After five games on the road, University is heading back home. They will welcome the Northridge Grizzlies at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The last three games University has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
On Tuesday, University didn't have quite enough to beat Roosevelt and fell 8-7. That's two games in a row now that the Bulldogs have lost by just one run.
Iliana Martinez and Ellie Baca stepped up to the plate in a big way. Martinez scored two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances, while Baca went 2-for-4 with three RBI, a stolen base, and a double. The team also got some help courtesy of Kenzie Wyatt, who went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
Even though they lost, University was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved they're batting average total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Northridge fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Severance on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Silver Knights by a score of 5-4. The loss was the Grizzlies' first of the season.
Brooke Riofrio spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and three unearned) runs on 11 hits.
On the hitting side, Northridge saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Belle Bailey, who went 1-for-4 with a triple and two RBI.
University's defeat dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Northridge, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 2-1.
Northridge's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. University has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Northridge, though, as they've been averaging only 2.7. Will University keep running through batters, or will Northridge buck the trend?
University took their victory against Northridge when the teams last played back in September of 2023 by a conclusive 16-5. Does University have another victory up their sleeve, or will Northridge turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
