The Pahrump Valley High School softball team put together a strong week of play, earning a two-game sweep of Democracy Prep with a 15-0 road win on Monday, March 30, and a 17-2 victory at home on Wednesday, April 1. The Trojans also picked up a win over Legacy in between the two games.
Pahrump Valley wasted no time setting the tone in the first matchup on the road Monday. In the top of the first inning, Myah Krolczyk was hit by a pitch to lead things off, and Riley Saldaña followed with a single to put two on. After Madison Rodriguez was also hit by a pitch to load the bases, Tierra Demers delivered a two-run single to center to bring in both Krolczyk and Saldaña. Dakota Glenn and Sydney Crotty added RBI singles later in the inning, giving the Trojans an early 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the first, Evalenne Armendariz worked through early pressure in the circle. A walk and hit batter put runners on, but she responded with a pair of strikeouts to strand both and keep Democracy Prep off the board.
The Trojans continued to build in the second inning. Saldaña reached on a walk, Armendariz doubled, and a wild pitch brought in another run. Glenn added an RBI single, April Ivy followed with a run-scoring double, and Crotty delivered a two-run triple to stretch the lead to 8-0. Armendariz and the defense stayed sharp in the bottom half, adding another strikeout and cutting down a runner at home to end the inning.
Pahrump Valley broke things open in the third. Krolczyk and Saldaña each singled to start the frame, and Armendariz worked a walk to load the bases. Rodriguez brought in a run with a single, Glenn followed with a two-run hit, and Ivy added a triple. Crotty contributed a sacrifice fly, and Krolczyk capped the inning with another RBI single as the Trojans extended the lead to 15-0. Natalie Soto entered in the circle in the bottom of the third and closed out the game with two strikeouts to secure the shutout victory.
When the two teams met again Wednesday in Pahrump, the game opened differently, with Democracy Prep taking advantage of a hit batter, an error and aggressive baserunning to grab a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Trojans looked to respond in the bottom half, getting a single from Olivia Veloz, but were unable to bring her home.
Tierra Demers settled in quickly in the circle in the second inning, recording a strikeout and working through the frame to keep the deficit at two. That set the stage for a big offensive response in the bottom of the second. Demers led off with a single, and Jaelyn Rodriguez followed with a triple to bring in the Trojans’ first run. Sadie Freeman reached on a dropped third strike that allowed Rodriguez to score and tie the game. Olivia Veloz was then hit by a pitch to give Pahrump Valley the lead, and Jaycie Hayes added a two-run single. Demers later reached on an error to bring in another run, and Rodriguez capped the inning with a two-run double as the Trojans surged ahead 8-2.
Defensively, the Trojans tightened up in the third. Demers recorded another strikeout, and Olivia Veloz helped pick off a runner at first to end the inning.
Pahrump Valley continued to add on in the bottom of the third. Claudia Lopez led off with a single, and a combination of walks, passed balls and aggressive baserunning pushed across additional runs. Quinn Kaucky delivered an RBI double, while Demers, Rodriguez and Freeman each added run-scoring hits to extend the lead to 14-2.
In the fourth inning, the Trojans maintained control on both sides. After a runner reached on an error, Demers responded with back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat. In the bottom half, Veloz reached and advanced on an error before Kaucky drove her in with a single. Mariah Gray and Demers followed with base hits, and Rodriguez added a two-run single to bring the score to 17-2, ending the game via the mercy rule.
Head Coach Brian Hayes said afterward, “We are just glad it’s over and we can get back to playing competitive softball.”
Across both games, the Trojans combined explosive offense with steady pitching and improving defensive execution, responding to early adversity in the second matchup and controlling the pace throughout to complete the sweep.
