Baseball Game Preview: Las Animas Trojans vs. Rocky Ford Meloneers

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Previous Games

04/19/24 - Neutral	10-0 W
04/19/24 - Neutral	7-1 W
04/21/23 - Home	11-1 W
04/21/23 - Home	10-0 W
04/30/22 - Home	1-14 L
+ 5 more games

Las Animas and Rocky Ford are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Trojans will take on the Meloneers at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Las Animas' pitching crew has only allowed three runs per game this season, so Rocky Ford's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Rocky Ford will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Las Animas extended their winning streak to three on Wednesday. The Trojans came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 4-3 W against Buena Vista. That's two games straight that the Trojans have won by just one run.

Meanwhile, Rocky Ford never let their opponents score on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Hoehne with a sharp 12-0 win. Considering the Meloneers have won six games by more than nine runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Shayne Gonzales was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. He has become a key player for Rocky Ford: the team is undefeated when he allows at most one hit, but 4-5 otherwise. Gonzales was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Chris Augilar, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Joseph Vasquez-Gallegos was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.

Rocky Ford has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.2 runs over those games. As for Las Animas, their record is now 8-1.

Everything went Las Animas' way against Rocky Ford in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Las Animas made off with a 10-0 win. Do the Trojans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Meloneers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.