After coming off a challenging five-game tournament where they went 2-3, the Pahrump Valley High School Trojans softball team bounced back in a big way with a commanding 15-0 win over Democracy Prep on Monday, March 3.
The Trojans wasted no time setting the tone, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Lead-off batter Autumn Colon got things rolling with a single, followed by Riley Saldaña reaching first on a walk. Evalenne Armendariz added another single before Madison Rodriguez crushed a triple, bringing runners across the plate. Rodriguez was tagged out attempting to score on a later play, but Kayla Glenn capped off the inning’s scoring efforts. The bases were loaded once again, but a strikeout ended the early offensive push.
On the mound, Glenn took charge with dominant pitching, keeping the Blue Knights off the bases with a quick three-up, three-down inning in the bottom of the first.
The second inning saw the Trojans batting through their lineup again, starting with Riley Saldaña reaching base on a walk. The offense exploded with three consecutive doubles from Armendariz, Danika Cox-Hosino, and Rodriguez, each driving in runs. Glenn and Ava Chiancone followed with singles, setting up a timely double by Kayleen Carranza. Ryleigh Denton reached base with a walk but was left stranded as the Trojans tallied six more runs to extend their lead to 10-0.
Democracy Prep continued to struggle offensively against Glenn’s pitching, going four up, three down in the bottom of the second.
Armendariz delivered a statement in the top of the third, connecting on a pitch for a powerful home run. However, the Blue Knights defense kept the inning short, limiting the Trojans to just one run. Glenn and the Trojans’ defense remained strong, once again retiring the side with a four-up, three-down inning to maintain their 11-0 lead.
In the fourth, the Trojans reignited their offensive momentum. Kayleen Carranza led off but grounded out. Denton followed with a single, using smart base running to position herself to score. Colon walked, Saldaña lined out, and Armendariz doubled, bringing in more runs. Cox-Hosino singled, and a series of wild pitches helped advance runners and add to the Trojans’ total, finishing the inning with a 15-0 lead.
The Blue Knights failed to find their rhythm, going three up, three down in the bottom of the fourth, sealing the shutout victory for the Trojans.
“It wasn’t much of a contest, but we did what we needed to do,” said Head Coach Brian Hayes. “Evalenne had four hits, including a home run, and drove in five, while KG (Kayla Glenn) allowed only two baserunners and struck out six.”
The Trojans’ dominant performance serves as a strong statement as they continue their season, looking to build on their success moving forward.
*A special thank you to Jessica Saldaña for the pictures.
