The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans put on a dominant performance at home on April 1, shutting out the Sunrise Mountain Miners with a decisive 7-0 victory.
With Vinny Whitney on the mound, the Trojans came out strong, setting the tone early. The top of the first inning was a quick one as the Trojans went three up, three down. A groundout to shortstop Aidyn Cratty, with the throw to first baseman Andrew Zurn, was followed by back-to-back strikeouts by Whitney to close the half-inning in commanding fashion.
The bottom of the first showcased Pahrump’s offensive power. Tony Whitney got things started with a single to center field and advanced to second on a balk. After stealing third, he scored on a Vinny Whitney single to left. Zurn followed with a double, driving in Vinny. Cratty added a single, and Kayne Horibe brought both Zurn and Cratty home with a hard-hit double to left. Though the next three batters were retired, the Trojans had already built a 4-0 lead.
The Miners continued to struggle at the plate in the top of the second, managing only a walk before being retired. In the bottom half, Cody Fried led off with a single to left and advanced all the way to third on defensive errors. Tony Whitney’s single drove in Fried, and a sacrifice fly from Vinny Whitney brought Tony home, extending the lead to 6-0.
Sunrise Mountain’s third inning mirrored the previous two—minimal offense and no runs. In the bottom of the third, Aaron Rily reached base with a single and advanced on an error. Dominic Chiancone, batting for Tony Whitney, delivered a single to right to bring Rily home before being caught stealing to end the inning with the Trojans up 7-0.
The fourth inning saw more of the same from the Trojans’ defense. Despite a single from Vinny Whitney and a walk drawn by Dominik Wilson, Pahrump didn’t add to their lead but kept the pressure on.
Though the remaining innings went scoreless, the Trojans took advantage of the opportunity to rotate in bench players, giving valuable playing time to more athletes while maintaining the shutout. Behind solid pitching, timely hits, and smart baserunning, Pahrump Valley walked away with a strong win that showcased their depth and discipline on the field.
