The Lady Huskies had an amazing season. Having an overall score 16-4, leading to them becoming division III league champions. This makes them the first seed in playoffs and made North Hollywood high school history. Their final game was against a rival school, Sylmar high school. The Lady Huskies brought home a solid victory with the roaring score of 10-5. For this monumental moment, the Lady Huskies have kept their head in the game for playoffs and are ready to finish strong.
Senior, Liliana Mendoza (#18) made sure this season was the most memorable. Mendoza expresses, “We all understood that this was our final game together…We would have to fight harder in the playoffs. These girls are amazing and every moment I’ve shared with them will always be a recurring memory. ” As the team has grown and evolved to be the best in the league, they know what they are going to face in the playoffs.
Ending the season as league champions was extremely monumental for the Lady Huskies. Mendoza explains, “I feel as if it was very well deserved for all of us and especially for our pitcher. Everyone on our team has their own special talents which can never be replaced from anyone else. I am extremely grateful for this team.”
Mendoza contributed to the team with her consistent on base percentage (OBP) of 0.360. OBP symbolizes how often a player reaches base by hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch. This means that Mendoza would get on base more than one out of three plate appearances.
Concluding the 2025 season, North Hollywood High School recognizes MVP Ellison Hinnen for being a crucial team player. Hinnen was awarded Best athlete, meaning she was apart of the few athletes that put on an outstanding performance in all her four years here at NHHS. Based on stats recorded on maxpreps, the award had been well deserved. After the final game, pitcher Ellison Hinnen ended the season with an earned run average of 0.39, making her first in the East Valley league.
Earned Run Average (ERA) symbolizes how effective a pitcher is. It’s based on the average of how many earned runs a pitcher allows per seven innings. Hinnen’s outstanding ERA, means that she allows less than half an earned run per game on average.
First basemen, Senior Judith Arredando (#4) formed long-lasting bonds with her teammates this season. Arredando explains, “The season felt so good leading up to the game, we played really good and created such an amazing bond!” On the day of the final game, a lot of emotions were on the rise due to the fact that it was also their senior night.
Arredando elaborates, “ I really wanted to win and I knew we were facing a tough opponent but I was really excited because I knew it would be a good game no matter what.” Arredando had an amazing batting average of 0.306. Meaning Arredando concluding her highschool softball career as a consistent hitter alongside her league champion title.
Senior, Natalie Garica (#9) shined alongside her teammates this season. Garcia explains, “The season felt really good. We basically kept winning almost all the games which is pretty amazing all the girls worked really hard”. Throughout the final game, the score kept going back and forth. After the victory, the lady huskies were ecstatic.
Garcia reflects, “ I felt so happy and proud for all the girls and myself. We worked really hard to be better and we learnt from the mistakes we made from past games. I think the bond we created with each other played a big part too.” Adding onto the powerhouse of the 2024-25 softball team was the excellent batting average of 0.667. Meaning Garcia hits two out of every three at-bats.
Third basemen, Yarisbel Carrillo (#19) and the team practiced diligently even through the warmer days. Carillo reflects, “It felt good to be honest. A lot of us really put in a lot of hard work…The heat got in the way but we still managed to get through.” The expectations were mixed for the final game. Carrillo explains, “To be honest, there were a lot of expectations but once I’d seen that everybody was playing right, paying attention and everything. I felt good. The expectations were good.”
Not only strong on the field, but with a high softball IQ, Carillo had an amazing on-base percentage (OBP) of 0.479. Meaning Carillo is consistent and smart at the plate and with this crucial mental strength, the lady huskies covered more and more areas needed to win league.
As the season is not over yet, being league champions is not only special for the school but it holds a meaningful sentiment to the team. Over the season these seniors have spent and devoted themselves to this sport and it was all worth it in the end. Leaving a bigger mark on the school then they could have imagined.
