The Pahrump Valley Little League Jr. All Stars — the Coco Locos — punched their ticket to the Division 4 All-Star Tournament championship game Monday, June 22, using a balanced combination of timely hitting, aggressive baserunning and steady defensive play to earn an 18-8 victory over Summerlin South Little League Jr. All Stars at Mountain Ridge Park.
Pahrump’s offense stayed aggressive throughout the evening while the defense settled in after an early challenge, helping the Coco Locos maintain control and close out one of their strongest performances of tournament play.
Pahrump wasted little time getting on the board in the top of the first.
Bentley Shannon worked a lengthy at-bat before reaching base, and Kasen Smith followed with a walk. Stetson Brown then drew another free pass to put runners aboard and set the table early.
Everett Abelar delivered the first big swing of the night, lining a single into right field to score both Smith and Brown and give Pahrump an early 2-0 advantage.
The Coco Locos continued to pressure the defense as Abelar later came around to score on a wild pitch. Trustin Wagnon added a walk and Antony Aguilar followed with a hard-hit single to keep the inning moving before Pahrump carried a 3-0 lead into the bottom half.
Smith got the start on the mound for the Coco Locos and opened with a steady first inning. After inducing a pop out to Aguilar at first and collecting two strikeouts, Pahrump worked through early traffic despite Summerlin South finding opportunities through walks and an extra-base hit to eventually even the score at 3-3.
The second inning turned into a defensive battle.
Pahrump was held scoreless despite Caleb Morales reaching base, but the Coco Locos continued making routine plays behind their pitcher. Shannon fielded a ground ball cleanly at third and threw across to Aguilar for one out, while Aguilar later combined with Smith on another defensive stop.
Summerlin South briefly moved in front 5-3, but Pahrump never allowed the momentum to linger.
The response came quickly in the third.
Smith opened the inning with a single and Brown followed with a walk before Abelar once again delivered in a key moment. His RBI hit brought both runners home to tie the game at 5-5.
Pahrump continued to apply pressure with active baserunning, eventually taking the lead on a wild pitch before Aguilar added an RBI single and Chris Mize drove in another run with a base hit of his own.
By the end of the inning, the Coco Locos had reclaimed control with an 8-5 advantage.
Defensively, Brown helped anchor the infield during the bottom half. He recorded an out from shortstop and later secured a pop out as Pahrump limited damage and held Summerlin South to just two runs despite traffic on the bases.
The fourth inning belonged to Abelar.
After Shannon reached and Brown again got aboard, Abelar launched a line-drive triple into left field that cleared the bases and extended the lead. Zayne Tuck followed immediately with an RBI single to bring home Abelar and stretch the advantage to 11-7.
On defense, Smith delivered one of his strongest innings of the evening. He struck out the first two batters of the frame before Pahrump closed the inning with a fly ball secured in center by Wagnon.
The Coco Locos put the game away in the fifth.
Mize started the rally with a single before Morales and Shannon worked walks to load the bases. Smith came through with one of the biggest hits of the game, driving a bases-clearing double into right field to score three runs.
Pahrump continued piling on.
Brown reached base again before Tuck worked another patient at-bat. Wagnon then blasted a triple to center field that brought in three more runs. Aguilar continued his strong offensive night with another RBI single and Alan Rodriguez added a line-drive hit to keep the offense rolling.
By the end of the inning, Pahrump had built an 18-7 lead.
Summerlin South added one final run in the bottom of the fifth, but the Coco Locos closed the door defensively. Smith remained on the mound into the final frame before Shannon came in late, and the infield finished the game with another clean defensive sequence to secure the win.
Abelar turned in one of the standout performances of the night, finishing with three hits, including a triple, while driving in six runs and scoring four times. Smith contributed two hits, three RBIs and three runs scored while also throwing 4.1 innings. Aguilar collected three hits and two RBIs, Wagnon added a triple and three RBIs, and Mize finished with two hits and an RBI.
Pahrump finished with 13 hits and received production throughout the lineup as the Coco Locos continued building momentum in tournament play. The victory advanced Pahrump into the Division 4 championship game, giving the team an opportunity to compete for the tournament title after putting together a complete all-around performance at Mountain Ridge Park.
*Photos taken at a previous game.
