In a high-stakes rematch at Boulder City on Friday, May 9, the Pahrump Valley High School Trojans baseball team avenged their earlier playoff loss to Moapa Valley with an 8-4 win, knocking the Pirates out of the regional tournament and earning the right to advance. With both teams carrying one loss in the double-elimination format, the game determined which team’s season would end and which would move forward to face Boulder City immediately after.
Due to tournament seeding, the Trojans took the field as the visiting team and got off to a slow start offensively. Tony Whitney opened with a single to right field but was caught stealing second. After strikeouts from Vinny Whitney and Aidyn Cratty, the inning ended scoreless. On the mound, Tony Whitney limited the Pirates to one run in the bottom of the first, thanks to solid defense including a key strikeout looking.
In the top of the second, CJ Nelson’s single helped ignite a brief rally. Walks to Kayne Horibe and Ben Cimperman loaded the bases, and a fielder’s choice off Logan Donnelly’s bat allowed Nelson to score. With the score tied 1-1, the Trojans’ defense came through in the bottom half, retiring Moapa in order with clean plays by Andrew Zurn at first, Donnelly in right, and Cratty at shortstop.
The game remained a defensive battle through the third and into the fourth inning. Both teams went three up, three down in the third, but Moapa gained momentum in the fourth. A single, a double, and another base hit brought in two runs for the Pirates before Cratty took the mound in relief of Tony Whitney. Cratty immediately shut things down, striking out three straight to halt the damage and keep the score at 3-1 in favor of Moapa.
The Trojans came alive in the fifth. Cimperman led off with a single and courtesy runner Anthony Montanez advanced on a hit by Donnelly. After a walk to Jack Walker, who was pinch-run for by Dominic Chiancone, Tony Whitney drove in Montanez with a single. Vinny Whitney followed with a ground ball that turned into an error, scoring Donnelly. Cratty’s fielder’s choice moved the runners, and CJ Nelson delivered a clutch two-RBI single to cap a four-run inning. Pahrump took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth, where they once again kept the Pirates to just one hit and no runs.
Despite a quiet sixth inning for the Trojans at the plate, Moapa cut the lead to one with a solo home run. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases, but Cratty initiated a crucial double play, fielding a grounder and starting a textbook 1-4-3 play with Chiancone and Zurn to escape the jam and preserve the 5-4 lead.
The top of the seventh saw the Trojans add key insurance runs. Tony Whitney reached on an error and stole both second and third, scoring on another Pirate miscue. Cratty followed with a single and scored on a hit by Zurn, who was replaced by pinch runner TC Hone. Horibe drove in Hone with a sacrifice fly, and the Trojans entered the bottom of the seventh leading 8-4.
Horibe took the mound for the final frame and closed the game in dominant fashion. A ground out to Cratty at short, a fly out to right fielder Cody Fried, and a final ground out back to Horibe sealed the victory. The toss to Zurn at first ended the game and the Pirates’ season.
The Trojans’ win not only redeemed their earlier loss to Moapa Valley but also propelled them into a pivotal matchup against Boulder City, played immediately after.
*Photos are from a game earlier in the Regional Playoffs.
