The Pahrump Valley Little League Senior All-Stars — competing as the Fire Fighters — wrapped up their first-ever Division 4 tournament appearance at Children’s Memorial Park in Las Vegas with two competitive outings that showcased determination, flashes of strong execution and plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future of the program.
Facing experienced competition in both contests, Pahrump battled through an extra-inning thriller against Western Little League on Monday, June 22 before returning Tuesday, June 23 to take on Mt. Ridge Little League. While the results did not fall in their favor, the Fire Fighters continued to compete through the final outs and represented Pahrump well in their inaugural Senior All-Star season.
Against Western, Pahrump found itself in a back-and-forth game that never felt out of reach.
Western opened with a first-inning run, but the Fire Fighters answered immediately. Andrew Chastain reached to begin the home half and used aggressive baserunning to move into scoring position. Logan Nunez reached on a dropped third strike and Chastain came home to even the score at 1-1.
Nunez took the ball to start and delivered one of the standout performances of the tournament. Working deep into the game, he continued to attack the zone and kept Pahrump within striking distance despite Western applying pressure throughout the middle innings.
Western built a lead over the next several innings, but the Fire Fighters never backed away.
Jose Aguilar helped spark the offense in the third with a line-drive single after Chastain again created pressure on the bases and scored. Pahrump continued to manufacture runs and stay connected.
The biggest response came in the fifth.
After Eli Stepp opened the inning and Pahrump loaded traffic on the bases, Aguilar collected another hit and Tristin Johnson worked a walk. Austin Abelar drew an RBI walk before Kain Johnson drove in another run on a fielder’s choice. Deston Clinton added pressure with patience at the plate and aggressive baserunning helped Pahrump complete a four-run inning to tie the game at 6-6.
Defensively, Pahrump made several timely plays to extend the game. Kain Johnson was involved in multiple infield outs, Aguilar provided steady work at shortstop and Clinton recorded important plays behind the plate, including cutting down a run attempt in the seventh inning to preserve the tie.
With the game tied after regulation, the contest moved into extra innings.
Western eventually broke through in the eighth, but Pahrump continued to push. Nathan Elliott started on second under the extra-inning format and eventually scored to trim the margin before the Fire Fighters put the tying run opportunity at the plate. The comeback attempt ultimately came up short in a hard-fought 10-7 loss.
After the game, manager Lou Banuelos focused less on the final score and more on what the team showed in its first Senior All-Star experience.
“It was a very good game, very entertaining baseball,” Banuelos said. “When you do entertaining baseball, it’s always good baseball. Too bad somebody had to win or lose.”
Banuelos noted that this marked Pahrump’s first season bringing a Senior division team into All-Stars and said the group handled the moment well.
“We represented ourselves well. We played baseball.”
He also praised Nunez’s effort on the mound.
“He did very well. He got right to 95 pitches and that’s where we had to pull him. He threw a lot of strikes and did a very good job for a 15-year-old — an up-and-comer.”
Banuelos acknowledged that limited practice opportunities and athletes balancing multiple sports can create challenges but emphasized that the group showed potential.
“It doesn’t mean we cannot come over that hurdle and do something better. What it does mean is they’ve got to practice.”
Looking ahead at the time, Banuelos remained confident.
Pahrump returned Tuesday to face Mt. Ridge and again showed the ability to answer adversity.
The Fire Fighters struck first when Nathan Elliott worked aboard and eventually scored to take an early lead. Eli Stepp got the start on the mound and worked through early pressure before Pahrump’s offense exploded in the third inning.
Aguilar ignited the rally with a triple to right field and Angelo Haubrich followed with another triple to tie the game. Moments later, Abelar delivered an RBI single to put Pahrump ahead 4-3.
The Fire Fighters added another big inning in the fourth.
Deston Clinton delivered one of his strongest offensive performances of the tournament with multiple hits, Kain Johnson added a base hit, Chastain reached and helped create pressure, and Nunez delivered a two-run single that expanded the lead. Pahrump added another run through aggressive baserunning to build an 8-5 advantage.
As the game continued, Pahrump kept fighting.
Jose Aguilar continued his productive tournament with another triple and additional RBIs, while Chastain added a late RBI single. Nathan Elliott consistently created opportunities on the bases and Clinton continued to contribute offensively.
On the defensive side, Aguilar moved to the mound and recorded key strikeouts while Kain Johnson and Deston Clinton combined on several outs in the field. Even as Mt. Ridge created separation late, the Fire Fighters continued to put runners aboard and forced the game to remain competitive until the final inning.
Pahrump closed the tournament with an 11-14 result but left Las Vegas with valuable experience and a foundation to build from.
For a first Senior All-Star appearance, the Fire Fighters showed they could compete, respond to adversity and battle through high-pressure moments — including taking an extra-inning game deep against a strong Western squad.
And if Banuelos’ postgame message was any indication, this group believes it is only the beginning.
*All photos are from game 1.
