The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans took the field with purpose on Monday, April 7, and walked away with a hard-fought 14-7 win over the SLAM Bulls in front of their home crowd. The Trojans brought both energy and execution, setting the tone early and delivering a well-rounded performance at the plate and on the mound.
With Kayne Horibe starting on the mound, the Trojans opened strong, retiring the Bulls in order in the top of the first. That momentum carried into their first turn at bat. After Vinny Whitney drew a walk and Andrew Zurn ripped a single to left, Aidyn Cratty came through with a clutch line drive to right field, bringing both runners home. Cratty later crossed the plate on a single by Horibe, putting the Trojans up 3-0 after the first inning.
SLAM battled back in the second and third innings, capitalizing on walks and errors to bring in runs and tie the game 3-3. Despite the brief shift in momentum, the Trojans stayed composed. Though the Bulls pulled ahead 4-3 in the fourth, thanks to aggressive baserunning and timely contact, Pahrump kept them within reach.
In the fifth, the Trojans turned the game around in a big way. Ben Cimperman kickstarted the inning with a triple, and Tony Whitney matched it with one of his own to drive in the run. Aidyn Cratty added another triple, and solid situational hitting helped Pahrump retake the lead. Wild pitches, errors, and smart baserunning added to the surge, with the Trojans pulling ahead 8-4 by the end of the inning.
Dominik Wilson came in as relief pitcher in the fifth and immediately made an impact, sending SLAM down in order with one strikeout and two quick pop-outs. SLAM wasn’t done yet though, narrowing the gap to 8-6 in the sixth. But Pahrump answered right back with a monster bottom half of the inning.
Vinny Whitney led off with a walk and proceeded to steal second and third. Zurn drove him in with a double to left, and Cratty, Horibe, and Chiancone kept the rally alive. Chiancone’s timely single to center brought in two more runs, and Wilson added an RBI of his own with a hard-hit line drive to right. Jack Walker followed up with another RBI single, and by the time the inning ended, the Trojans had stretched their lead to 14-6.
SLAM attempted one last push in the seventh, scoring one more on a sacrifice fly, but a final pop-out sealed the win for the Trojans.
With consistent offense, smart baserunning, and solid contributions on the mound from both Horibe and Wilson, the Trojans showcased resilience and teamwork throughout the game. The 14-7 victory reflects their determination and ability to come through in key moments, giving fans plenty to cheer about on a beautiful spring evening.
