Lady Trojans softball off to roaring-hot start to begin the year
Pahrump Valley softball head coach Brian Hayes wasn’t messing around when he said he believes the sticks are starting to come around last week.
Coming into a fresh season and being able to hold your own against one of the state’s top programs during preseason says a lot.
It speaks volumes to outscore your opponents 34–10 over the first six games of the season.
The Lady Trojans did that and then some in an impressive opening-season tournament last weekend in Needles, Calif.
Participating in the Colorado River Invitational, the girls accumulated five wins in-a-row including a 10-0 rout of rivals Boulder City.
Falling 5-3 to the eventual tournament champions Yuma Catholic High School from Yuma Ariz., the Trojans pushed through three back-to-back double headers to steady their overall record to 5-1.
Game one — Elko
Pahrump Valley already built a quick 5-0 lead by the second inning and held on just long enough to beat Elko 5-3 last Thursday.
The Indians chipped away with three runs on a third-inning double but couldn’t overcome the early deficit.
Scoring in the first, Trojans freshman Jaycie Hayes singled and senior Madison Rodriguez grounded out, further adding runs in the second on hits by Autumn Colon, Hayes and a Rodriguez walk.
Hayes got the start in the circle, allowing three hits and three runs (none earned) over four innings with nine total strikeouts.
Elko senior co-captain Taylor Hunton took the loss on the mound, giving up five hits and five runs (two earned) over three innings of work.
Hayes and fellow freshman Aspen Middaugh each had two hits for the Trojans, while Hayes and Rodriguez drove in two runs apiece.
Senior Abrianna Lesbo led the Indians (2-3) with three RBI’s, while junior Alyson Harzke contributed two hits.
Game two — Williams (AZ)
A strong pitching performance from junior Evalenne Armendariz was just enough for the Trojan’s 7-0 game two victory on Thursday.
Earning the win, Armendariz was able to work through 3.1 innings, surrendering three hits and no runs while striking out five.
Hayes had a showing at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3. Singling in the first and third inning, Jaycie also smacked a double in the fourth inning to center field.
On paper, The Lady Trojans made quick work of Vikings starting pitcher Audrina Baldwin, who’s defense behind her crumbled committing seven total errors in the field while she only surrendered one earned run.
Pahrump Valley jumped on the board first following a past ball that got away from the Vikings catcher as Autum Colon flew home to cross the plate.
Rodriguez reached on a line drive and error to the Vikings right fielder, scoring Hayes.
Advancing on a stolen base and past ball in the second inning, junior Riley Saldana was scored in on a hard single up the middle from the superstar freshman Middaugh.
An error committed at first base by the Vikings (1-3) extended the Pahrump Valley Varsity Trojans lead to 5-0 in the top of the third inning.
Hayes would cap off the afternoon with the double in the fourth that scored Dakota Glenn and Middaugh, closing the Trojans’ 7-0 victory.
Game three — Legacy doesn’t last
Recording a six-run second inning would be really all the Trojans would need to cruise behind the dominate outing in the circle from Armendariz yet again.
This time completing four full frames of work, Armendariz gave up only two earned runs on five hits while striking out four and drawing no walks to the Class 4A Mountain program.
Pahrump Valley took the lead in the bottom of the second inning when Glenn drew a walk, scoring one run; Mariah Gray singled, bringing in two runs; Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, driving in a run, then drew a walk, adding another run; and Freeman singled, scoring one more.
Aspen Middaugh continued to be a spark plug for the top of the Trojan offense as she contributed two hits in the contest.
Through her first 17 at-bats throught the tournament, the shortstop posted a team-best .647 batting average and collected 11 hits from atop of the lineup including three RBI’s, six runs and a triple.
Game four — Boulder City — Hayes near perfect, Rodriguez reaches the moon
The ladies made a bold statement in their second contest Friday facing one of the most storied rivals in the program’s history.
Defeating the Eagles 10-0, starting pitcher Jaycie Hayes threw a no-hitter and was merely one walk surrendered from a perfect game.
