The Animo Leadership Aztec Eagles will head out on the road to take on the Animo Venice Pirates at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Animo Leadership knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Animo Venice likes a good challenge.
On Thursday, Animo Leadership made easy work of Animo City of Champions and carried off an 18-4 win. The result was nothing new for the Aztec Eagles, who have now won nine matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Salvador Lopez
| 04/10/25 @ Animo City of Champions | 5 |
| 04/04/25 vs Shalhevet | 3 |
| 03/17/25 vs Rolling Hills Prep | 2 |
| 02/27/25 @ Inglewood | 5 |
Salvador Lopez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. What's more, he posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3. Animo Leadership is undefeated when Lopez posts two or more runs, but 6-11 otherwise.
In other batting news, Animo Leadership got a massive performance out of Alex Jimenez, who scored three runs and stole five bases while going 3-for-3. That's the most hits Jimenez has posted over his last 11 games. The team also got some help courtesy of Axel Serrano, who scored two runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-3.
Animo Leadership always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .629. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .595 or higher in three consecutive contests.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last five times Animo Venice and Stella High Charter Academy have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Wednesday. The Pirates came up short against the Eagles, falling 13-3. The Pirates have struggled against the Eagles recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.
Animo Leadership has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 11-11 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Animo Venice, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-6.
Everything went Animo Leadership's way against Animo Venice in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, as Animo Leadership made off with a 20-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Aztec Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
