The Shalhevet Firehawks will square off against the Animo Leadership Aztec Eagles at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Shalhevet will bounce into Wednesday's matchup after beating Environmental Charter, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Firehawks were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over the White Tigers on Tuesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Firehawks considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Ari Elad
| 02/20/25 @ Yeshiva University of Los Angeles (YULA) | 8 |
| 03/04/25 @ Pacifica Christian/Santa Monica | 4 |
| 03/24/25 vs Ambassador | 2 |
| 04/08/25 vs Environmental Charter | 1 |
| 04/04/25 @ Animo Leadership | 1 |
Ari Elad made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has become a key player for Shalhevet: the team is 3-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 1-7 otherwise. Elad was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Elisha Fishman was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Adam Sandler, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Shalhevet always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .567. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Animo Leadership). Everything went their way against Compton Early College on Tuesday as they made off with a 30-5 win. Considering the Aztec Eagles have won seven games by more than seven runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Shalhevet, Animo Leadership also got a great game from a two-way player: Andrew Lopez. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over five innings while giving up five earned runs off six hits (and only one walk). Lopez has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring five runs and stealing a base while getting on base in five of his six plate appearances. He also hit a triple, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Axel Serrano was a standout: he got on base in all six of his plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and four RBI. Adam Enriquez was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs.
Shalhevet is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 4-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.8 runs over those games. As for Animo Leadership, their win bumped their record up to 9-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Shalhevet has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Animo Leadership struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Shalhevet beat Animo Leadership 7-4 when the teams last played on Friday. Do the Firehawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Aztec Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
