The Northridge Academy Pumas are taking a road trip to challenge the Grant Lancers at 2:30 p.m. on Monday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Northridge Academy has three straight victories, Grant has ten straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Thursday, Northridge Academy made easy work of Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences and carried off a 16-4 win. The result was nothing new for the Pumas, who have now won ten matchups by eight runs or more so far this season.
Alondra Laguna was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off four hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, Alana Kramer was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. CC Romero was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Northridge Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .733. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .729 or higher in three consecutive games.
Grant couldn't beat Van Nuys on Friday even though they stacked four runs on them in the fourth inning. The Lancers came up short against the Wolves, falling 19-5.
Northridge Academy's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Grant, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-7.
Northridge Academy took their victory against Grant in their previous matchup back in February of 2023 by a conclusive 20-0 score. Will the Pumas repeat their success, or do the Lancers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
