TOP OF THE CROP

Softball 1: Keystone (7-0)

2: North Ridgeville (5-0) 3: Amherst (5-2) 4: Wellington (6-2) 5: Clearview (5-1) 6: Avon (6-1) 7: Brookside (4-2) 8: Elyria Catholic (3-1) 9: North Olmsted (3-3) 10: Elyria (0-3)

Watch List: Olmsted Falls (4-3), Avon Lake (2-5), Lorain

(2-2)

Crop Comments: It’s a safe bet that by the end of the 2021 softball season this Crop will look entirely different outside of a few mainstays. After the cancellation of the 2020spring sports season a lot has changed in the softball scene. … One thing that most definitely has not changed is the dominance of Keystone. The Wildcats are now just four wins away from becoming the first team in Ohio to win 1,000games. … The Southwestern Conference is going to be the most interesting area conference this season with several teams fighting for the top spot. Currently North Ridgeville holds the pole position defeating Amherst in an early season clash. … The Comets are still very good, even after two years off Lacey Reichert’s group has a chance to walk away as SWC Champs, they’ll just need to defeat the Rangers if they want to get that trophy back. … The rest of the SWC is up in the air. Early returns have Avon and North Olmsted impressing. North Olmsted has wins over Avon Lake and Berea-Midpark, while Avon has wins over Midview, the Titans and a close 2-0loss to Amherst. … In the Lorain County League things are shaping up as expected behind perennial favorite Keystone. Wellington, Brookside and Clearview all have impressed, but the Wildcats have already dispatched both the Dukes and Cardinals this season. The Clippers, led by impressive pitcher Lizzy Allen, have the next shot. … Elyria and its new head coach Meghan Bashak have had a rough start to the season as one of the area teams hit hardest by the pandemic cancellation. … Elyria Catholic sits at 3-1 on the season with a pair of wins over Bay in the Great Lakes Conference.