The Pahrump Valley High School softball team officially began its preseason Saturday, February 21, traveling to Las Vegas for an unofficial scrimmage against Faith Lutheran High School. Facing a larger 5A program, the 3A Lady Trojans used the matchup as an early-season measuring stick and an opportunity to evaluate lineups, rotations, and in-game situations before the regular season begins.
Because the contest was a scrimmage, no official score was kept. Any scoring referenced came strictly from this publication’s notes rather than a scoreboard, as both teams focused primarily on development, experimentation, and gaining live-game repetitions.
Pahrump Valley showed patience at the plate immediately. Aspen Middaugh opened the game with a lengthy at-bat that ended in a walk, setting the tone for several competitive plate appearances throughout the afternoon. Jaycie Hayes followed by putting the ball in play and reaching safely, while Mariah Gray advanced the inning with contact back to the pitcher. Although the Lady Trojans did not score in the opening frame, the approach reflected early discipline against a strong Faith Lutheran pitching staff.
Faith Lutheran capitalized on early opportunities in the bottom half of the inning, but Pahrump Valley, led by pitcher Jaycie Hayes, responded by settling defensively and limiting additional damage. Throughout the game, Head Coach Brian Hayes rotated players through multiple positions, allowing the coaching staff to evaluate defensive combinations and depth across the roster.
One of the Lady Trojans’ first offensive highlights came in the second inning. After two outs, Autumn Colon sparked momentum with a double to left-center field. Jaelyn Rodriguez followed with a deep triple over the right fielder’s head, driving in Colon and showcasing the team’s ability to produce extra-base hits against higher-classification competition.
Defensively, Pahrump Valley found its rhythm during the middle innings. Riley Saldaña and Madi Rodriguez contributed solid infield play, while Evalenne Armendariz saw time in the circle as the Lady Trojans worked through pitching rotations. Behind the plate, Mariah Gray helped guide the defense through several clean innings that included strikeouts and routine outs.
The Lady Trojans created another scoring opportunity in the fourth inning when Rodriguez and Colon delivered back-to-back singles and Jaelyn Rodriguez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. While the rally did not result in a big inning, it demonstrated the team’s ability to consistently put pressure on Faith Lutheran’s defense.
Additional contributions came throughout the lineup as players gained valuable experience. Sadie Freeman worked tough at-bats, Dakota Glenn and Myah Krolczyk saw time in the outfield during later innings, and Natalie Soto contributed as a courtesy runner. April Ivy also entered in the circle as Pahrump Valley continued evaluating pitching options late in the game.
According to Head Coach Brian Hayes, the early portion of the scrimmage showed how competitive the Lady Trojans can be when opportunities begin to come together offensively.
“The scrimmage went ok,” Hayes said. “It was a 1–2 game going into the fifth. We had the pitcher on the ropes several times but never got that big hit.”
While Faith Lutheran created separation late, the focus remained on preparation rather than results. Facing a 5A opponent provided valuable early-season experience for a Lady Trojans squad still working through roles and lineup combinations.
“We are still in the process of figuring out a few things,” Hayes said. “We expect to have a better performance in our next scrimmage against Gorman.”
For Pahrump Valley, the afternoon served as a productive first step into the 2026 season. Against a larger-school opponent, the Lady Trojans showed offensive potential, defensive strength, and competitive energy — all encouraging signs as the team continues preseason play and builds toward opening day.
