Big Surprise in South Carolina

Texas powerhouses Melissa and Lake Creek went ahead and won their Class 5A state titles on the same field a couple of hours apart last week, but the most amazing state championship had to be what happened in the finals of the South Carolina AAAAA D1 bracket between previous national No. 5 Summerville and Byrnes, which has been on the list of teams between No. 50 and No. 70 for most of the season.

Summerville was not only looking to win its third straight state title, but the Green Wave had stretched its current win streak to 83 games with a 3-0 win to beat Byrnes in the first game of a three-game state championship series.

That game also was counted in last week’s Line Drive Softball Super 70 national rankings.

In the second game of the series, Summerville also got out to leads of 5-0 and 6-2. The Byrnes Rebels, however, would not throw in the towel. They rallied for a 9-8 victory, scoring the winning run on a bases loaded walk.

That result broke Summerville’s win streak at 83, but the Green Wave could have still won another state title.

That didn’t happen, either.

In the winner-take-all third game, it went to extra innings before Byrnes came out with a 5-4 win. The tying and winning runs scored on an error that had to be devastating for Summerville’s players and coaches. In the second game, Byrnes players Addy Waters, Maddie Wiant and Kaylee Hannon all hit homers.

ADDY WATERS JUST WALKED OFF THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

BYRNES WINS!! BYRNES WINS!!!! BYRNES WINS THE STATE TITLE

5-4 in 9 INNINGS OVER SUMMERVILLE!! pic.twitter.com/qnljy8T6Xh

— Greer Sports Star (@GreerSportsStar) May 31, 2025

Byrnes moved from the 50 to 70 list to No. 23 in this week’s rankings with Summerville right behind (dropping from No. 5). The highest ranked team from South Carolina the way our system works then became Catawba Ridge since the AAAAA D2 state champions have a head-to-head win over Byrnes.

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Melissa Makes It Happen in Texas

Melissa began the big night of state titles being decided in Austin last Friday with a 4-2 victory over Barbers Hill in the 5A D1 final. Both teams came into the contest within the top 10 of the Super 70 and played like it with a 0-0 tie into the sixth inning.

The Melissa Cardinals broke through on a RBI double by Kennedy Bradley, who later scored on a wild pitch.

Melissa, which during the playoffs set a national record for home runs in a season, had a 4-0 lead shrink to 4-2 in the seventh inning and Barbers Hill had the bases loaded with one out before Melissa pitcher Eloisa Mayes then notched a pair of strikeouts to clinch the win.

Despite Melissa having a loss during the Texas state playoffs and Lake Creek having none (that can happen since some rounds are best-of-three series), there didn’t seem to be that much debate after the night about which one should be first or second in state/national rankings.

The Lions also had no trouble at all in their Class 5A D2 state matchup with a 12-1 romp past Hallsville. Kansas State-bound Sara Wiggins pitched a two-hitter and struck out 11 batters for Lake Creek, which also won its third state title in four years.

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Norco Clinches Top Rating in Cali

The California season isn’t over, but the No. 1 ranking was clinched last Saturday when Norco topped El Modena of Orange, 3-0, to win the CIF Southern Section D1 championship. Head coach Rick Robinson also won his eighth CIF section title (one at a different school) and broke a tie with Los Alamitos’ Rob Weil (won his seventh the previous night in D2) for the most in that section’s history.

With Summerville losing, Norco also moved up to No. 5 in this week’s rankings.

The Cougars have opted out of this week’s CIF Northern & Southern Regional Championships, but their win over El Modena avenged a loss to the Vanguards in the title game of the Dave Kops TOC in Arizona.

Norco 3, El Modena 0 (final).

Coral Williams with 1-hitter and 9 Ks pic.twitter.com/yCSthgzs4e

— Eric-Paul Johnson (@CallMeEPJ) June 1, 2025

Sophomore Coral Williams – this week’s Line Drive National High School Player of the Week – had a one-hit shutout for Norco, which will have a shot to be preseason No. 1 in the nation to start the 2025-26 season.

— Mark Tennis of CalHiSports.com for Line Drive Softball

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(After games of Tuesday, June 3, 2025)
(Previous rank in parentheses)
* Indicates season complete.
** Forfeit wins, losses not included

1. (1) Melissa (Melissa, Texas) 38-1*
2. (2) Lake Creek (Montgomery, Texas) 37-0*
3. (3) Orange Beach (Orange Beach, Ala.) 47-2*
4. (4) Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.) 31-1*
5. (6) Norco (Norco, Calif.) 29-3
6. (7) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) 25-3**
7. (9) Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.) 31-1*
8. (10) Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.) 29-2
9. (14) Lincoln-Way Central (New Lenox, Ill.) 34-1
10. (16) Midway (Waco, Texas) 32-3*

Scroll down to see the rest of the Top 50 plus 20 more teams on the bubble…