The Pahrump Aztecs Silver 17U team capped an outstanding summer by capturing the Southern Nevada American Legion Silver Division Championship, finishing a dominant playoff run with a 10-0 victory over the Desert Aces in Sunday’s winner-take-all championship game.
The championship capped a strong playoff run for the Aztecs, who entered the tournament as the visiting team in each of their first three games. Pahrump opened the postseason on Wednesday, July 15, with a hard-fought 6-3 victory over Bonanza in eight innings before following it with a convincing 12-4 win over the Desert Aces (DO) on Thursday, July 16. The Aztecs then earned a 4-3 victory over Golden Spikes (Coronado) on Friday, July 17, handing the previously unbeaten squad its first loss and advancing to the championship round undefeated.
That set up Sunday’s championship at home against the Desert Aces. Because the Aces advanced through the elimination bracket, they needed to defeat Pahrump twice to claim the title. They accomplished the first task with a 13-6 victory in the opening game, forcing a winner-take-all finale.
Rather than letting the loss define their day, the Aztecs responded with one of their most complete performances of the summer.
Cody Fried delivered a masterful performance on the mound, throwing a complete-game three-hit shutout over six innings while striking out five and allowing just one walk. The defense backed him throughout the afternoon, limiting Desert Aces to only three hits while never allowing a runner to cross the plate.
After a scoreless opening inning, Pahrump grabbed the lead in the second. CJ Nelson worked a walk before Daniel Aguilar drove him home with a double to center field, giving the Aztecs a 1-0 advantage.
The offense exploded an inning later.
Levi Denton and Ryan Hamlin both reached to start the third before Paul Walker lined a two-run double to center. Fried followed with an RBI single, Ben Cimperman was hit by a pitch, Sammy Mendoza drew a walk, and Aguilar was hit by another pitch to force home a run. Denton later capped the seven-run inning with a two-run single, stretching the lead to 7-0 and putting the championship firmly in Pahrump’s control.
The Aztecs continued to add on in the fourth when Walker singled, Fried followed with another base hit, and Cimperman lifted a sacrifice fly to score Walker and make it 8-0.
While the offense piled up runs, Fried settled into a rhythm on the mound. He stranded the few runners who reached base and worked efficiently through the middle innings, with the defense making routine plays behind him to keep the Desert Aces off the scoreboard.
Pahrump added two more insurance runs in the sixth. Walker reached on an error before Nelson drove him home with an RBI single. Cimperman singled, Logan Nunez drew a walk, and Aguilar added another RBI single to extend the lead to 10-0. Fried then retired the Desert Aces in the bottom of the sixth to end the game by the mercy rule and clinch the Southern Nevada championship.
The Aztecs finished with 10 hits in the title game. Walker led the offense by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Fried added two hits and an RBI, while Denton, Nelson, Cimperman and Aguilar each contributed key RBIs. Aguilar finished with three RBIs, while Denton and Walker each drove in two. Hamlin, Cimperman and Nelson all crossed the plate multiple times as the lineup produced runs from top to bottom.
Although the championship required a decisive second game after the Desert Aces claimed the opener 13-6, Pahrump’s response demonstrated the resilience the team had developed throughout the summer. The Aztecs quickly put the first loss behind them and answered with their most dominant performance when it mattered most.
Team manager Drew Middleton said the championship was the culmination of a summer focused on long-term growth rather than simply wins and losses.
“Summer baseball is all about development and providing game opportunities for players to play different positions and grow as overall players,” Middleton said.
“I’d say we had an extremely successful summer. Between three teams we had 35-plus players, and between the three teams we played close to 60 games, with over 45 of those games being home in Pahrump. This summer will help the program get deeper and stronger throughout. The baseball program at PVHS is in a good spot moving forward.”
Head coach Ray Montanez praised his players for the way they continued improving throughout the season and responded every time they faced adversity.
“Great team win! These young men got better each week. They believed in the coaches, the process, and each other. We were tested time after time and got up after every time we were knocked down. That all translated to playing team ball the last couple weeks and resulted in bringing home the Silver American Legion Championship,” Montanez said.
“I wouldn’t change anything if we had to do it over again. I was honored to coach every single one of them and I’m thankful for every kid that played this summer. Huge shout out to my assistant coach Thomas Williams and Drew Middleton for all their hard work.”
The championship marked a fitting end to an outstanding summer for the Aztecs, who not only brought home the Southern Nevada Silver Legion title but also helped strengthen the overall depth of the Pahrump Valley High School baseball program heading into the upcoming school year
