The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans baseball team traveled to take on the SLAM Academy Bulls on Wednesday, April 9, and walked away with a solid 8-3 victory after a strong start and consistent team effort on both sides of the ball.
The game opened with Tony Whitney getting on base with a leadoff walk, then making smart baserunning moves to steal second and third. Andrew Zurn brought Whitney home after reaching on an error, and moments later, Zurn himself scored on a wild pitch. Kayne Horibe added a single to left before the Bulls managed to close the top of the first. On the mound, Aidyn Cratty gave up two singles, allowing one run on a wild pitch, but the Trojans escaped the inning ahead, 2-1.
Both teams fought to gain momentum in the second inning. The Bulls capitalized on a walk and a pair of hits to take the lead at 3-2, but Pahrump responded quickly in the top of the third. Vinny Whitney led off with a single and showcased aggressive baserunning by stealing second and reaching third on an error. Cratty came up big with a triple to left to bring him home. Horibe walked and stole second, then both he and Cratty scored on an RBI single by Aaron Rily, giving the Trojans a 5-3 advantage.
The third inning was quiet for SLAM as the Trojans defense locked in for a quick three up, three down. Pahrump kept the pressure on in the fourth. Ben Cimperman earned a walk, and courtesy runner Anthony Montanez made the most of it, stealing two bases and later scoring. Tony Whitney followed with a walk and a steal of his own before Vinny Whitney drilled a grounder to third to bring both runners across the plate. Another run came across after a series of errors allowed Zurn and Cratty to advance, pushing the Trojans’ lead to 8-3.
From there, Pahrump’s defense and pitching locked in to shut down any chances of a comeback. Neither team scored for the remainder of the game, and the Trojans held strong through all seven innings to seal the win.
With smart baserunning, timely hitting, and solid defense, the Trojans earned a well-deserved victory on the road.
*Photos are from the SLAM game at home and another game earlier this season.
