedy, 10 a.m.

Edison at Ocean Twp., 10 a.m.

Bishop Ahr vs. Bayonne at Carteret Civic Center, 11 a.m.

Bound Brook at Middlesex, 11 a.m.

Monroe at South Plainfield, 11 a.m.

Piscataway Tech at Perth Amboy Tech, 11 a.m.

St. Dominic at Carteret, 11 a.m.

Spotswood vs. Bishop Ahr at Carteret Civic Center, 1 p.m.

Woodbridge at St. Dominic, 1 p.m.