After both having extra time off, the North Hollywood Huskies and the Sylmar Spartans will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Sylmar's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Wednesday: North Hollywood hadn't allowed a single run the last five times they've hit the field. The Huskies' pitchers stepped up to hand Reseda an 18-0 shutout last Friday. While the Huskies didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Ellison Hinnen was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with four runs, four RBI, and two doubles. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, Ayla Soto was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two triples, three runs, and three RBI. Those two triples gave her a new career-high. Jayleen Moreno also deserves some recognition as she scored her first runs of the season.
Meanwhile, Sylmar made easy work of Monroe last Friday and carried off a 17-5 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Spartans.
Maya Salceda was a standout: she fired off two home runs, three stolen bases, and three runs while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Katherine Godoy, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
Sylmar was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .810. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
North Hollywood's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.6 runs on average over those games. As for Sylmar, their record now sits at 5-7.
Wednesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. North Hollywood has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .488. However, it's not like Sylmar struggles in that department as they've averaged .577. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
North Hollywood might still be hurting after the 11-4 defeat they got from Sylmar when the teams last played back in February of 2019. Can the Huskies avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
