Van Nuys is 9-1 against Chavez since March of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Wolves will square off against the Eagles at 6:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Van Nuys came out on top against Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences last Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive nine-run second inning. The Wolves blew past the Vipers 15-3. The Wolves might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three contests by 12 runs or more this season.
James Olan made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
In other pitching news, Ricky Lomeli looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Van Nuys is 3-1 when Lomeli allows one or fewer earned runs, but 1-3 otherwise.
Kevin Mata
| 04/08/26 @ Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences | 4 |
| 03/25/26 vs Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences | 2 |
| 03/04/26 vs Fulton | 2 |
| 02/25/26 @ Oak Park | 2 |
| 04/12/25 vs Sun Valley Magnet | 2 |
Back at the plate, Kevin Mata was a standout: he got on base in all four of his plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and one double. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. Matthew Herrera also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Chavez came out on top against Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run second inning. The Eagles were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Vipers. The victory continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Vipers: they've now won four in a row.
Like Van Nuys, Chavez also got a great game from a two-way player: Xavier Salas. Throwing, Salas pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Matthew Martinez pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. At bat, Salas went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs, while Martinez went 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Chavez let Nathen Ontiveros and Joey Uribe run wild. Ontiveros got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Uribe went 4-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Daniel Zelaya, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Chavez kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.3 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 10.2.
Chavez's record is now 5-9. As for Van Nuys, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Van Nuys was able to grind out a solid victory over Chavez when the teams last played back in March, winning 5-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wolves since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
