The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans faced a tough matchup against the Boulder City Eagles on the road, falling 4-1 in a well-fought contest where defense and pitching dominated the day. Despite the final score, the Trojans showed resilience on the field, keeping the game competitive and closing strong as they prepare for their final regular season game and the upcoming playoffs.
Boulder City’s pitching set the tone early, retiring the Trojans in order during the top of the first. Tony Whitney flew out to center field, Vinny Whitney grounded out to second, and Andrew Zurn flew out to second, bringing the Eagles to bat. Aidyn Cratty took the mound for Pahrump and worked through a challenging opening frame. After walking the leadoff batter and allowing a single, the Trojans defense executed a pair of fielder’s choice plays to limit damage, though one run crossed the plate. A fly out to right field ended the inning with the Eagles up 1-0.
In the top of the second, Cratty helped his own cause with a double to left field, followed by an RBI single from Ben Cimperman that brought him home to tie the game. Chris Nelson and Kayne Horibe both struck out swinging, and after TC Hone was hit by a pitch to put two on, Dominic Chiancone struck out to end the threat. The Trojans held firm in the bottom half of the inning, allowing a single but securing outs with strong fielding, including a pop out to shortstop and a strikeout looking.
The third inning saw the Eagles stifle the Trojans’ momentum with a quick three up, three down. Boulder City capitalized in the bottom of the third, leading off with a single and then blasting a two-run home run to extend their lead to 3-1. They followed with another single, but solid fielding including a fly out and a rare batter interference call brought the inning to a close.
Boulder City continued to apply pressure in the fourth, adding another run on a double after a leadoff single. From there, the Trojans defense tightened. Dominik Wilson came in to relieve Cratty in the bottom of the fifth and did his job effectively, keeping the Eagles from scoring for the remainder of the game and closing out the sixth with a composed performance on the mound.
While the Trojans were unable to get the bats going again after the second inning, they continued to battle defensively, showing their discipline and poise even against a strong Eagles squad. With one more regular season game remaining at home on May 1, Pahrump Valley looks ahead to the postseason with determination and focus. Playoffs begin the week of May 5, and the Trojans will aim to carry their season’s hard work and teamwork into the next phase of competition.
*Photos are from a game earlier this season.
