After both having extra time off, the Sylmar Spartans and the North Hollywood Huskies 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.
Last Friday, Sylmar got the win against Monroe by a conclusive 17-5. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Spartans.
Sylmar got a massive performance out of Maya Salceda, who fired off two home runs, three stolen bases, and three runs while going 2-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of 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. The last time their batting average was this high was back in March of 2024.
Meanwhile, North Hollywood put their dominant pitchers on display in the team's fifth consecutive shutout last Friday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Reseda an 18-0 shutout. 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 made a splash while hitting and pitching. 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 on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with four runs, four RBI, and two doubles. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in February of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ayla Soto, who went 2-for-3 with two triples, three runs, and three RBI. Those two triples gave her a new career-high. Natalie Garcia was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
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 hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.6 runs over those games. As for Sylmar, their win bumped their record up to 5-7.
Wednesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Sylmar has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .577. However, it's not like North Hollywood struggles in that department as they've averaged .488. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Sylmar took their victory against North Hollywood in their previous matchup back in February of 2019 by a conclusive 11-4 score. Do the Spartans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Huskies turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
