The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans baseball team fought hard in a thrilling matchup against the Lake Mead Christian Academy Eagles on Wednesday, March 26, ultimately falling just short in a 7-6 loss on the road.
The game started slow offensively for the Trojans as they went three up, three down in the first inning, but their defense showed grit early. Tony Whitney recorded a ground out and a strikeout before a walk and a double allowed the Eagles to score their first run. Whitney quickly recovered with another ground out to end the inning down 1-0.
In the second, Andrew Zurn gave the Trojans a spark by reaching base after being hit by a pitch, eventually advancing to third. However, a pair of ground outs and a line out ended the inning with Zurn left stranded. Whitney stayed strong on the mound, striking out two in the bottom of the second, though the Eagles added to their lead with another run on a single.
The Trojans struggled to get their bats going through the third inning, while the Eagles tacked on two more runs in the bottom half, capitalizing on a triple, a single, and a steal of home after a fielding error, bringing the score to 4-0.
The top of the fourth brought life to the Trojans’ dugout. Aidyn Cratty led off with a single and showed aggressive baserunning by stealing both second and third. He later scored on a pop-out from Kayne Horibe, putting Pahrump on the board. In the bottom of the inning, Cody Fried took over on the mound and kept his composure despite loading the bases, allowing just two more runs while striking out two to limit further damage.
Though two runners reached base in the top of the fifth, the Trojans were unable to convert, leaving them trailing 6-1. Fried kept up the pressure on the mound in the bottom of the inning, picking off a runner at first, striking out another, and ending the inning with a fly out to right fielder Aaron Riley.
Refusing to back down, the Trojans mounted a comeback in the sixth. After Horibe walked and Zurn singled, Chris Nelson brought Horibe home with a hit to center. Vinny Whitney followed with a clutch double, scoring both Zurn and Nelson, then advancing to third on the throw. Ben Cimperman followed with a single to left field to bring Whitney home, narrowing the Eagles’ lead to just one. Courtesy runner Dominic Chiancone replaced Cimperman but was picked off, and a fly out ended the inning with the Trojans closing the gap to 6-5.
Fried stayed dominant on the mound in the bottom of the sixth, striking out two and stranding two runners after an error and a hit-by-pitch.
In the top of the seventh, the Trojans tied the game. Tony Whitney singled, and later scored on a balk by the Eagles’ pitcher while Zurn added another hit to center. The inning ended with the game knotted at 6-6.
The Eagles managed to squeeze out the win in the bottom of the seventh, scoring the game-winning run on a pair of singles after a hit-by-pitch, ending a closely contested game with a final score of 7-6.
Despite the narrow loss, the Trojans displayed resilience, determination, and a never-quit attitude, nearly completing a remarkable comeback on the road. Their performance bodes well for the rest of the season as they continue to grow stronger as a team.
*A special thank you to Kadee Wilkerson for the photos.
