The Pahrump Valley High School baseball team delivered a competitive, back-and-forth performance at home on Tuesday, April 7, battling the Meadows Mustangs in a game that featured momentum swings, timely hitting and strong defensive moments throughout.
The Trojans turned to Sammy Mendoza on the mound to start the game, and he quickly settled in after issuing a leadoff walk in the top of the first. Mendoza responded with back-to-back strikeouts, showcasing command and composure, before the defense closed out the inning on a groundout to CJ Nelson at first.
Pahrump Valley wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom half. Tony Whitney sparked the offense with a leadoff single, and after advancing into scoring position, he came home on a sacrifice fly by Kayne Horibe to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead.
The Mustangs answered in the second, capitalizing on a defensive miscue to tie the game at 1-1, but Mendoza limited further damage with help from his defense, including a key groundout to end the inning.
In the third, Meadows was able to string together baserunners and take advantage of a few tough breaks, pushing across three runs to take a 4-1 lead. Despite the setback, the Trojans responded with resilience in the bottom half. Anthony Montanez delivered an RBI single, and Cody Fried later worked a bases-loaded walk to bring home another run, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
Mendoza and the defense regrouped in the fourth, with a strikeout and a pair of routine outs helping to keep the Mustangs off the board. That momentum carried into the bottom of the inning, where the Trojans surged ahead. Another leadoff single from Tony Whitney set the tone, and after manufacturing baserunners, Ben Cimperman tied the game with an RBI single. Moments later, Montanez came through again with a clutch hit to give Pahrump Valley a 5-4 lead.
The Trojans continued to apply pressure in the fifth. Fried led off with a double, eventually moving to third before Tony Whitney lifted a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 6-4.
Defensively, Pahrump Valley remained steady through the middle innings. Mendoza worked efficiently, backed by strong plays from the infield, including clean work from Dominic Chiancone at second and Tony Whitney at shortstop. In the sixth, the Trojans turned in one of their best defensive sequences, highlighted by a caught stealing from Cimperman to Chiancone and a pair of flyouts tracked down by Horibe in center.
Holding a 6-4 lead entering the seventh, the Trojans handed the ball to Horibe on the mound. He opened the inning with a strikeout, but Meadows managed to load the bases and capitalize on the opportunity. A walk brought in one run before a grand slam shifted the momentum, giving the Mustangs a 9-6 advantage.
Pahrump Valley continued to battle in their final at-bats. Dominik Wilson and Tony Whitney each recorded singles to keep the inning alive, but the Mustangs were able to secure the final outs.
Despite the result, the Trojans showed strong offensive production and resilience throughout the game. Montanez led the way with multiple key RBIs, while Tony Whitney consistently set the tone at the top of the lineup with multiple hits and a sacrifice fly. Fried also contributed with a double and an RBI, and Cimperman added a key run-producing hit.
On the mound, Mendoza delivered several solid innings, highlighted by multiple strikeouts and the ability to work through early pressure. Horibe came in late to close, facing a tough situation against a determined Meadows lineup. “Big credit to Sammy Mendoza,” Head Coach Drew Middleton said. “Giving us 6 strong innings, he pitched a really great game.”
Middleton reflected further on both the positives and the tough finish following the game.
“Tough loss. Put yourself in position to win, up 6-4 in the 7th and just couldn’t finish. Offensively we started slow, but hit well in the later innings to put up 5 unanswered runs to put ourselves in that position to win. As rough as that loss is, we have to move past it and continue to fight.”
The Trojans face the Mustangs again on Thursday, April 9 at The Meadows.
