Gators’ 8-run 5th inning sinks Pahrump Valley; Trojans rebound with shutout win over Virgin Valley

Entering the swamp, the Pahrump Valley Lady Trojans struck first, but couldn’t withstand the fifth inning Gator attack that followed.

A sharp double to left field from Riley Saldana carved an early 1-0 edge, but Green Valley answered patiently, knotting the game in the third before the Trojans surged again.

In the fifth, junior Evalenne Armendariz lifted a sacrifice fly and senior Madison Rodriguez punched an RBI single, nudging Pahrump ahead 3-1 — momentum seemingly in hand.

Then came the Green Valley (10-3) bat barrage.

The No. 8 ranked Gators detonated the kill-switch in the bottom half of the inning, an eight-run avalanche capped by senior Lyla Baxter’s towering three-run blast — a swing that flipped the game and hindered the Trojans’ control.

In a blink, 3-1 became 9-3, and the tide never turned back.

The Trojans, despite trailing by six, stayed scrappy and never gave up the fight.

Junior Evalenne Armendariz launched a solo shot in the seventh over the right field wall for her third home run of the season, and Rodriguez drove in another, but the deficit proved too deep.

Pahrump Valley High School junior Evalenne Armendariz launches her third homer of the year against Green Valley High School on Mar. 24. pic.twitter.com/9Gjjb45AYm

— JP (@jaypowers__) March 27, 2026

Pahrump’s bats were not silent—10 hits in all, with Rodriguez, Saldana, and Aspen Middaugh each contributing multi-hit efforts — but they were overshadowed by Green Valley’s 12-hit barrage.

Baxter delivered a near-flawless performance, going 4-for-4 with five RBI’s, leading an offense that also wreaked havoc on the base paths with six steals.

On the mound, Jaycie Hayes showed her strength blowing it past hitters with six strikeouts but was tagged during the fifth, while Green Valley’s own freshman starter, Aria Gonzalez, weathered the damage across six innings, giving up six runs on nine hits, two walks and three strikeouts.

Virgin Valley

Gosh, can that kid Jaycie Hayes pitch.

One hundred thirty-seven pitches later to be exact, and a complete game shutout to show force, the freshman helped propel the Lady Trojans to their first league victory of the year in their first opportunity of the season against rival Virgin Valley 4-0.

The Bulldogs offense flickered but never ignited.

Davie Jo Slack, Julia Leavitt, Mira Vallejo, and Ryleigh Woods each scratched out a hit, accounting for all total bases in a lineup kept firmly in check.

Any chance at momentum unraveled in the details—five defensive errors, including multiple missteps from Ava Noel and Ryleigh Woods, turned routine plays into costly mistakes.

Even on the mound, Virgin Valley sophomore Raylynn Woods battled through 95 pitches against 29 batters, but control of the game steadily slipped away.

Pahrump Valley, meanwhile, made every moment count.

Trimming their four-error total from the game before down to just one, the Trojans were able to stave off giving away extra outs.

“Wednesday’s game was a big step for us defensively. We played a sound, consistent game for a full seven innings,” Pahrump Valley head coach Brian Hayes said. “We’ve had trouble with allowing one bad inning to get us in most our losses.”

Senior Madison Rodriguez laced a double, while Saldana roped her second home run of the year in the fifth to left field for a solo shot to cement the win.

Pahrump Valley High School junior Riley Saldana launches her second home run of the year over the fence against Virgin Valley during the Trojans’ first home league game of the 2026 season on Wednesday, Mar. 25. pic.twitter.com/g5ZkapNoRM

— JP (@jaypowers__) March 27, 2026

Traveling to Virgin Valley this Friday to rematch the Bulldogs, the Lady Trojans are set for first pitch at 3:30 p.m.

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