Husky Softball continues to make history as they managed to rank as the 11th seed in the playoffs. This gave the Huskies a strong spot in the second round of the 2024 CIF LA City Section Division II Softball Championships without participating in the play-in round.
This has been the highest seeding North Hollywood’s softball team has been ranked in throughout school history.
The Huskies’ first playoff game was on May 10th against Harbor-Teacher Prep Academy. Our Huskies worked long hard hours in preparation for this game.
It all ended up paying off as the Huskies traveled to Harbor-Teacher in Wilmington and dominated the field, winning 5-0.
During the game against Harbor-Teacher, Ellison Hinnen, #34, had been an all-star defense player. Hinnen racked up 15 strike outs and only one hit.
As for offense, Mia Jurado, #2, has been incredible. Jurado went 2-for-3, scoring three runs and stealing two bases.
Jurado cheerfully expresses, “I’m so proud of us for the win against Harbor Tech. The beginning of the season started out rough but we worked towards that win. We were all so determined and came in with a strong mindset that game.”
Ayla Soto, #10, was also phenomenal with her offense. Soto went 3-for-4, doubling in the first and fifth inning, and singled in the seventh. Soto managed to score one run and stole three bases.
The Huskies took their victory with pride, as they advanced to the 2024 LA City Section quarter finals. Their next playoff game took place on May 13, 2024 against Woodrow Wilson Senior High School.
Unfortunately, after a rough seven innings, the Huskies fell short by two resulting in a 9-7 victory for Wilson.
Up until the fifth inning, the game had been progressing slowly. The Wilson Mules took the lead in the first inning 1-0. Luckily, Soto was quick to tie the game during the third inning as she lined out, allowing a run scored.
During the fourth inning, Huskies took the lead, 2-1, as Kelsey Brinkle, #18, grounded out, scoring one.
The fifth inning had been the longest for Huskies defense, as Wilson flipped the game, scoring eight runs on six hits.
Huskies worked hard to make a comeback on their offense, as Allison Avalos, #25, scored an inside the park home run, scoring two runs. As well, Hinnen tripled, scoring another two runs.
Avalos expresses, “I felt really great when I scored that home run because I know that my team really needed it and I was giving it my best during that game. When I made that home run, I gave my team hope [for] a chance on making our way up.”
Despite their determination and effort the Huskies presented in the quarterfinals, they were unable to secure a spot in the semi-final playoffs. They worked hard until the end, concluding the game with a narrow defeat.
Instead of putting their head down, Huskies are viewing the loss as a strong way to end the season. Avalos continues, “…It was a great way to end the season because it was our best game yet.”
