SOFTBALL BEAT AROUND THE LEAGUES.

Byline: Ramona Shelburne Staff Writer

--Liberty: Viewpoint of Calabasas needs one victory to earn at least a share of the league title after a doubleheader sweep of Avalon on Saturday. Avalon (8-2 in league) has completed its league schedule and Viewpoint (12-3, 7-0) has three games remaining.

Freshman Michelle Macias is 9-1 with a 0.21 ERA and also is among the area's top hitters with a .553 batting average.

Providence of Burbank (12-5, 5-3) is in third place but might have to play the next few games without freshman catcher Danielle Austin, who broke her nose after being hit in the face during warm-ups Tuesday. Providence was able to defeat Oakwood of North Hollywood 5-3 as Candice Koeth moved from shortstop to catcher and Stefanie Cowan moved from second base to shortstop.

--Marmonte: Westlake (15-5, 9-3) clinched a playoff berth with a 4-0 victory over Moorpark on Tuesday. That eliminated Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Agoura from the playoffs.

Thousand Oaks had made the playoffs for 12 consecutive years until this season and won at least a share of the league title the past four years. But don't blame the defense or pitching staff. Thousand Oaks (11-8-1, 4-6-1) has allowed only 17 runs (nine earned) this season. Outside of the league, T.O. is 7-2.

Newbury Park (13-8-1, 6-5-1) is on track to finish in fourth place, but it defeated Thousand Oaks for the first time in four years Tuesday.

--Mission: Harvard-Westlake of Studio City has not committed an error in 44 consecutive innings.

--Pacific: Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta moved Loyola Marymount-bound third baseman Kirsten Whitt into the leadoff position in the batting order in a 10-0 victory over Hoover of Glendale on Tuesday. The move was made because too many teams were pitching around Whitt (.431, eight doubles, 17 RBI).

That dropped left-handed slapper Sarah Sherman into the No. 2 spot in the batting order. Sherman is one of the team's top bunters.

Crescenta Valley (18-3, 6-1) needs two victories to clinch at least a share of the league title for the sixth consecutive year. Its next three games are against the bottom half of the league: Arcadia, Muir of Pasadena and Pasadena.

--Rio Hondo: La Canada clinched its fifth consecutive league title with a 5-1 victory over Temple City on Friday but didn't fare well outside of league in an 11-1 loss to Village Christian of Sun Valley on Tuesday.

--Westside: Reigning league MVP Tabitha Espinoza earned the victory in Hillcrest Christian of Granada Hills' 6-1 victory over Highland Hall of Northridge on Tuesday that clinched the league title.

KEEPING TABS

Former Highland of Palmdale star Melissa Rawson ranks second in the nation in batting average (.509), is tied for third in home runs (14) and is tied for 14th in RBI (37) among NCAA Division I schools. Rawson, who plays for Colgate, was the Patriot League player of the week.

WHO'S HOT

--Kat Walsh, Granada Hills: One week after a five-inning perfect game against Taft of Woodland Hills, Walsh threw a seven-inning no-hitter with 14 strikeouts in a 4-0 victory over Cleveland of Reseda.

--Selena Salazar, San Fernando: The sophomore is batting .433 with 30 RBI, seven doubles, three triples and four home runs. On Monday, she became the first player in school history to hit for the cycle, going 4 for 5 with seven RBI in a victory over Reseda.

--Heather Hamasaki, Glendale: The senior pitcher struck out 12 in a nine-inning upset of Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta on Tuesday, then struck out the six batters she faced in two innings against Muir of Pasadena on Tuesday.

--Mackensie Smith, Desert Christian: The junior shortstop has 18 hits in her past 19 at-bats.

--Shauna Johnson (pictured), L.A. Baptist: Her .537 batting average makes her a standout for more than being a left-handed second baseman. Johnson is one of the area's best gap-to-gap hitters.

--Antonette DaSilva, Kennedy: The senior catcher had the lone RBI in a 1-0 victory over Monroe of North Hills on Monday.

--Vanessa Gonzalez, Kennedy: The junior scored game-winning runs in a 2-1 upset of San Fernando on Thursday and a 1-0 victory over Monroe on Monday.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 6 boxes

Photo:

(1) --Shauna Johnson (pictured), L.A. Baptist: Her .537 batting average makes her a standout for more than being a left-handed second baseman. Johnson is one of the area's best gap-to-gap hitters.

(2) MICHELLE SMITH

Box:

(1) Daily News TOP 10

(2) SEVEN-DAY FORECAST

(3) --Royal vs. Simi Valley at Santa Susana Park, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday

(4) LEAGUE STANDINGS

(5) WHO'S HOT (see text)

(6) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS