The Pahrump Valley High School baseball team and the Lady Trojans softball programs both suffered losses to Needles at home last week.
Although both teams kept their games close, the Mustangs’ late game rallies were ultimately the deciding factor in each game.
Following their latest tournament victory against the Skyridge Falcons from Lehi, Utah, the Lady Trojans entered the contest with a 9-4 record wanting to translate that energy over from their last game.
In a high scoring affair, a total of 46 runs and 44 total hits combined between the two teams.
The Lady Trojans scored 18 runs in the first five innings sparked by a seven-run influx in the fifth inning giving the Lady Trojans a sizable 18-10 lead going into the sixth inning.
Sophomores Riley Saldana and Evalenne Armendariz played pivotal roles for the Lady Trojans at the plate. Saldana went 5-3 at the plate with two home runs and five RBI’s. Armendariz also had a home run, batting 3-2 on the day and one RBI.
The Lady Trojans had a sizable lead before Needles stormed back with back-to-back multiple run innings. The Mustangs scored seven runs in the sixth and followed it with eight runs in the seventh. Those late big innings secured the win for Needles, 25-21.
“When you hit seven home runs and still lose, something’s gotta give,” Lady Trojans head coach Brian Hayes said. “We have to get better defensively if we want to have a chance in the playoffs.”
The Lady Trojans record falls to 9-5 on the season.
Baseball
The Trojans baseball program came into the game 11-3-1 after losing their last tight matchup against Moapa Valley 4-2.
Aidyn Cratty, who has been the offensive catalyst for the Trojans put his hitting on full display after going a perfect 4-4 at the plate, launching his first home run of the season and the first for the Trojans this season.
The Trojans outhit Moapa Valley with a .417 batting average on the day, but still couldn’t put more runs on the board.
Sophomore Cody Fried got the call on the bump for the Trojans as the sophomore pitched four innings and struck out seven batters, allowing only two runs before being pulled from the game.
The Trojans after trailing 5-6 at the end of the fifth inning, tied the game in the seventh inning following a single on a hard ground ball to shortstop from senior Andrew Zurn.
The Mustangs bats came alive and Needles rallied off four runs to finish the extra-inning game in the eighth. The Trojans fought until the very end but fell to Needles, 10-6.
Contact reporter Johnathan Harris at HARRIJ29@unlv.nevada.edu.