The Fairfax Stampede are taking a road trip to take on the Copper Canyon Aztecs at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Fairfax is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on North with a sharp 22-8 win on Wednesday. The victory continues a trend for the Stampede in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won three in a row.
Daniel Alaniz
| 04/01/25 @ McClintock | 3 |
| 03/20/25 vs Alhambra | 3 |
| 02/28/25 @ Cesar Chavez | 2 |
| 03/27/25 @ Metro Tech | 1 |
Daniel Alaniz was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Fairfax is 3-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 5-7 otherwise. Alaniz was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Alexander Tovar was a standout: he scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February. Isaiah Balderas was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-5.
Fairfax kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are 4-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Copper Canyon never let their opponents score on Wednesday. They blew past Washington 10-0. The Aztecs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by eight runs or more this season.
Like Fairfax, Copper Canyon also got a great game from a two-way player: Gabriel Ruelas. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Ruelas was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jesus Vega, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. Another player making a difference was Anthony Acosta Livas, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Copper Canyon has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-4-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Fairfax, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Fairfax has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .512. However, it's not like Copper Canyon struggles in that department as they've averaged .524. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Fairfax suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Copper Canyon when the teams last played back in March of 2017. Can the Stampede avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
