April 16, 2025

The Hughson High softball team started this season at a frenetic pace, with eight games jam-packed into just eight days.

The Huskies struggled – winning three times against four losses and a tie – but have used a potent offense and improved pitching to win nine of their past 12 games and move into second place in the Trans-Valley League. Hughson is 6-2 in TVL play and 12-7-1 overall after Tuesday’s disappointing 3-2 loss at Hilmar.

“We figured out our lineup and put people in better spots,” said Chase Moorehead, who coaches Hughson along with Katie Quinn. “We have a solid one through nine. We put the ball in play. Not everyone has that, and that makes the (opponent’s) defense play at the top level all the time. They don’t have one break against us.”

There is no doubt the Huskies can swing the bat. They average more than seven runs a game, relying on an impressive first six hitters to set the tone offensively.

· Senior right fielder and four-year starter Grace Leedom leads off. She’s hitting .422 and has scored 18 runs.

· Junior center fielder Presley Wells is next. She has a team-high .448 average, 25 runs scored and 18 stolen bases. “She’s super athletic,” Moorehead said.

· Freshman Emma Carne – who rotates between third base, left field and pitching – bats third. She has a .422 average with seven doubles and 21 runs batted in. “Being a freshman has not bothered her at all,” Moorehead said.

· Senior first baseman Allison Moring – another four-year starter – hits cleanup. She has a .359 average with 19 RBIs.

· Sophomore Kylie Tangney (team-leading two home runs, 10 RBIs) and steady four-year starter Summer Leshko (10 RBIs) round out the top six hitters.

The Huskies also have been impressive lately when it comes to pitching.

Tangney is sixth in the entire Sac-Joaquin Section – which has nearly 200 schools – with her 137 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings. She has a 7-1 record and 1.39 earned run average. Carne is 3-1 with 46 strikeouts in 44.1 innings and often closes games for Hughson.

“Kylie throws very hard and has a lot of sharp break to her pitches,” Moorehead said. “Emma, for a freshman, has an arsenal of pitches. She can touch the corners.”

Hughson made the Division 5 playoffs last year before falling 2-0 to Calaveras in the first round. The Huskies have higher ambitions this season and are positioned for a high seed with just two TVL games remaining.

They will play a non-league game at Gregori of Modesto today before a nearly two-week gap of no games because of spring break. Then comes a showdown with first-place Ripon (5-1, 8-7) on April 29 for the TVL title. The Huskies wind up the regular season May 6 at Sonora (0-4, 4-13).

It’s the game against Ripon that Hughson’s players have circled on their calendars. When the two teams met in Ripon on March 27, the Indians walked away with a 4-3 victory in eight innings.

“That’s our big game,” Moorehead said.

With both schools likely headed to the Division 5 playoffs, the outcome likely will have a strong bearing on postseason seeding. Today, Hughson is ranked seventh in the Section power rankings and Ripon is eighth.