The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans wasted no time setting the tone on the road Wednesday, April 29, building an early lead and holding off a late push to secure a 6-5 victory over Clark.
The Trojans’ offense came alive immediately in the top of the first inning. After Tony Whitney opened with a fly out, CJ Nelson sparked the rally with a walk, followed by Dominic Wilson being hit by a pitch and Kayne Horibe drawing another walk to load the bases. Vinny Whitney delivered the first big swing of the day, ripping a hard ground ball single to left that brought in two runs and gave Pahrump Valley an early 2-0 lead.
The pressure didn’t stop there. Cody Fried reached on an error that allowed another run to score, and Ben Cimperman followed with a line-drive double to center, pushing the lead to 4-0. Dominic Chiancone added an RBI single later in the inning, and with aggressive baserunning and a passed ball mixed in, the Trojans capped a five-run opening frame to take firm control at 5-0.
In the circle, Sammy Mendoza got the start for Pahrump Valley and settled in quickly after the offense backed her up. She struck out the first batter she faced in the bottom of the first and worked around a hit batter and a walk. Clark managed to get on the board with the help of a defensive miscue, but Mendoza limited the damage and kept the Trojans comfortably in front at 5-1.
Both teams settled into a defensive rhythm over the next couple of innings. The Trojans were retired in order in the second, while Mendoza and the defense responded with a clean frame that included a strikeout, a groundout to Chiancone at second, and a lineout handled by Nelson at first.
Clark threatened in the third with a leadoff double, but the Trojans’ defense stood tall. Nelson recorded a pop out at first, Tony Whitney handled a ground ball at short, and Chiancone closed the inning with another groundout, stranding the runner at third and preserving the four-run advantage.
Pahrump Valley looked to add on in the fourth when Cimperman reached on an error and Tony Whitney later singled, but Clark escaped the inning without allowing a run. The Trojans’ defense answered again in the bottom half, highlighted by a pitching change to Cody Fried, who struck out two batters and helped keep Clark off the scoreboard.
The Trojans threatened again in the fifth as Wilson and Vinny Whitney each collected base hits, but Clark’s pitcher worked out of the jam to keep it a 5-1 game. Clark answered in the bottom half, stringing together a pair of hits and scoring on a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 5-2.
Pahrump Valley added an important insurance run in the sixth. Tony Whitney reached on a walk, stole second, and later scored when Nelson drove a double into the gap. Though Nelson was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, the Trojans had extended their lead to 6-2.
Clark mounted its biggest challenge in the bottom of the sixth. A two-run home run quickly trimmed the margin, and the Chargers followed with additional hits and a run-scoring single to make it a one-run game at 6-5. With the momentum shifting, Tony Whitney stepped into the circle to help close out the inning, recording a key strikeout before the defense secured the final out and stopped the rally.
In the top of the seventh, Horibe added a double and showed aggressive baserunning by stealing third, but Clark held the Trojans from adding to their total, setting up a tense final frame.
With the game on the line, Pahrump Valley turned to Ben Cimperman in the circle. The Trojans’ defense backed him up with a strong final inning. A fly out to Horibe in center field recorded the first out, and Cimperman followed with back-to-back strikeouts to shut the door and seal the 6-5 win.
Offensively, Vinny Whitney led the way with multiple hits and key RBIs, while Nelson and Cimperman each delivered extra-base hits in crucial moments. The Trojans’ first-inning surge proved to be the difference, while a combined effort in the circle from Mendoza, Fried, Tony Whitney, and Cimperman helped navigate the late pressure.
With timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and clutch pitching down the stretch, the Trojans put together a complete performance to earn the hard-fought road victory. The win closes out the regular season, and Pahrump Valley now turns its focus to the postseason. The Trojans will open playoffs on Thursday, May 7, taking on The Meadows Mustangs in Boulder City with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m.
*Photos are from a game earlier this season.
