The Pahrump Valley High School baseball team turned in a strong all-around performance on the road Tuesday, April 21, rolling to a 12-1 win over Moapa Valley behind steady pitching and a lineup that found its rhythm as the game progressed.
Pahrump Valley was set down in order in the top of the first, but the tone quickly shifted in the bottom half as the Trojans’ defense came out sharp. With Cody Fried on the mound, Moapa Valley was retired on three consecutive ground balls—two handled cleanly by shortstop Tony Whitney and another by third baseman Anthony Montanez—setting an early defensive standard.
The Trojans broke through in the second inning. Vinny Whitney reached on an error to start things, and after a line out, Fried delivered the first big swing of the day, driving a double to left that brought in the game’s first run. Pahrump Valley continued to apply pressure, with Dominic Chiancone adding an RBI single to make it 2-0. Later in the inning, Tony Whitney came through with a double that plated another run, extending the lead to 3-0.
On the defensive side, Fried continued to settle in during the second and third innings, mixing in strikeouts with routine outs. The Trojans backed him up well, including a clean play by Chiancone at second and steady infield work that kept Moapa Valley from building momentum.
Pahrump Valley added to its lead in the fourth. After Ben Cimperman was hit by a pitch and Chiancone reached on a single, the Trojans capitalized on a misplay in the outfield. Jacob Selbach put the ball in play, and an error allowed both runners to score, pushing the advantage to 5-0.
Moapa Valley managed to get on the board in the bottom half of the inning, but the Trojans limited the damage to a single run. Fried worked through traffic with composure, keeping the Pirates from turning the inning into a larger rally.
The fifth inning proved to be a turning point offensively. Vinny Whitney sparked the rally with a single and aggressive baserunning, eventually scoring on a line-drive single from Kayne Horibe. The Trojans kept the momentum going with back-to-back hits from Fried and Cimperman, each driving in runs, before Chiancone added another RBI single as Pahrump Valley stretched the lead to 8-1.
Fried remained effective on the mound through the middle innings, pitching efficiently and keeping Moapa Valley from building any sustained offense. Behind him, the defense stayed active and disciplined, including a key pickoff and clean situational awareness to erase baserunners.
After a quieter sixth inning, the Trojans put the game out of reach in the seventh. A hit-by-pitch, walk, and disciplined at-bats loaded the bases, and Pahrump Valley took advantage. Tony Whitney was hit by a pitch to force in a run, followed by a walk to Montanez that brought in another. CJ Nelson then delivered one of the biggest hits of the inning, a two-run single to center that pushed the lead to 12-1.
Moapa Valley threatened briefly in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff double, but the Trojans closed the door. Tony Whitney recorded a key out at shortstop, and Fried finished the game with a strikeout before the defense handled the final ground ball cleanly to secure the win.
Pahrump Valley finished with a balanced offensive effort, collecting hits throughout the lineup while consistently applying pressure on the basepaths. Dominic Chiancone led the way with three hits, three runs scored, two RBIs and three stolen bases. Vinny Whitney reached base four times, scored twice and added two stolen bases, helping ignite multiple scoring opportunities. Fried contributed both at the plate and on the mound, recording two hits, including a double, while tossing a complete game, allowing just one run and striking out four. Cimperman and Nelson each added key RBIs as part of the Trojans’ late-game surge.
Head Coach Drew Middleton praised the complete effort following the game.
“It was a good team win. Another clean defensive performance (outside of one error and one mental error). Cody Fried did an excellent job on the mound, that’s 3 straight games our starters have pitched into the 7th inning which is outstanding. And the offense kept chipping away each inning and putting them away late,” Middleton said.
“We keep stacking wins, gaining confidence, and peaking at the right time heading into the playoffs. We’re in a good spot as a team. We just gotta keep going.”
With the 12-1 win, Pahrump Valley combined timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and steady defense to control the game from the early innings and continue building momentum late in the season.
