New Haven Register Top 10 Softball Poll (1st-place votes in parentheses)
	Team	Record	Pts.	LAST
1	Southington (4)	22-3	430	6
2	Foran (4)	25-2	408	4
3	Rockville (5)	22-2	405	2
4	Seymour (1)	25-1	321	5
5	Masuk (1)	21-5	295	NR
6	Rocky Hill	22-1	263	1
7	Amity	23-5	261	3
8	Waterford	24-2	225	9
9	Oxford (1)	21-3	214	NR
10	Maloney	21-2	174	7
Dropped Out: Coginchaug (8), Granby 10.
Other teams receiving votes: Westhill (1) (23-4), 163; Coginchaug (22-4), 110; Brookfield (21-4), 108; Torrington (21-4), 87; East Haven (16-8), 85; Granby (23-2), 80; Bristol Eastern (18-5), 78; Darien (22-4), 76; Law (19-4) and St. Joseph (18-6), 62; Griswold (20-5), 58; Cheshire (13-9), 57; Fitch (19-5), 49; Lauralton Hall (14-6), 37; Stonington (21-5), 33; Suffield (17-5), 24; Newtown (10-12) and Stamford (14-9), 18; Danbury (16-8) and Haddam-Killingworth (18-5), 16; Mercy (18-7), 14; Sacred Heart Academy (7-13), 12; Hand (7-13) and Norwalk (15-9), 10; Bristol Central (13-8), St. Bernard (15-10) and Wethersfield (18-4), 9; Bacon Academy (15-8), 8; Berlin (14-7), Fairfield Ludlowe (14-8) and Morgan (19-7), 7.
The following voted: Marc Allard, Norwich Bulletin; Scott Aresco, Maloney; Tony Calcagni, Mercy; Mike Cardillo, Connecticut Post; George DeMaio, WELI; Vickie Fulkerson, The Day of New London; Kathleen Hoag, Cheshire; Mike Madera, Elm City Newspapers; Suzy Miner, Hale-Ray; Theresa Napolitano, Lauralton Hall; Ken Pereiras, Seymour; Mike Pucci, New Haven Register; Lori Riley, Hartford Courant; Mike Suppe, Hersam-Acorn; Liz Sutman, Waterford; Peter Vander Veer, Hersam-Acorn; Jimmy Zanor, Shoreline Newspapers.
Poll compiled by: Mike Pucci

Here's how I voted for the Register's Top 10 Preseason Softball Poll.

The poll will be released later today on our website http://www.nhregister.com/.

In addition to the poll, there will be a feature story on Foran and Law, who are both expected to have outstanding seasons this year.

There will be a list of the Top 25 players to watch, Top 10 games to watch and Top 5 story lines to follow in 2013.

The preview section should be up on-line later on Monday and most of it should run in Tuesday's print editions, depending on space.


My ballot

1. Southington
2. Rockville
3. Foran
4. Amity
5. Masuk
6. Rocky Hill
7. Seymour
8. Bristol Eastern
9. Waterford
10. Oxford
11. Brookfield
12. Law
13. Torrington
14. Cheshire
15. East Haven

The 2012 New Haven Register All-State softball team was released this past Sunday.

The All-State MVP is Rocky Hill senior pitcher Megan Ruonavaara.

Read a feature story on her here.

View bios of the First-team selections here.

Second team, third team and honorable mentions can be found here.

Voters in the Register Top 10 softball poll had quite the dilemma when both Seymour and Foran, the teams that occupied the top two spots in the previous poll, lost in state tournament play last week.

At the conclusion of championship weekend, several teams emerged as candidates to finish No. 1, including Class L champion Rockville and Class M winner Rocky Hill. Class LL champion Amity was also in the mix.

Rockville defeated Foran in the championship game, while Rocky Hill knocked off the state’s lone unbeaten team, Seymour, in the semifinals.

But after all the ballots were tabulated, Rocky Hill landed at the top.

Read more here.

Here's the ballot I submitted for the final Register Top 10 Softball Poll of the season.

It was a tough call between Class L champion Rockville and Class M champion Rocky Hill. The two split their regular season games with Rockville winning 2-0 and Rocky Hill emerging with a 15-3 win. Rockville also lost to Bristol Central. Rocky Hill defeated Class LL finalist Southington during the regular season.

