Burlington is 7-1 against Las Animas since April of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Cougars will venture away from home to square off against the Trojans at 4:00 p.m. Burlington is coming into the contest hot, having won their last three games.
On Saturday, Burlington earned an 11-6 victory over Holyoke.
Daxton Skarphol
| 05/03/25 @ Holyoke | 3 |
| 04/20/24 @ McClave | 2 |
| 05/03/25 @ Holyoke | 1 |
| 04/24/25 vs Stratton | 1 |
| 04/05/25 vs Fowler | 1 |
Rowdy Humrich and Daxton Skarphol were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Humrich pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Skarphol struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off seven hits. Humrich also tossed no walks, which is notable because Burlington is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 6-7 otherwise. At the plate, Humrich got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run, while Skarphol got on base in all five of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. The dominant performance also gave Skarphol a new career-high in hits (three).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Scout Humrich, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Burlington: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 4-8 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Maguire Franz, who went 1-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Burlington kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Las Animas had just enough and edged out Swink 6-4 on Friday. The win continues a trend for the Trojans in their matchups with the Lions: they've now won four in a row.
Braydon Ortiz made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out 13 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Ortiz wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Kree Wallace, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one double.
The victory got Burlington back to even at 8-8. As for Las Animas, their record is now 15-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Burlington has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Las Animas struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Burlington couldn't quite get it done against Las Animas in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 4-1. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
