Baseball Recap: Northridge Comes Up Short

Northridge had lost eight straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Monday they dropped their record down to 3-5 to make it nine. They came up short against the Tri-County North Panthers, falling 14-0. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Polar Bears of the 11-10 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in April of 2023.

As for Tri-County North, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 10-2. Considering they have won seven matchups by more than six runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.

For Tri-County North's part, Carter Lake and Peyton Fannin were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Lake tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Fannin tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, Lake posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. At the plate, Lake went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Fannin went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one triple, and one run. Fannin has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played.

In other batting news, Tri-County North let Ryan Shively and Ben Knife run wild. Shively got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base, while Knife got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. Those three runs gave Knife a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Braylen Keener, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Northridge will face off against Bradford at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The Polar Bears are facing the Railroaders at the right time seeing as the Railroaders are stuck on a ten-game losing streak. As for Tri-County North, they will challenge Franklin Monroe at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Panthers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Jets have averaged an impressive 7.8 runs per game this season.