The Pahrump Valley High School softball team put together an impressive showing on Friday, March 13 at the St. George Classic, delivering two strong performances in back-to-back games against South Summit and Skyline. Behind dominant pitching, aggressive base running and timely hitting, the Trojans controlled both matchups from start to finish.
In their opening game against South Summit, the Trojans wasted no time setting the tone. With Jaycie Hayes in the circle, Pahrump’s defense came out sharp, retiring the side in order in the top of the first with two fly outs and a ground out.
Offensively, the Trojans struck early. Aspen Middaugh jumpstarted the inning with a triple to left field and came home moments later on a groundout by Mariah Gray to give Pahrump a 1-0 lead. While the Trojans threatened further with multiple runners on base, South Summit managed to escape the inning without additional damage.
From there, Hayes took control. She delivered a dominant performance in the circle, recording multiple strikeouts and repeatedly shutting down South Summit’s lineup. Through the first several innings, the Trojans’ defense held firm, consistently going three up, three down and keeping any potential rally at bay.
The game broke open in the bottom of the third inning as Pahrump capitalized on defensive miscues and kept constant pressure on the bases. Mariah Gray and Jaycie Hayes both reached on errors, setting the stage for a big inning. Madison Rodriguez, Evalenne Armendariz and Jaelyn Rodriguez all contributed as the Trojans strung together hits, patient at-bats and aggressive base running. By the time the inning ended, Pahrump had built a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Trojans continued to add on in the fourth, with M. Rodriguez working a walk and using her speed on the bases before runs came in off a groundout by J. Rodriguez and a line-drive single from Riley Saldaña.
With Hayes continuing to dominate in the circle and the defense playing clean behind her, the Trojans carried an 8-0 lead into the final inning. They wasted no time finishing the job, loading the bases once again and pushing across two more runs. A bunt single by Madison Rodriguez and a productive groundout by Armendariz sealed the 10-0 victory by mercy rule.
In the second game of the night, the Trojans carried that momentum into a matchup against Skyline and delivered an even more explosive performance.
With Evalenne Armendariz taking over pitching duties, Pahrump once again started strong defensively. Despite a leadoff walk, the Trojans quickly settled in, recording outs with solid fielding and smart plays to limit Skyline’s opportunities.
Then came an offensive outburst that put the game out of reach almost immediately.
The Trojans erupted for a massive first inning, sending a wave of batters to the plate and taking full advantage of both hits and defensive errors. Aspen Middaugh got things going with a single, and the lineup followed with a combination of patience and power. Madison Rodriguez delivered a key RBI single early, while Armendariz and Jaelyn Rodriguez added to the scoring with timely hits.
Pahrump’s aggressive base running and ability to capitalize on errors proved overwhelming. Jaycie Hayes highlighted the inning with a big hit that, combined with an outfield error, cleared the bases and extended the lead even further. By the time the dust settled, the Trojans had built a commanding 12-0 advantage after just one inning.
The momentum carried into the second inning, where the Trojans continued to pour it on. Madison Rodriguez came through again with a double to center field, driving in two runs. Armendariz added another RBI with a line-drive single, while contributions from Avi Michel, Natalie Soto and Sadie Freeman helped extend the lead even further. The Trojans’ relentless approach at the plate pushed the score to 18-0.
Defensively, Pahrump remained composed. While Skyline managed to get runners on in the third inning, the Trojans quickly shut down the threat. Skyline was able to plate one run in the top of the third before a heads-up play in the outfield by Natalie Soto, who fired the ball to Mariah Gray at third for a tag, resulted in a double play that ended the game by mercy rule.
The Trojans closed out the night with an 18-1 victory, completing a dominant 2-0 day at the tournament.
With strong pitching performances from both Hayes and Armendariz, combined with explosive offense and disciplined play, Pahrump Valley made a clear statement to open the St. George Classic.
