The Pahrump Aztecs Silver 14U battled through a back-and-forth contest Tuesday evening, July 7, earning a dramatic 6-5 walk-off victory over Sierra Vista at home after overcoming a late comeback and capitalizing on an opportunity in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Pahrump wasted little time taking control of the game behind starting pitcher Kasen Smith, who worked out of a first-inning hit-by-pitch by retiring the side without allowing a run. Defensively, catcher Zayne Tuck threw out the first batter on a ground ball to first baseman Sawyer Tillery, while center fielder Everett Abelar and right fielder Anthony Aguilar each tracked down fly balls to end the inning.
The Aztecs’ offense answered immediately in the bottom half. Bentley Shannon opened with a walk before Smith lined a single into left field. Although Sierra Vista caught Shannon trying to advance to third, Abelar drew a walk to keep the inning alive. After Stetson Brown struck out, Tuck was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tillery patiently worked a bases-loaded walk to force home Smith for the game’s first run before Trustin Wagnon delivered the biggest swing of the inning, lining a single to right field that scored both Abelar and Tuck for a 3-0 advantage.
Smith navigated some traffic in the second inning after allowing a leadoff single, a hit batter and a walk, but he escaped the jam with a fly out to Brown at shortstop before freezing the final batter with a called third strike.
The Aztecs extended their lead in the bottom of the second. Shannon singled to start the inning and later advanced into scoring position. After Brown was hit by a pitch and Tuck reached on an infield single to load the bases, Tillery came through again with a line-drive double to left, driving home Shannon and Brown to stretch the lead to 5-0. Although Tuck was thrown out attempting to score, the Aztecs had built a comfortable cushion.
Sierra Vista broke through in the third, using a walk, a single and a fielder’s choice to plate its first run. Smith limited the damage with a groundout to Tillery at first before Abelar made another solid play in center field to end the inning.
Neither team managed much offensively in the fourth. Sierra Vista put a runner aboard on an error, but the Aztecs’ defense responded with consecutive fly-ball outs to Aguilar in right field and Tillery at first before recording the final out on a ground ball. On offense, Abelar drew a walk but was erased attempting to steal second as the game remained 5-1.
Sierra Vista mounted their biggest threat in the fifth after Abelar took over on the mound. A double and a walk put pressure on the Aztecs before another double trimmed the lead to 5-3. Abelar responded with back-to-back strikeouts to put Pahrump on the verge of escaping the inning, but Sierra Vista added another run on an error to make it a one-run game.
Pahrump threatened to answer in the bottom half. Tillery reached after being hit by a pitch, Wagnon singled, and Isaiah Samayoa added another base hit to load the pressure on Sierra Vista’s defense. Chris Mize Jr. later worked a walk, but the visitors escaped before the Aztecs could push across an insurance run.
Sierra Vista completed its comeback in the sixth. A walk, aggressive baserunning and an infield error allowed the tying run to cross the plate, evening the score at 5-5. The Aztecs nearly answered in the bottom of the inning when Abelar singled and advanced into scoring position, but the rally stalled with the game still deadlocked entering the final frame.
Aguilar came on to pitch the seventh and delivered exactly what Pahrump needed. He struck out the first two batters he faced before allowing a two-out single. After the runner stole second, the Aztecs recorded the final out on a fly ball to Tillery at first, keeping the game tied and giving the offense one last opportunity.
The Aztecs made the most of it.
Tillery was retired to open the bottom of the seventh, but Wagnon sparked the rally with his third hit of the evening. Samayoa followed with a single to put two runners aboard before Maddox Augustine laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving both runners into scoring position. With the pressure mounting, a passed ball allowed Wagnon to race home with the winning run, sealing the 6-5 walk-off victory for the Aztecs.
*Photos from a game earlier this season.
