By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Softball team started the regular season over the weekend at the Virgin Valley Sherm Bennett Memorial Softball Tournament. The Pirates finished the tournament with a 1-3 record.
The team started on Thursday against northern region Spring Creek who gave the Pirates more than they could handle.
Moapa Valley struggled to put the bat on the ball in this game. Laney Cornwall had the only hit for the Pirates also scoring the only run for the Pirates in the fifth inning.
Spring Creek scored a run in the first inning then added 4 runs in the second and 4 more in the third for the nine runs the Spartans needed to win the game, 9-2.
Moapa pitcher, Daesha Stastny allowed the nine runs. The Pirate defense struggled, committing 5 errors in the loss.
Ashley Bodin pitched the one hitter, striking out 10 Pirates in the process and dominating Moapa Valley bats. It was Kaily Webb who allowed the Pirates two runs in the fifth inning.
On Friday the Pirates played two games in Mesquite. The first was a win against the Elko Indians, 9-2. Moapa Valley and Elko each had seven hits for the game that lasted four innings.
Stastny had two hits including a homerun and a double, knocking in 2 RBI’s in the win. She was also the winning pitcher with five strikeouts and two runs allowed.
Moapa Valley scored a huge 5 run second inning to build their lead. They scored 4 more runs in the fourth for the icing.
Elko scored a run in the bottom of the second and bottom of the fourth committing four errors in the process.
Friday’s second game saw Moapa Valley play Pahranagat Valley where they were beaten by the Panthers 2-1.
Moapa Valley had loaded bases with one out in the second inning before flying out in the infield, then grounding out, to strand the three runners.
The Panthers also had loaded bases in the top of the second not scoring leaving three runs on the bases.
Pahranagat scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning when Stastny knocked in Halle Bennett for their run in the bottom of the sixth. The Pirates had four hits in the game while the Panthers had five hits.
On Saturday the Pirates played Lincoln County and were beaten 10-3 by the Lynx. The Lynx broke the game open with a 6 run second inning for a 6-2 lead after the Pirates put 2 runs on the board in the first.
Stastny pitched 4.1 inning allowing the 10 runs on 8 hits.
The Pirates will host Mojave on Thursday at 4 pm.
