By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Baseball team travelled to southern Utah last weekend for a regional tournament. The Pirates began at noon on Friday in Hurricane where they played and lost to Beaver High School, 7-4. This game was tied 3-3 by the end of the seventh inning. Both starting pitchers were still pitching in the seventh.
In the eighth inning Beaver scored 4 unearned runs in the top half of the inning. Moapa Valley could score just one run in the bottom half for the loss.
“Coby Longman pitched a gem of game going 7 1/3 innings while striking out 12 batters,” said MVHS Head Coach Darin Hadley.
Chase Guessman finished with a triple. Luke Bennett had a double while Hunter Wrzesinski finished with two hits.
Immediately following the loss to Beaver, the Pirates played a second game against Granger of Salt Lake City. Starting pitcher, Chase Hadley threw 5 2/3 innings giving up just one earned run in his stint. Hadley struck out 8 during his time on the mound. He gave way to Gavin Hadley who closed the game out with a couple of strike outs.
Guessman smacked another triple while Wrzesinski drove home two runs in the Pirates 5-1 victory.
On Saturday, the Pirates travelled to Pine View High School in Washington, Utah for the next round and lost to Union High School, 9-8. Moapa Valley found themselves behind 9-4 headed into the bottom of the sixth inning.
But the team did not give up. The Pirates fought back to score two runs in the last two innings.It was not quite enough, though. The Pirates fell to Union by just one run.
“This was one of the games where I was most proud of the guys though, because we never gave up!” Hadley said. “They just kept fighting and fighting and made it almost all the way back.”
Hadley said that fight had impressed the Union coach as he mentioned it to him after the game.
Luke Bennett pitched 5 innings striking out 5 batters in the game.
The Pirates had RBI’s. Kashton Frei who had 3 and Chase Hadley had 2.
In the final game of the weekend, the Pirates beat Hunter High School 9-4.
Gannon Hymas scored a two-run double starting a 5 run fifth inning.
Bennett and Payton McDermott each doubled.
Daxton Longman provided 5 1/3 innings of solid pitching. He struck out 8 batters.
Slade Graham finished the game with 1 2/3 innings on the mound holding Hunter scoreless.
The Pirates will start their home regular season on Wednesday against Pahrump Valley. They will then host SLAM Academy on Friday. GO Pirates!
