The Pahrump Aztecs Silver 17U club baseball team put together a strong all-around performance Tuesday evening at home, sweeping a doubleheader against Liberty by scores of 15-2 and 11-0. The Aztecs combined timely hitting, aggressive baserunning and solid pitching throughout both games while showcasing depth across the lineup and defensive consistency behind multiple pitchers.
In game one, the Aztecs served as the home team and quickly established control early on their way to the 15-2 victory.
Liberty threatened briefly in the top of the first after opening with a single, but the Aztecs immediately responded defensively. Catcher Tristan Torres fired a throw to Ryan Hamlin at shortstop to catch the runner stealing second, and Kevin Farrell followed with a strikeout before Sammy Mendoza fielded a ground ball cleanly at second and threw to Keith Lawrence at first to end the inning.
The Aztecs wasted little time getting the offense rolling in the bottom half. Sammy Mendoza drew a walk and Ryan Hamlin followed with a hard-hit single to center field. Paul Walker then delivered the first big swing of the game, ripping a two-run triple to right field to score both runners and give Pahrump a 2-0 lead. After Tristan Torres was hit by a pitch, Keith Lawrence reached on a fielder’s choice that also brought Walker home on an error, extending the lead to 3-0.
Liberty answered with a run in the second after a leadoff double and RBI single cut the lead to 3-1, but the Aztecs limited further damage. Tristan Torres and Sammy Mendoza teamed up on a defensive play to erase a runner attempting to stretch the hit, and Farrell later helped finish the inning by catching a runner stealing home after another Liberty double.
After a quiet bottom of the second offensively, the Aztecs added on again in the third. Levi Denton was hit by a pitch to begin the inning before Mendoza worked a walk. Hamlin lined an RBI single to center to score Denton, and Walker followed with another RBI hit to make it 5-1. Torres later reached on an error that allowed Hamlin to score, and Farrell capped the inning with an RBI single to left field, pushing the lead to 7-1.
On the mound, Ryan Hamlin took over pitching duties in the third and provided a steady outing. Hamlin struck out the side across portions of the third and fourth innings while working through traffic effectively. In the third, he struck out one batter, induced two groundouts and stranded a runner after a walk. In the fourth, Hamlin struck out three more while allowing just one run despite a pair of singles.
The Aztecs then broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth with an explosive offensive inning.
Levi Denton and Sammy Mendoza opened the inning with back-to-back hits before Hamlin drove a two-run double into left field, later advancing to third on an outfield error. Walker continued his standout game with another RBI triple to center, scoring Hamlin. Tristan Torres added an RBI single, and Kevin Farrell later drove in another run with a double to center field.
Daniel Aguilar followed with an RBI single that plated two more runs, and Urijah Torres added a hit before Austin Abuelar reached on a fielder’s choice that brought another run home. By the end of the inning, the Aztecs had extended the lead to 15-2.
Defensively, the Aztecs closed the game cleanly in the fifth. With Levi Denton moving from center field to pitcher and Ryan Hamlin shifting to shortstop, Pahrump retired the side while allowing just one hit. Denton recorded a strikeout in the inning, while Hamlin handled a ground ball cleanly at short and Keith Lawrence finished another play at first to seal the win.
Walker led the offensive charge in game one with three extra-base hits, including two triples and a double, while driving in four runs. Hamlin collected three hits and multiple RBIs, Mendoza scored three runs, and Farrell, Aguilar, Torres, Stetson Brown and Denton all contributed key hits during the Aztecs’ 14-hit performance.
Game two saw the Aztecs continue their momentum as the visiting team, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back in the 11-0 shutout victory.
After Levi Denton was retired to begin the game, Sammy Mendoza singled and advanced to third following a groundout by Ryan Hamlin. Paul Walker then lined a double to right field to score Mendoza and give the Aztecs a 1-0 lead. Tristan Torres later reached on an error that allowed Walker to score, making it 2-0 after the opening frame.
The Aztecs backed up the early offense with a clean defensive first inning behind starting pitcher Sammy Mendoza. Logan Nunez tracked down a fly ball in right field for the first out, Brown fielded a ground ball at second and threw to Kevin Farrell at first for the second out, and Mendoza finished the inning with a strikeout.
Pahrump’s offense erupted in the second inning.
Farrell opened the inning with a walk before Daniel Aguilar singled and Urijah Torres drove in a run with a hard ground-ball single to center. The Aztecs capitalized on multiple defensive miscues by Liberty, with Austin Abuelar reaching on an error that brought another run home. Stetson Brown added a single, Logan Nunez worked a walk and Levi Denton delivered a two-run single to right field.
Sammy Mendoza later reached on an error that plated another run, and Hamlin followed with an RBI single to center. Walker then reached on a fielder’s choice that also allowed another run to score as the Aztecs pushed the lead to 10-0 by the end of the inning.
Defensively, the Aztecs remained sharp throughout the middle innings. Daniel Aguilar took over on the mound in the second and worked through a minor threat after an error and walk put two runners on. Aguilar responded with a strikeout and a groundout induced to Hamlin at shortstop and Farrell at first to escape the inning scoreless.
In the third, Aguilar struck out another batter and received strong defensive support behind him. Sammy Mendoza handled a ground ball cleanly at third, while Farrell continued to anchor first base defensively. Aguilar worked around a walk and hit batter before inducing another flyout to preserve the shutout.
The Aztecs were held scoreless in the third and fourth innings, but the pitching and defense continued to dominate. Keith Lawrence entered to pitch the fourth and struck out one while stranding two runners. Logan Nunez recorded another defensive play in right field with a flyout to end the inning.
Pahrump added its final run in the fifth. Logan Nunez and Levi Denton both worked walks, and after Denton advanced on a wild pitch, Ryan Hamlin drew another walk. Walker then grounded out, but Denton scored on a catcher’s error to make it 11-0.
Lawrence closed out the game in dominant fashion in the bottom of the fifth. Sammy Mendoza fielded consecutive ground balls cleanly at third base and threw both to Farrell at first for the first two outs before Lawrence ended the game with a swinging strikeout.
The Aztecs finished game two with contributions throughout the lineup. Walker drove in two runs and added a double, Hamlin and Denton each recorded RBIs, while Mendoza, Aguilar, Torres, Brown and others added timely hits during the offensive surge.
Across both games, the Aztecs showcased balanced offense, strong pitching depth and steady defense while improving to another successful night on their home field in Pahrump.
*Photos are available at pvcnphotos.com.