Some consideration had to go to Class LL champion Amity, but the Spartans lost to Class L finalist Foran three times. I just couldn't vote Amity ahead of Foran because of that reason.

In the end, I went with Rocky Hill. After seeing every major contender this season, I thought the Terriers were just a bit better than Rockville.


1. Rocky Hill
2. Rockville
3. Foran
4. Amity
5. Seymour
6. Southington
7. Westhill
8. Maloney
9. Coginchaug
10. Brookfield
11. Granby
12. Waterford
13. Darien
14. Masuk
15. Law

 STRATFORD — When Foran tied the game in the fifth inning, it appeared the top-seeded Lions had righted the ship after a somewhat disappointing start to the Class L state championship.

But Foran’s third error of the contest in the sixth inning allowed No. 3 Rockville to score the deciding run and deny the Lions their second straight title.

The Rams, led by junior pitcher Kaitlyn Lajoie, set the Lions down in order in the bottom of the seventh and hung on for a 3-2 victory before an estimated 1,200 Saturday at DeLuca Field.

Read more here.

ROCKY HILL WINS IN CLASS M

Senior pitcher Megan Ruonavaara allowed just five hits, struck out six and helped her cause with a three-run double to lead the fourth-seeded Rocky Hill softball team to a 6-0 victory over No. 3 Granby in the Class M state championship game Saturday at DeLuca Field in Stratford.

Ruonavaara was named the game’s most valuable player. It is the first state title for the Terriers (22-1).

Erin Weber had two hits, a run and an RBI for Rocky Hill, while teammates Emily Thompson and Katie Seaver each added two hits.

Sam Groskritz had two hits for the Bears (23-2). 

WEST HAVEN — With one out in the bottom of the 11th inning and Rocky Hill up by a run, Seymour reached on an infield error.

That didn’t seem to faze Terriers’ pitcher Megan Ruonavaara, who seemed to only get stronger the longer this Class M state softball semifinal contest lasted.

Fittingly, Ruonavaara recorded the final outs to send Rocky Hill to the championship game.

Ruonavaara snagged a line drive off the bat of Katie Petroski and then threw over to first for a game-ending double play as the Terriers emerged with a thrilling 1-0 victory over top-seeded, and previously undefeated Seymour Tuesday at Biondi Field. Seymour entered as the No. 1 team in the Register Poll.

Read more here.

Class LL
Friday
at DeLuca Field, Stratford 
No. 1 Southington vs. No. 6 Amity, 7 p.m.

Class L
Saturday
at DeLuca Field, Stratford
No. 1 Foran vs. No. 3 Rockville, 7 p.m.

Class M
Saturday
at DeLuca Field, Stratford
No. 3 Granby vs. No. 4 Rocky Hill, 3 p.m.

Class S
Friday
at West Haven
No. 2 Coginchaug vs. No. 20 St. Bernard, 7 p.m.

Here are some games worth checking out this week.

MONDAY

Rockville (11-0) at Rocky Hill (8-0), 7 p.m.: Two of the remaining unbeaten teams in the state square off in this Central Connecticut Conference contest.

No. 3 Foran (10-1) at No. 10 Amity (10-1), 4 p.m.: Foran won in extra innings in the teams' last contest. The rematch should be just as exciting.

TUESDAY

Naugatuck (7-4) at Bethel (8-2), 4 p.m.: Naugatuck should challenge the Wildcats and their hard-throwing senior pitcher Sen Evaristo.

WEDNESDAY

Stonington (8-1) at Griswold (9-2), 4 p.m.: Clash between two of the better teams in the Eastern Connecticut Conference. 

FRIDAY

Law (10-1) at Foran (10-1), 3:45 p.m.: Law won the first meeting by one run on April 18. The rematch could be just as close, and could decide the Southern Connecticut Conference Hammonasset Division title.

Sheehan (7-3) at Cheshire (7-4), 3:45 p.m.: Sheehan won at home in Wallingford 9-3 on April 18.

SATURDAY

Bethel (8-2) at Lauralton Hall (5-2), 3:30 p.m.: Rescheduled from earlier in the season due to rain.