Mountain Ridge nailed down the top seed for the playoffs while Skyline kept its hopes alive for a final berth Monday afternoon as the Division I softball regular season reaches its final couple days.

Sparked by the dominant pitching of junior Giselle Juarez, Mountain Ridge blanked Xavier Prep, 3-0, with Juarez  tossing four-hitter and striking out 11 at Mountain Ridge. Juarez was outstanding for the second consecutive game in facing top D-I title contenders (2-0 win over Sandra Day O'Connor last Friday and Xavier). She got the run support needed with a two-run homer from Riley Seegan in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie. Mountain Ridge added an extra run in the sixth. Xavier (22-6, 14-3 prg) got a well-pitched game from Caitlin Dickman, who scattered six hits and matched zeros with Juarez until the Seegan homer.

Juarez, who began the year nursing a sore pitching arm, has kicked into high gear since the Lady Lions fourth-place finish in the Desert Mountain Invitational the third week of March. Mountain Ridge (23-4, 16-1 power-rankiing games), in fact, has not lost since the Desert Mountain tourney finale -- a streak of 12 consecutive wins in which it has given up only 14 runs. Most of the pitching in that stretch has come from the left arm of Juarez. She's allowed four earned runs, tossed one no-hitter and five shutouts over that span.

SKYLINE 5, HIGHLAND 2: While Mountain Ridge was nailing down the top seed, Skyline was playing to keep its postseason aspirations alive and got a must-win behind the four-hit pitching of junior Kaitlyn O'Day.

O'Day was working on a perfect game for 4 2/3 innings when Highland's Gabi Alvarado blooper between first and second was beat out for a hit. Skyline had built a 3-0 lead by that time, with the key hit a two-run single by Jaycee Lindley in the fourth. Lindley finished with three hitsSkyline's first run came in the third inning on a bases-loaded walk to Priscilla Figueroa. Lindley finished with three hits. 

Highland's second hit came in the sixth, but was quickly erased by a double-play ground out. The Lady Hawks scored two unearned runs in the seventh, getting two hits and using an error to rally. O'Day got two ground outs to end the threat and game. O'Day fanned six and did not issue a walk.

Skyline entered Monday at No. 25 in the D-I power rankings, just behind No. 23 Willow Canyon and No. 24 Ironwood. Skyline's fate depends on how those schools do in their final games and Skyline's outcome with Mesa Mtn. View on Wednesday at Mountain View. Ironwood won its game Monday, 6-3, over Tolleson. Ironwood finishes the regular season against Mountain Ridge.

Skyline is 16-14 overall and 10-7 in power-ranking games. Highland, No. 22 in the power-rankings Monday, is now 11-20 overall and 7-10 prg. Strength of schedule has helped the Lady Hawks to their current standing.