Legacy’s big 6th inning enough to stave off early Trojan lead
It was Pahrump’s game to be had according to head coach Drew Middleton.
Finishing with 11 total base hits, it should have been theirs.
But a mental-error riddled bottom half of the fifth inning proved costly as the Trojans allowed Legacy to tie the game even at four in the fifth inning.
“It was just like the Rod Poteete Memorial tournament championship game against Douglas,” Middleton said. “We let a 4-1 lead slip in the fifth by errors and made too many mental errors to win.”
Dropping the non-league contest 9-4, the Class 4A Desert League Longhorns (8-4) were able to use a big bottom of the sixth inning to take a five-run lead, ensuring them the victory.
Starting on the bump, pitcher and junior Samuel Mendoza was left untouched through his first two innings after stranding Legacy’s Elijah Thompson and Michael Rich, both of whom reached by singles up the middle and to right field.
Mendoza finished the day surrendering eight hits and four runs (three earned runs) over 4.1 innings of work. The junior struck out five while walking two.
The Trojans (4-2) had a vital opportunity to break the game open in the top of the third but failed to do so after a ground out to first base by senior Jack Walker put an end to a bases-loaded opportunity that was provided by singles from CJ Nelson, Cody Fried, and Vinny Whitney.
In a rarer instance, Legacy senior Tyson Lake got the Longhorns on the board first in the bottom of the third with an inside-the-park home run to deep right field by senior Tyson Lake.
The Trojans would do all of their offense damage in follow-up half inning in the top of the fourth.
Trojans sophomore Anthony Montanez smacked a line drive single to left field before Dominic Chiancone reached safely on a dropped third strike, advancing Montanez to third.
After a walk drawn by senior Kayne Horibe, the Trojans executed a textbook sacrifice that moved runners into scoring position. Junior Tony Whitney’s grounder brought home Montanez, slowly cutting in the Longhorns’ lead.
Nelson went down swinging, but the inning remained alive with runners on second and third. Senior catcher Ben Cimperman and junior Cody Fried delivered back-to-back singles, each driving in a run, giving Pahrump Valley a brief 4-2 lead.
Between Cimperman and Fried, the pair were seeing beach balls at the plate.
Going 2-for-4 with two RBI’s in the three spot, Cimperman was complimented by Fried’s 3-for-3 RBI performance.
The Trojans look next to take on their skippers former program, Desert Oasis High School at 11 a.m. at home in a non-league contest.
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
