By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
After finishing the regular league season undefeated, the Moapa Valley High School baseball team sailed through the first two games of the regional tournament last week without giving up a run. Then they ran into Boulder City. By the time it was over, the Pirates had dropped to second place in the region, but had hung on to a spot in the state championship this weekend.
On Tuesday, May 7, the Pirates hosted the Valley Vikings in the first round of the regional tournament.
Slade Graham was the starting pitcher for the Pirates. He pitched an awesome game allowing just one hit to the Vikings.
The Pirates started their scoring in the first inning when Hunter Wrzesinski scored after a pass ball by the catcher, then a wild pitch. Coby Longman scored on Luke Bennett’s single which he stretched into a double on the throw. Bennett then scored on Gavin Hadley’s single to right field. Kashten Frei and Hadley scored on a Vikings error giving the Pirates a 5-0 lead after the first inning. Peyton McDermott scored later making it 6-0 Pirates.
Moapa Valley would score two more in the third inning when Frei scored on a balk. Hadley would score after McDermott singled him in.
The Pirates would score their final two runs as Gannon Hymas and McDermott scored on Wrzesinski’s triple.
Moapa Valley finished with seven hits while the Vikings had six errors in the game.
With the win the Pirates hosted the second game against Del Sol. The Pirates won the game, 11-0.
Moapa Valley scored first when Rilan Evans made it home after a Bennett triple to left. Bennett would score on an RBI from Frei
Then came the third inning when the Pirates would push 6 runs across the plate. making it 10-0 Pirates.
The final run was scored when Gavin Hadley took advantage of a passball.
The Pirates finished with 10 hits. Bennett scored 3 RBI’S While Gavin Hadley got the win. He struck out four batters, walking no one.
The first sign of trouble came on Thursday against the Eagles. Boulder City used a four run second inning to build a lead over Moapa Valley. They held on to a 7-4 victory that sent the Pirates into the losers bracket.
Even so, the Pirates outhit the Eagles 9-8. Chase Hadley pitched the whole game striking out 5 and walking just 1.
With Thursday’s loss the Pirates had to travel to Pahrump Valley for the Friday game, an elimination game. A win would secure a berth in the state tournament this week. A loss and the season was over.
Pahrump Valley held a 4-3 lead heading into the seventh inning.
Rylan Evans then reached first on a Trojan error. Coby Longman t singled followed by a single by Luke Bennett. Kashten Frei doubled home Evans and Longman. Gavin Hadley then singled home Frei.
Longman then struck out the last two batters to end the game with a Pirate victory, 6-4.
Wrzesinski and Frei each had 2 RBI’S in the game.
Travelling back to Pahrump Valley for the regional championship, the Pirates once again faced Boulder City.
They were beating the Eagles 7-2 after scoring two runs in the top of the seventh.
The Eagles started the bottom half of the seventh with a single by Dunagan. Then two Pirate errors led to his scoring. Trumble scored on the second fielder choice put out by the Pirates.
With two outs and it looking like there would be a second game, Newby scored on Lopez’s single after a couple of Pirate errors.
With two on and two out Thorpe doubled home Lopez and Bahde with a walk off double giving the Eagles the game. With the victory, Boulder City took the regional title and the top seed for the state playoffs.
Interestingly, the Pirates had once again outhit the Eagles in the game, 14-9.
As the second seed in the state tournament, the Pirates will face the Northern regional champions Truckee Wolverines in the first game Thursday at Virgin Valley High School at 4PM.
The Eagles will play the second seed from the north Churchill County at 6:30 pm.
Truckee is 27-4 on the season while Fallon is 22-11. Losers play Friday at 1:00 pm. The winners also play on Friday at 4pm. The two winners of the those games will play at 7:00 pm.
The championship game will be played at 10:00 am on Saturday. If the team with one loss wins the 10:00 am game, a second game will be played 30 minutes later for the state championship.
