By GANNON HANEVOLD
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School baseball team entered its first game last week with an undefeated record and strong momentum at its back. It was an exciting week for baseball as Moapa Valley took on its two rivals, Boulder City and Virgin Valley, for the final time this regular season.
The first game of the week came Tuesday, April 25, on the road against the defending champion Boulder City. The Eagles would go into the game fighting for their hopes of a top seed in the Sunrise league.
The Pirates opened up the game well, with two runs in the first inning, matching their point total in their last matchup with the Eagles. But in the third, the Eagles responded with two of their own to tie the game up.
In the fourth and fifth, Boulder City held Moapa scoreless, and put up one more run in each inning to build a 4-2 lead. The game was turning into a back and forth thriller.
Sure enough, the Pirates found a way to fight back, as they have many times this season. They knotted the game back up at four in the sixth inning.
The Eagles set the tone by putting on a dominant offensive show in the sixth, scoring a total of three runs to build insurance before the final inning. The Pirates continued to persevere, bringing one run across the plate to cut the lead to two, and then getting the tying run on base. Pitcher Jacob Hubel and the Eagles held strong, however, and handed Moapa the first loss of its season by a 7-5 score.
“It was a learning lesson for all of us,” said MVHS Head Coach Ed McCann said. “I don’t like being humbled, nobody does, but we were. Sometimes you just need your bearings re-established.”
McCann said ultimately his team did enough to win, but just couldn’t finish. “We had a chance to win in the seventh and left the winning run on base, but we had an opportunity,” he said. “If you give yourselves that opportunity, you’re going to win a lot of games.”
In the second game of the week, the Pirates hosted Virgin Valley for what could be their last time seeing the Bulldogs this season.
Coming off of the loss two days earlier, the packed Moapa Valley stands became anxious after seeing the Pirates surrender a hit on the very first pitch of the game. A Bulldog run followed just two batters later. Then an error at first base brought in yet another Bulldog run in the bottom of the second and gave the visitors an early 2-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, the Pirates needed one of their signature comebacks that they have accomplished many times this season. Senior Drake Staheli hit a fly ball into right field that snuck by the right fielder and second baseman for a base hit. One at-bat later, fellow senior Anthony Cornwall hit another ball into the outfield to bring Staheli to third. With no outs yet, Daxton Longman took the liberty of a sacrifice out to bring his teammate home and cut the lead to one.
The crowd let out a collective sigh of relief in the form of thunderous cheers as their “Cardiac Kids” were still in the running.
In the fifth inning, the Moapa Valley freight train continued steaming along. After a pair of early strikeouts, two walks of Luke Bennett and Chase Guesman put runners at first and second.
Staheli came up to bat once more and delivered with a hit towards the left field fence for a double that brought Bennett home for the tying run.
Cornwall came up once more and struck a missile into center field for the second consecutive double from the Pirates offense. This hit brought home Guesman and Staheli. Cornwall headed to second. The Pirates now led 4-2.
In the sixth, McCann made the decision to bring in the senior Cornwall to close out the rivalry game at the mound. Cornwall did so impressively, especially in the sixth inning, that Moapa held on for a 4-2 victory.
Moving forward, the Pirates race with the Eagles for the top seed. “These guys didn’t come into this season thinking they would be second fiddle to anyone,” McCann said. “They’ve believed in themselves all the way…and they still haven’t peaked. These guys are capable of going on a roll and going far in the playoffs.”
