Ceres High's varsity softball team has been on a roll since suffering its first loss in Western Athletic Conference play on March 31.

The Bulldogs topped Los Banos and Central Valley last week.

Ceres High improved to 13-5 overall and 4-1 in the WAC standings.

"Ceres has been such a powerhouse over the years," Bulldogs senior pitcher Callie Nunes said. "Everyone wants to beat us. I'm really happy with how we've done the last couple of games. Losing 9-8 to Patterson was a wakeup call."

Ceres High won 5-1 at Los Banos on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs edged the Tigers 1-0 in 11 innings on March 29.

"We were a lot more amped up and ready to go this game," Nunes said. "We were a different team. We were mentally ready."

Nunes (13-2) tallied 13 strikeouts in seven innings. She allowed one unearned run and two hits.

"I just really focused in more," Nunes said. "I did not want to play 11 innings again."

Nunes batted 1-for-3 from the plate with one RBI on offense.

Rayohna Sagapolu batted 1-for-1 with one homer and two RBIs.

Shelby Veuve batted 1-for-4 with two runs.

Freshman Vianney Perez batted 1-for-3 with one RBI.

Andrea Duran batted 1-for-4 with one run.

Sophomore Brenda Villalpando batted 2-for-3.

"We hit a lot better this time around," Nunes said. "Defensively, we played great."

Ceres High improved its all-time record versus crosstown-rival Central Valley to 21-0 with a 6-0 home victory on April 10. "I've never even thought about that until you brought it up," Nunes said. "It's a fun fact. In my eyes, it's just another team. We don't want the streak to end. We want to keep it going. Anything can happen so we have to always be ready."

Nunes tossed a one-hitter.

She had 17 strikeouts and no walks over seven innings.

Nunes singled twice.

Sagapolu batted 3-for-4 with one double, two RBIs and one run.

Perez batted 1-for-4 with one double, one RBI and one run.

Freshman Rebecca DeLeon batted 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

Duran batted 1-for-3 with two runs.

Veuve batted 3-for-4 with one run.

"They've been competitive in league," Nunes said while talking about the much-improved Hawks. "We were prepared for that."

The Bulldogs are vying for their fourth consecutive WAC crown and sixth straight Sac-Joaquin Section playoff berth.

"It's a fresh start for everyone," Nunes said. "We have a lot of new girls. We have new coaches. I feel like people are underestimating us because we lost a lot of players. We still have talent. Our softball program has a decorated past. I expect us to keep it going."