Recording eight strikeouts on 69 pitches, the fireworks didn’t stop there as the Trojans finally got their first home run of the year courtesy of a big blast over the left field fence by senior and Grays Harbor College commit, Madison Rodriguez.
Pahrump Valley High School softball senior and Grays Harbor College commit Madison Rodriguez sends her first blast of the season out against Boulder City during the Trojans’ 10-0 victory on Feb. 27 in the Colorado River Invitational tournament in Needles, Calif. pic.twitter.com/ibXkCgS1Ey
— JP (@jaypowers__) March 4, 2026
Quickly jumping out to a 2-0 lead following a fielder’s choice that scored Middaugh, junior Sydney Crotty was drive able to score on an error by Boulder City’s second baseman.
Sadie Freeman would add her own RBI in the bottom half of the second before the Trojans erupted for five runs.
Scoring pinch-runner and junior Natalie Soto on a past ball, the Trojans took a 4-0 lead before Rodriguez quickly lifted a pitch that was sent to the moon for a three-run blast.
With an 8-0 lead after Saldana came around to score after reaching on an error, the Trojans didn’t look back, adding two more runs in the bottom of the 4th with a triple by Saldana and a fielder’s choice by Jaelyn Rodriguez.
Game five — Tolleson (AZ) — Hayes keeps batters in a haze
The first time I witnessed her pitch in person against Bishop Gorman, I couldn’t believe the ball’s velocity out of her hand increased as the game went on.
The freshman phenomena continued to terrorize opposing hitters last Saturday as Jaycie Hayes recorded her third complete game in two weeks, collecting 13 strikeouts to pickup her second shutout of the year.
Totalling 96 pitches on the afternoon — 64 of them impressively finding the zone for strikes — Hayes was able to work through her three walks, more than the two hits she surrendered.
Getting to work right away, Hayes struck out the side with ease.
Her offense immediately picked her up as Middaugh led off the bottom of the first inning with a single on a pop fly to shortstop, before Autumn Colon laid down a bunt and reached by error on the Wolverines first baseman Adamariz Padilla.
Hayes did herself a favor on the mound while at the plate, singling on a hard ground ball to right field that scored Middaugh for the Trojans first run. With Autumn Colon eager to score at third base after advancing on the previous hit, Evalenne Armendariz drove Colon in with an RBI single to left field.
By the end of the second inning, Hayes had already recorded 5 punch outs while leaving two runners stranded she put on base by a walk and a single.
Things would remain scoreless for the next three frames before the Trojans were able to break through by their own merit thanks to a RBI single by Mariah Gray to seal the 3-0 victory.
Game six — Trojans go to war with Yuma Catholic (AZ)
It was the difference of a bad inning that slipped away separating the Trojans from advancing on furher in the single-elimination round of the Colorado River Invitational Tournament.
Committing four errors in the field, the exhaustion of playing three days of consecutive double-headers may have gotten to the program.
Yuma Catholic struck first in the opening frame, scoring on a steal of home and taking advantage of a Pahrump fielding error to put multiple runners in scoring position.
Singles and walks followed, keeping the Trojans on their heels and allowing the Lady Shamrocks to tally multiple runs early.
Pahrump Valley responded in bursts, with Middaugh, Glenn, and J.Rodriguez delivering key singles that advanced runners and produced a run in the third and fourth innings.
Hit-by-pitches and aggressive base-running helped keep Pahrump in striking distance, demonstrating patience at the plate despite a few strikeouts in critical situations.
Hayes was given the ball again in tough circumstances but managed to work around pressure, striking out three and keeping Yuma Catholic close.
Defensively, the Lady Shamrocks were cleaner in the field and capitalized on lack of errors, turning a few double plays and holding the Trojans’ offense at bay.
By the fifth inning, the Trojans had managed multiple base-runners but failed to overtake Yuma Catholic, who continued to extend their lead with singles and a fielder’s choice.
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
