SOFTBALL RANKINGS

For you youngsters, "Rainy Days and Mondays" was a song by the Carpenters about 30 years ago. Loved the Carpenters back in my youth. Still think it's terrible that the music world lost Karen Carpenter to anorexia.

I may have my share of issues, but anorexia is not one of them.

In fact, Groller's Corner readers will never guess where I spent a portion of my Sunday night.

At a dinner in Emerald honoring the Northern Lehigh boys basketball team.

That's right and I lived to tell about it. Actually, the basketball group is a very nice bunch and I enjoyed meeting them. Good kids, too.

As I said during my speech, no one likes the venom spewed via e-mails and message boards and blogs, and while Northern Lehigh softball people have been as tough on me as any group in my career, I will say one thing -- at least they care.

In so many places, the only people who care are the parents of that particular sport. The soccer people care only about soccer, the swimmers only care about swimming, the lacrosse families only care about lacrosse and so on.

But at Northern Lehigh, there is still a sense of community there and everybody seems to care about the entire school.

No, I am not ready to move up there and have some of those folks as neighbors, but I do respect the fact that they care and remain passionate about their sports.

Now on to the league softball rankings, and may I say again how crazy this has been this year.

Can't anyone emerge as a true frontrunner?

Please send along any corrections to keith.groller@mcall.com if I have the wrong records:

LEHIGH VALLEY CONFERENCE

1. Liberty (9-2, 7-0)...I will cut the Hurricanes some slack for what happened Saturday. They just played and beat Parkland in a league game little more than a week ago. Obviously, that one had more meaning. And they are still the only team not to lose a league game.

2. Becahi (8-4, 4-3)...Have won seven of last eight and unlike many others who couldn't complete sweeps in the play day, the Golden Hawks beat CCHS more decisively this time.

3. Nazareth (9-3, 6-1)....Have lost three of four, but still have three weeks to go to get pitching situation squared away.

4. Emmaus (8-5, 5-2)...Green Hornets can generally pitch and defend. If they can hit, too, watch out.

5. Parkland (5-4, 3-4)...Cottone being back in the Trojans' lineup is a big difference.

6. Easton (6-5, 4-3)...One of the many mystery teams in the league this year that can play great one day, but disappoint the next.

7. Freedom (7-6, 3-4)...Coach Denny Hollinger keeps telling me about his shortstop Sam Cabrera. Looking forward to seeing her against Parkland on Tuesday if the rain stops by then.

8. Northampton (5-7, 3-4)...Konkrete Kids may be the best 5-7 team in the state. All seven losses are by two runs or less. The good teams find ways to win the close ones. K-Kids are not quite good enough, yet.

9. Whitehall (5-6, 3-4)...Alexis Berg-Townsend insisted to me that this is not a rebuilding year, but that's really what it looks like.

10. Allen (4-8, 3-4)...Though the win over Freedom on April 15 was a breakthrough for the Chicks, but they have followed that up with four losses.

11. CCHS (2-9, 1-6)...My score list has them scoring just one run over their last four games. Hard to win games that way.

12. Dieruff (1-11, 0-7)...It's amazing how few people seem to care about Dieruff sports most of the time; but when there's a coaching hire everybody has to weigh in with an opinion.

COLONIAL LEAGUE

1. Southern Lehigh (9-3, 7-2)...And to think Brian Neefe wondered if his team would even qualify for districts. Spartans have won five in a row.

2. Saucon Valley (9-2, 7-2)...Panthers have scored in double digits six times, but pitching can be a concern.

3. Palisades (10-3, 6-3)...Pirates three losses have been by a combined four runs.

4. Pen Argyl (8-4, 7-2)...Green Knights rebounded from heartbreaking loss to Palisades with a big win over Saucon. Win or lose, Bill Schankel remains one of my favorite coaches.

5. Northern Lehigh 7-4, 6-3)...Uh, oh. Probably have the Bulldogs ranked too low for some people and the nasty e-mails will be coming. Sorry, but when you lose 8-4 to Wilson and 10-1 to Saucon Valley, you don't deserve to be higher than No. 5.

6. Palmerton (6-5, 5-4)...Will be making my first trip to Palmerton for a softball game in more than a decade on Wednesday (again, weather-permitting) to check out this remarkable team.

7. Northwestern (8-5, 5-4)...Kudos to Jen Horner for getting this team turned around because when I saw them against Northern Lehigh a few weeks ago, I didn't think they were headed anywhere except a disappointint finish.

8. Catasauqua (5-6, 3-5)...Played Southern Lehigh tough before losing 3-2. Seem to be playing better of late.

9. Wilson (5-6, 3-6)...Win over Northern Lehigh shows what this team is capable of.

10. Notre Dame (4-6, 3-6)...Thought the Crusaders were on their way when they beat Palisades, but they have struggled since.

11. Salisbury (1-11, 1-7)...At least Falcons had their one moment of glory with that 10-9 win over Bangor at Pates Park.

12. Bangor (0-12, 0-9)...Hard to remember a team that has had such a drastic fall in two years. It was just two years ago the Slaters were THE story in local softball with Amanda Whitford pitching them to league and district titles. Now it's an accomplishment when they are not 10-runned.

FROM KEITH GROLLER OF THE MORNING CALL