Lady Trojans off to hot 14-4 start, blank Needles — PHOTOS

Ranked 7th overall in Nevada, the Lady Trojans have mounted a scorching hot 14-4 start to the regular season.

Backed behind arguably one of best pitchers in the state, freshman Jaycie Hayes leads Nevada in strikeouts with 104 over 61 innings pitched, 11 more than Sierra Lutheran’s Natalee Parrish (93).

Hayes also leads Nevada in no-hitters with two recorded.

But it’s not just Hayes holding it down exclusively in the circle.

Junior Evalenne Armendariz has been the Trojans’ secret weapon, posting a 1.55 earned run average that ranks 9th best in the state.

The pair also account for the fifth (Hayes) and sixth (Armendariz) spots for most wins this year across all classes.

With league play set to begin next week against Virgin Valley, the program will head to Green Valley Tuesday, then host Virgin Valley at home Wednesday before hitting the road to Mesquite to face the Bulldogs on Friday.

Needles High School

The Trojans rode a dominant pitching performance that limited the Mustangs to just two hits in their 5–0 victory over Needles last Tuesday, as Armendariz and Hayes combined for a lights-out shutout.

Pahrump Valley (14-5) struck sharply in the bottom of the second inning, when Jaelyn Rodriguez delivered a clutch single after a six-pitch at-bat to plate the game’s opening run.

That early spark carried into the third, where Pahrump broke things open.

Riley Saldana laced a triple to left field that ignited the rally, followed by RBI singles from Hayes and Sadie Freeman to extend the lead and put Needles on its heels.

In the circle, Armendariz set the tone with a strong start, tossing four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits.

The right-hander struck out five and did not issue a walk in a commanding outing that saw 33 of 45 pitches come across the plate for strikes.

Hayes took over in relief and was equally lethal, firing three no-hit innings with six strikeouts to slam the door on any potential Mustangs (4-7) comeback.

Hayes punctuated the win by striking out Mala Andrews for the final out of the game.

Offensively, Freeman provided a key contribution from the lower half of the lineup, driving in two runs while going 1-for-3.

Saldana, Mariah Gray, and Aspen Middaugh each collected two hits as the Trojans piled up nine hits overall in a balanced attack.

Middaugh currently leads the program in batting average, hitting a ridiculous .558 in the leadoff spot.

Needles saw a solid effort at the plate from Edey Ponce, who tallied two hits in three at-bats to lead her team.

Audrina Bullchild took the loss for Needles, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits over six innings while striking out five.

Stats

The team’s offensive production this season has been defined by a combination of emerging freshman talent and reliable upperclassmen, creating a balanced lineup capable of generating runs in a variety of ways.

Over 18 games, the roster has compiled 149 hits, 140 runs, and 112 RBIs, with a team batting average of .355 and an OPS of .929, reflecting both consistency at the plate and situational hitting efficiency.

Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.