SAN BERNARDINO - When a player gets hot at this time of the season, it helps pick up a team as they get ready for the postseason.
And last week in California Community College Athletic Association softball play, there were players from some of the state's top teams picking up their teams.
Bakersfield College freshman second baseman Rylee Price had one of those weeks, as the Renegades make a push to appear in the State Championships at home.
Price was 10-for-13 on the week, with a double, three home runs, seven runs scored, and ten runs batted in to earn the California Community College Fastpitch Coaches Association player of the week.
Meanwhile, up north, pitcher Ashlee Toy is doing her best to keep Cosumnes River in the hunt in a competitive race down the stretch.
Toy, who is earning her second pitcher of the week honor, went 3-0 from the circle last week, starting with a win in a pitcher's duel. She was two outs away from a perfect game against Folsom Lake, settling for a one-hitter and a 2-1 win in a game where she struck out 10. She came back and pitched in both halves of a double header against San Joaquin Delta, opening with a two-hit 1-0 shutout, before winning game two 5-3.
Other notable performances:
Talia Nielsen (P), Bakersfield: The state leader in strikeouts had 21 Ks last week, allowing only two runs in three games, going 3-0 from the circle. In those three games, she limited opponents to only .180 batting average.
Riley Piattoni, Santiago Canyon: In two games last week, she was 4-for-6 with a double and stolen base, while leading the Hawks in hitting and have a .985 fielding percentage with eight double plays.
Allyson Amato, Palomar: She was 7-for-13 in four games, with two doubles, three RBI and a stolen base on offense, while contributing 12 assists (including part of three double plays), three putouts and an errorless week from third base.
Adriana Gonzalez (P), Folsom Lake: Last week she had wins over Merced, Fresno City and Diablo Valley, pitching 23 combined innings, with 23 strikeouts, and giving up only two runs in five games.
Sofia Gonzalez (P), San Bernardino Valley: Appeared in the circle in all five of the Wolverines' games, picking up two shutout victories and striking out 16 in 23 innings pitched.
Levi Luna, San Bernardino Valley: In a doubleheader against Chaffey, she was 2-for-6 with two home runs and seven runs batted in as the Wolverines earned a split against the first-place Panthers.
Mary Baccay, Cosumnes River: Helped the Hawks to three close wins from the plate. Was 1-for-3 with an RBI in a 2-1 win over Folsom Lake, then sacrificed the runner into scoring position in a 1-0 win over San Joaquin Delta in the first game of a doubleheader, then was 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI in a 5-3 win in the second game.
Casey Dufrene, Fullerton: She was 7-for-11 with five runs batted in for the Hornets.
(Bill Norris, 3CFCA)