The Marquez Gladiators will square off against the Northridge Academy Pumas at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Marquez is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 14.2 runs per game this season.
Marquez is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Harbor Teacher a 10-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Gladiators, who have now won 20 matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Darla Sanchez
| 05/23/25 vs Harbor Teacher | 11 |
| 05/21/25 vs Orthopaedic | 6 |
| 05/10/25 @ Garfield | 10 |
| 05/09/25 @ Maywood CES | 6 |
| 04/28/25 @ South Gate | 15 |
| + 2 more games |
Darla Sanchez made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
In other batting news, Marquez got a massive performance out of Delilah Sanchez, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one double. Another player making a difference was Sophia Aguirre, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Marquez hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Northridge Academy waltzed into their contest on Friday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 3-2 W against the Panthers.
Like Marquez, Northridge Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Alondra Laguna. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. Laguna was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, one triple, and two RBI.
Laguna wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jackie Nettles, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base. Val Montes also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Marquez has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 14 of their last 15 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 23-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.7 runs over those games. As for Northridge Academy, their record now sits at 18-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Marquez has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Northridge Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
