The Pahrump Valley High School baseball team faced a challenging but productive stretch of games at the Durango Classic Tournament, competing over three days from Monday, March 16 through Wednesday, March 18. Taking on a mix of tough opponents, the Trojans showed resilience throughout the tournament, highlighted by two dominant wins to close out play.
The tournament opened Monday with a matchup against the host Durango Trailblazers, where the Trojans fell 11-1 despite a strong start offensively. Tony Whitney led off the game with a single, followed by Vinny Whitney being hit by a pitch and Ben Cimperman reaching to load the bases. However, the Trojans were unable to capitalize on the early opportunity.
Durango responded quickly, putting up runs in the first and second innings to take control of the game. The Trojans managed to get on the board in the second inning when Dominic Chiancone tripled and later scored on a wild pitch. Despite continued efforts at the plate, Pahrump Valley was unable to keep pace as Durango added runs in multiple innings, eventually ending the game early via the mercy rule.
On Tuesday morning, the Trojans faced Mater East Academy and battled through a competitive contest before falling 9-3. Once again, Pahrump Valley showed early offensive promise. Tony Whitney singled to start the game, and Cody Fried later drove him in with a double to give the Trojans an early lead.
Mater East answered quickly, putting up three runs in the bottom of the first. The Trojans continued to fight, tying the game in the fourth inning after a sequence that included a single from Tony Whitney, a sacrifice bunt by Vinny Whitney, and an RBI single from Ben Cimperman.
The game remained within reach, but Mater East pulled away in the later innings, capitalizing on timely hits and a few defensive miscues. Anthony Montanez led a strong effort at the plate for the Trojans, contributing multiple key hits throughout the game.
The momentum shifted in a big way later that day as the Trojans delivered a commanding 14-4 win over the Moapa Valley Pirates. With Dominik Wilson on the mound to start, the Trojans settled in after a tightly contested opening inning and quickly took control.
Offensively, Pahrump Valley erupted in the second inning. Tony Whitney showcased aggressive baserunning, stealing home as part of a big rally. Ben Cimperman and Cody Fried each delivered extra-base hits, driving in multiple runs to extend the lead. The Trojans continued to apply pressure throughout the game, combining disciplined at-bats with smart baserunning.
Defensively, the team tightened up as well, holding the Pirates in check over several innings. Kayne Horibe came in to pitch later in the game, helping maintain the lead. The Trojans sealed the victory in the sixth inning, capitalizing on walks, timely hits, and an error to end the game by mercy rule.
Carrying that momentum into Wednesday’s final game, the Trojans put together their most complete performance of the tournament in a dominant 17-1 victory over Cimarron-Memorial.
After a scoreless first inning, the Trojans broke through in the second. Tristan Torres doubled to drive in Jack Walker, and Tony Whitney followed with an RBI single. The offense continued to roll as the Trojans capitalized on walks and timely hitting to build a 4-0 lead.
The third inning saw an offensive explosion. Extra-base hits from Jacob Selbach and Tony Whitney, along with RBI singles from Anthony Montanez, Ben Cimperman and Cody Fried, pushed the lead to 9-1.
Pahrump Valley continued to pile on runs in the fourth and fifth innings, highlighted by a two-RBI hit from Dominic Chiancone and a string of productive at-bats from the bottom of the lineup. Contributions came from throughout the roster, including Kevin Farrell, Paul Walker, Sam Mendoza and Leland Delgado, as the Trojans showcased their depth.
On the mound, the Trojans were equally effective. Vinny Whitney started strong, and Ben Cimperman came in for relief, helping hold Cimarron-Memorial to minimal offense. The game ended in the fifth inning with the Trojans firmly in control, 17-1.
Over the course of the three-day tournament, the Trojans demonstrated growth, resilience and the ability to bounce back from early setbacks. After opening with two losses, Pahrump Valley responded with back-to-back dominant wins, outscoring their final two opponents 31-5.
Head Coach Drew Middleton reflected on the tournament saying, “Tournament started with a really good opponent in Durango. They threw a D1 commit throwing 88-91 at us which is an awesome arm for us to see and learn from. We had our chances in the game but didn’t deliver key hits, while Durango found a way to cash in many key at bats. That was the difference in the game. The Mater East game we shouldn’t have lost. But after 3 straight tough losses, it feels like you’re running up hill and have everything going against you. It was one of those games that we made way too many mistakes. Mater was decent, they hit the ball well. But we feel like we shouldn’t have lost that game. The Moapa and Cimarron games are credit to our guys. Again after 4 rough losses, you can hang your head and feel sorry for yourself, or you can punch back and fight. They did exactly what they should do against Moapa and Cimarron. They were two good games to get us some confidence going into the opening week of league play against Virgin Valley next week.”
With strong performances across the lineup and solid pitching efforts, the Trojans leave the Durango Classic with valuable experience and momentum as they continue their season.
*Photos are from games earlier this season.
