The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans softball team secured a hard-fought 6-4 win over the Virgin Valley Bulldogs on Monday, March 10, 2025, at home. The Trojans jumped out to an early lead, thanks to key hits and aggressive base running, and held off a late-game push from the Bulldogs with strong pitching and solid defense.
The game started as a defensive showdown, with both teams struggling to get runners across home plate in the first inning. Trojans pitcher Kayla Glenn took the circle and kept Virgin Valley from gaining any momentum, working her way through the top of the lineup with a combination of strikeouts and groundouts.
In the bottom of the first, the Trojans had an opportunity to take the lead. Riley Saldaña was hit by a pitch but was thrown out at second attempting to steal. Evalenne Armendariz and Danika Cox-Hosino both drew walks, putting runners on base, but the inning ended with a flyout to right field, keeping the score tied at 0-0.
The Trojans broke through in the second inning with an explosive offensive performance. After Madison Rodriguez was thrown out at first, Glenn reached on a base hit putting a runner in scoring position. A walk for Ava Chiancone had two on base. Autumn Colon then crushed a double to bring in the first run of the game, giving Pahrump a 1-0 lead.
With momentum on their side, the Trojans continued to apply pressure. Saldaña worked a walk, and Armendariz delivered the biggest hit of the game—a solid double that brought in three runs, extending the Trojans’ lead to 4-0. Cox-Hosino followed with a walk, but the inning ended with a third out, leaving the Bulldogs trailing heading into the third.
The Trojans tacked on another run in the third inning. Rodriguez led off with a hit and reached first on an error. Glenn advanced her to third with a groundout, and she came home on a passed ball during Chiancone’s at-bat, making it 5-0 in favor of Pahrump.
The Bulldogs fought back in the fourth inning, finally getting on the scoreboard. Their leadoff batter launched a home run off the left-field foul pole, cutting the Trojans’ lead to 5-1. Virgin Valley continued to threaten, loading the bases on a mix of base hits and a defensive miscue, but Pahrump escaped the jam with a big strikeout to strand the runners and hold a 5-2 lead.
Pahrump quickly responded in the bottom of the fourth. Autumn Colon led off with a walk and stole second on a passed ball. Saldaña grounded out to the pitcher but advanced Colon to third, setting up another scoring opportunity. Armendariz stepped up again, this time with a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Colon to tag up and score, giving the Trojans a 6-2 advantage.
As the game entered the later innings, the Bulldogs refused to go down quietly. They opened the sixth inning with a bloop hit that dropped between left field and shortstop, followed by a fielder’s choice that put a runner on first. A deep double between left and center brought in one run, and another double to left plated another, bringing Virgin Valley within two runs at 6-4.
Sensing the shift in momentum, the Trojans made a pitching change, bringing in Armendariz to close out the inning. She delivered under pressure, striking out the next two batters to strand runners on first and third, keeping the Trojans ahead going into the final inning.
The Trojans went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Bulldogs one final chance in the top of the seventh. Armendariz stayed composed in the circle, striking out the first batter swinging. Virgin Valley’s next hitter nearly extended the game with a deep shot to left, but left fielder Sunday Colon was able to snag it with the tip of her glove for an out. With one more out needed, Armendariz delivered another strikeout, sealing the 6-4 win for the Trojans.
Assistant Coach Sammy Charles, who stepped in as head coach for the game, praised the team’s effort.
“Our pitching was really strong today, and our defense came to play,” Charles said. “We had a couple of errors that we need to clean up, but overall, we played well. Our pitchers came up big for us, and the defense made the plays when we needed them to.”
With the victory, the Trojans continue their early-season momentum and will look to carry that confidence into their next matchup.
