By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
It was a big week for the Moapa Valley High School softball team last week.
The week started with a home league game against last year’s state runner-up Boulder City on Tuesday, Apr. 4. It was not a very good performance by the Pirates as the Eagles travelled home with a huge 16-0 win.
Boulder City scored in the top of the first, then three more times in the top of the second. That is where the scored stayed until the top of the fifth. The Eagles scored 12 runs then and held the Pirates scoreless in the bottom of the fifth for the win.
Eagle’s pitcher Bailey Bennet-Jordan only gave up four hits to the Pirates striking out 10 as she dominated throughout.
Bennet-Jordan also had two hits in the game including a homerun and four RBI’s. Ashley Wishard also hit a homerun for the Eagles and scored three RBI’s. Boulder City showed they were still the team to beat in the south.
Daesha Stasny pitched for the loss, allowing nine earned runs before Emilie Barraza finished the final two outs allowing six runs.
It was a welcome relief for the Pirates to travel to Mesquite on Thursday and face the Virgin Valley Bulldogs. There, they were much more successful.
In Mesquite, the Pirates wasted no time in getting a lead over the Bulldogs. They used three consecutive hits and scored twice for a 2-0 lead, all with two outs, in the top of the first inning. The Pirates scored again after a Bulldogs error and a walk, giving the Pirates a 3-0 lead before the Dawgs finally ended the inning with a strikeout.
Virgin Valley who came into this game with an 0-2 league record were looking for their first win in league play. The Pirates held the Dawgs scoreless in the bottom of the first then added another run taking advantage of a Bulldog error. A walk and a wild pitch then gave the Pirates a 4-0. lead
The Bulldogs would cut the Pirate lead in half in the bottom of the second inning when they scored two runs after a double steal and a walk.
But Moapa would blow the game open when they scored nine runs in the top of the third inning. Moapa Valley had five consecutive hits during the inning helping them to a 13-2 lead by the time the Pirates returned to the Visitor dugout.
Virgin Valley scored twice in the third inning after a single and a triple cut the lead to 13-4.
Virgin Valley Calee Clem walked a couple more Pirates then added an error helping Moapa score 3 more times for a 16-4 lead.
If the Pirates could have held on, the game would have ended in the fifth. But the Bulldogs scored just enough the keep themselves alive.
In the seventh, Moapa Valley would score another three times for 20 and held on to beat the Dawgs 20-9.
The Bulldogs finished last week with a 0-3 league record and 9-12 overall.
The Pirates are now 10-9 overall and 2-1 in league play.
