The Downey Vikings will challenge the Granada Hills Charter Highlanders at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Downey sitting on three straight wins and Granada Hills Charter on five.
Downey barely beat Mayfair the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Downey was the clear victors by a 10-2 margin over Mayfair on Thursday. Considering the Vikings have won six contests by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Giana Castillo-Flores spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on three hits.
Delilah Navarro
| 03/20/25 vs Mayfair | 2 |
| 03/06/25 vs Whittier | 1 |
| 02/20/25 @ Sunny Hills | 1 |
| 05/02/24 vs Hillcrest | 1 |
| 04/06/24 vs Bishop Amat | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Delilah Navarro, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Madeline Garcia was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
Downey hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts in eight consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Granada Hills Charter posted their closest victory since April 20, 2024 on March 1st. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Kennedy, sneaking past 2-1.
Granada Hills Charter also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Addison Moorman gave up only one earned run on three hits and racked up seven Ks. Moorman has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Annabella Ramirez was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-2. Jasmine Soriano also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Granada Hills Charter's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Downey, their victory bumped their record up to 10-2.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Downey hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .375. However, it's not like Granada Hills Charter struggles in that department as they've averaged .369. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Downey suffered a grim 8-0 defeat to Granada Hills Charter when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Will Downey have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
