Down but not out: Trojans look from within for season’s answers — PHOTOS
Dropping their first opportunity at home to take care of the Mustangs last week, Pahrump Valley again struggled late to close the door on The Meadows.
The Meadows capped a decisive six-run inning in the sixth to pull away for an 11–5 win over the Trojans last Thursday in Las Vegas.
In their sixth straight loss, the Trojans in only two of those contests have led at one point in the game.
So, what gives you may ask?
Well, as first-year program head coach Drew Middleton puts it, the team is having to learn the some things the hard way.
“Like I said from the beginning of the season, the difficulty of this schedule could sharpen us up for the playoffs or make us fall apart,” Middleton said. “And I’m afraid right now they are falling apart.”
In their last six games, the Trojans have been outscored by a margin of 39 to 60.
Sending pitcher Vinny Whitney to the mound, the Trojans (9-13, 2-3) starter ran into a bit of trouble early as the senior was only able to get through 2.1 innings.
After scoring two runs in the opening frame via an RBI sac-fly from V. Whitney and an RBI single to center field from Anthony Montanez, The Meadows jumped on Whitney in the third inning, scoring four runs after tossing a clean second inning to force him out of the game.
Whitney’s final line included six hits, five runs (five earned), two walks and two strikeouts.
Pahrump Valley extended its lead to 3–1 by the third inning but the Meadows responded swiftly in the bottom half, taking a 5–3 advantage behind run-scoring efforts from Aiden Brown, Lucas Salas, and Ethan Schneiderman.
The Trojans briefly evened the contest at 5–5 in the fifth on Wilson’s RBI double on a hard ground ball past third base, but The Meadows turned the game upside-down in the bottom of the sixth, scoring six runs on six hits to take the lead, 11-5, aided by a two-run error.
Schneiderman led the Mustangs offensively, going 3-for-4 with four RBI’s, while Brown and Falb also recorded three hits apiece in a 15-hit team performance.
Salas earned the start, allowing four runs over four innings on seven hits, three walks and four strikeouts.
Pahrump Valley tallied 11 hits, with Wilson and Whitney collecting three each.
Whitney added two stolen bases as the Trojans swiped five bags overall.
“Look at the teams we are losing to. I told everyone there’s two ways this season can go. We can either grind and let it make us better or we can lose confidence and fight each other and let it ruin our season,” Middleton said. “As of right now, they are showing they can’t handle it.”
Spring Valley
It was a pitching duel for the ages as Zachary Andres and Cody Fried put on a clinic for both of their programs.
The Trojans dropped a tightly contested 1–0 decision to the Class 4A Mountain League’s Spring Valley last Friday, with the decisive run scoring on an error committed at third by Benny Cimperman in the top of the seventh inning that allowed Tristan Holcombe to score.
Locked in a scoreless duel through six innings, both teams leaned on strong outings from their starters.
Pahrump Valley junior Cody Fried was effective across six innings, allowing six hits and one unearned run while striking out two and walking three.
Spring Valley countered with Andres, who tossed a complete-game shutout, scattering five hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Spring Valley applied steady pressure throughout, but Pahrump Valley’s defense held firmly until the seventh, when a miscue allowed the game’s only run to cross.
The Trojans finished with five hits, getting one apiece from Montanez, Fried, Whitney, and Nelson, but were unable to string together a scoring rally.
Defensively, Pahrump Valley turned a 6-4-3 double play to limit damage in the top of the fifth inning
Spring Valley was led offensively by nine-hole hitter Holcombe, who went 2-for-3 to highlight the depth of the Grizzlies’ lineup.
“Spring Valley I would have liked to beat,” Middleton said.
Desert Oasis — Game two
After struggling to scrape together a run the day prior, the Trojans last Saturday in their fourth game of the week came alive early.
Exploding for 13 runs in the first inning against three different pitchers, Pahrump Valley appeared well on their way to break their five-game losing streak.
To the dismay of the program, the Diamondbacks weren’t quite ready to get shown up at home by their former coach.
Desert Oasis combined for 15 runs through the fourth to sixth inning, never quite bowing down to the Trojans’ intimidating lead.
Pahrump Valley sent 15 batters to the plate in the top of the first, capitalizing on early control issues from pitchers Joey Campo, Fernando Nevarez and Jamison Lews, who all combined for five walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Senior Dominic Chiancone opened the scoring by tagging up, followed by RBI contributions from Walker (walk, three-run double), Jacob Selbach (two-run single, RBI double), Samuel Mendoza, Nelson, Dominik Wilson (hit-by-pitch), and V. Whitney, as the Trojans plated double-digit runs in the frame.
Desert Oasis responded quickly, getting on the board with a solo home run by Trevor Lyons in the second before breaking the game open in the fourth.
The Diamondbacks (19-8-1, 4-3) scored seven runs on five hits, aided by multiple Pahrump Valley errors, to erase the deficit and seize momentum.
The hosts continued their surge in the fifth, stringing together hits and capitalizing on another defensive miscue to push ahead for good.
RBI’s from Aidan Smith (single and double), Lyons (sacrifice fly), Dylan Salinas, and Lincoln Guillermo highlighted the inning.
Cimperman took the loss on the mound, allowing six runs over three innings.
Campo struggled with command early for Desert Oasis, surrendering five runs while recording just one out, but the Diamondbacks’ bullpen stabilized the game behind a potent offense.
Pahrump Valley finished with 10 hits, led by Jacob Selbach’s 3-for-4 performance.
Paul Walker and Selbach each drove in three runs, while Nelson added two hits. The Trojans also showed patience at the plate, drawing nine walks.
Desert Oasis countered with 16 hits, paced by Griffith’s four-hit effort. Smith and Lyons each drove in three runs, while Salinas and Guillermo added multiple hits.
The Diamondbacks also drew nine walks and stole five bases in an aggressive offensive showing.
What’s ahead
Following their second game of the split series against Boulder City on the road Wednesday after dropping Monday’s home contest 12-2, the Trojans will have a great opportunity to finish the season undefeated against Moapa Valley, Canyon Springs and Clark.
“That would give us a ton of momentum going into the playoff,” Middleton said. “But right now we’re kind of feeling sorry for ourselves.”
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
