The Las Animas Trojans will square off against the Crowley County Chargers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Crowley County will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Las Animas extended their winning streak to seven on Tuesday. The Trojans' pitcher stepped up to hand Florence a 20-0 shutout. The Trojans' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Damien Baca was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Baca was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Jesus Lopez
| 04/22/25 vs Florence | 4 |
| 04/02/25 @ Calhan | 3 |
| 04/18/25 @ Rocky Ford | 2 |
| 04/18/25 @ Rocky Ford | 2 |
| 04/21/25 @ Hoehne | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jesus Lopez, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, five RBI, and two runs. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Braydon Ortiz was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with four stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Las Animas was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .636. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .375 or higher in five consecutive games.
Crowley County came out on top against Rocky Ford on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run fifth inning. The Chargers put the hurt on the Meloneers with a sharp 13-3 victory. The Chargers haven't had any issues with the Meloneers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Like Las Animas, Crowley County also got a great game from a two-way player: Landon Smith. He struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off eight hits (and only one walk). Smith has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Crowley County's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 4-6 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Derreck Buford was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. He has become a key player for Crowley County: the team is 6-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 2-5 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Anthoni Walter, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Crowley County pushed their record up to 8-6 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Las Animas, their victory bumped their record up to 12-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Las Animas has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Crowley County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Las Animas skirted past Crowley County 6-5 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Chargers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
