The Press-Telegram high school softball Top 10 rankings.

SOFTBALL TOP 10(Team records through Monday, March 23)

1. La Mirada (12-2): The Matadores went 2-0 last week, highlighted by a 5-0 victory against Valley Christian. Junior pitcher Alison Ortega had 12 strikeouts in her last outing. La Mirada will begin Gateway League play at home against Mayfair on Thursday.

Previous: 12. Los Alamitos (6-6): The Griffins picked up a 6-5 win over Huntington Beach last week. They will continue Sunset League play with games against Newport Harbor, Edison and Marina this week.

Previous: 2

3. Millikan (11-4): The Rams beat Lakewood 9-0 in a Moore League opener last week. Senior Addy Everett has a team-high 13 RBIs. Millikan’s home game against Long Beach Poly, which was postponed due to the heat index, has been rescheduled for March 31.

Previous: 3

4. Long Beach Poly (5-0): The Jackrabbits move up to No. 4 in the rankings after beating Compton 20-0 last week to remain undefeated. They have outscored their opponents by a 55-8 margin. Poly will play a quality nonleague game against a nationally ranked Fullerton team Friday.

Previous: 5

5. Downey (10-2): The Vikings move up to No. 5 after defeating Notre Dame Sherman Oaks 21-6 last week. They will begin Gateway League play against Gahr Thursday.

Previous: 6

6. St. Joseph (13-2): The Jesters drop to No. 6 after losing consecutive games to Paraclete and El Dorado last week. They bounced back with a 9-4 victory against Bishop Amat Monday.

Previous: 4

7. Gahr (7-5): The Gladiators beat Cerritos 10-0 last week. They will begin Gateway League play on the road against No. 5-ranked Downey Thursday. Sophomore Mylah Burrowes is hitting .412 with 17 RBIs and five home runs.

Previous: 7

8. Warren (9-5): The Bears went 3-1 last week in nonleague play with a local win over Norwalk.

Previous: 8

9. Valley Christian (5-4): The Defenders opened Olympic League play with a 7-3 victory against Heritage Christian Monday. Valley Christian beat Long Beach Wilson 10-2 on March 18. They lost to No. 1-ranked La Mirada 5-0 on March 19.

Previous: 10

10. Lakewood (6-10): The Lancers are on a two-game losing streak. They are 0-2 in the Moore League but will look to get back to .500 in league play with games against Cabrillo and Compton this week.

Previous: 9

Also considered: Paramount (6-4-1), Mayfair (5-5), Wilson (5-8), Norwalk (5-6-1), Artesia (4-4), Firebaugh (10-3), Cerritos (2-5).

Press-Telegram softball Top 10 rankings: La Mirada on top, St. Joseph surging