Hours after Liberty prevailed in a top-ranked battle over rival Freedom, the Hurricanes were routed by Nazareth. That was a much-needed result for the Blue Eagles, who’d dropped games to previously unranked Northampton and Whitehall.

James Allen has covered Section II athletics since 1989. He also works as a broadcaster for local radio and television outlets. He joined the Times Union in 2006. He covers high school sports. Contact him at [email protected] or 518-454-5062.

A look at the top 25 high school baseball teams in the Southland after Week 8. 1. CORONA (17-1); Seth Hernandez (6-0) has 0.24 ERA, 58 strikeouts, three walks in 29 1/3 innings; 1 2. HUNTINGTON BEACH (15-2); Big three-game series with Los Alamitos; 3 3. CRESPI (16-1); Nate Lopez has 25 hits and .490 average; 4