The Pahrump Valley High School baseball team welcomed a special group of fans to the field on Monday, April 13, as members of Pahrump Valley Little League were in attendance and had the opportunity to run out alongside the Trojans prior to first pitch, creating a memorable moment for the young athletes before the game began. Pahrump Valley then took on the Boulder City Eagles at home in a matchup that featured strong moments early before the visitors gained momentum in the later innings.
Kayne Horibe got the start on the mound for the Trojans and opened the game with confidence. After working through a full count, Horibe recorded a strikeout to begin the afternoon. Boulder City managed to put pressure on with a walk and a double to right field, and a sacrifice fly brought in the game’s first run. The Trojans limited further damage, though, with a lineout to center fielder Cody Fried to end the inning with the Trojans trailing 1-0.
Pahrump Valley looked to respond immediately in the bottom half. Tony Whitney led off with a solid single to right, but the Eagles turned a quick double play to erase the momentum. Ben Cimperman battled at the plate but ultimately struck out to end the inning.
Back on defense in the second, Horibe continued to work through traffic. He struck out the leadoff batter, but an error and a pair of base hits helped Boulder City add another run to extend the lead to 2-0. Despite the pressure, Horibe stayed composed and picked up another strikeout before the Trojans defense closed the inning.
The Trojans answered in a big way in the bottom of the second. Cody Fried was hit by a pitch to get things started, and Horibe followed with a walk. After a fielder’s choice and a groundout moved runners into scoring position, Dominic Chiancone delivered a clutch two-out single to right field, driving in both Vinny Whitney and Horibe to tie the game at 2-2. The inning ended on the basepaths, but the Trojans had evened things up.
Horibe and the defense settled in during the third inning. The Trojans recorded two quick groundouts, with Anthony Montanez making a clean play at third and CJ Nelson handling the throw at first. An error allowed a runner to reach, but the inning ended with another groundout, keeping the game tied.
Offensively, Pahrump Valley continued to put the ball in play in the bottom of the third. CJ Nelson singled up the middle, but the Eagles’ pitcher worked out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts to keep the score even.
Boulder City regained the lead in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a walk and timely hitting. A single brought in one run, and a double to center field plated two more, pushing the Eagles ahead 5-2. Horibe showed resilience, finishing the inning with a strikeout to limit further damage.
The Trojans threatened in the bottom of the fourth when Horibe helped his own cause with a standout moment at the plate, ripping a triple to center field. Despite the opportunity, the Eagles’ defense held firm, stranding Horibe at third and keeping the deficit at three runs.
In the fifth inning, Boulder City broke the game open. A combination of errors, walks and key hits led to a big inning for the Eagles, highlighted by a multi-run home run that extended the lead. The Trojans cycled through pitchers, with Vinny Whitney and Dominik Wilson taking the mound, and despite their efforts, Boulder City pushed the score further out of reach.
Pahrump Valley continued to compete in the bottom of the fifth. Chiancone put the ball in play, and Tony Whitney added a sharp double to right field to give the Trojans another baserunner. However, the Eagles recorded the final outs to secure the win.
Despite the final score, there were positive takeaways for the Trojans. Horibe delivered a strong performance on the mound through the early innings and contributed offensively with a triple and a run scored. Chiancone’s two-RBI single in the second inning provided a key highlight, while Nelson and Tony Whitney each added hits in the effort.
After the game, Head Coach Drew Middleton kept things in perspective, noting, “Kayne threw well, better than the box score shows.”
The Trojans will look to build on the positives and continue working as they prepare for their next opportunity on the field.
