VVHS Baseball Wins Against Valley At Home

By BOB SNELL

The Progress

After scuffling along for four innings, the Virgin Valley baseball team finally broke through in the fifth to turn its fortunes around on Monday, April 19, at Bulldog Field in Mesquite.

The Bulldogs cobbled together two hits, a walk and a hit batter to go along with a passed ball on a strike out and a throwing error to push across four runs that erased a 2-0 deficit and propelled Virgin Valley to a 4-2 victory over visiting Valley High School of Las Vegas in the season opener for both schools.

“Overall, I’m pleased for our first game,” VVHS head coach Branden Turley said. “We made a few mistakes, but we should be able to clean those things up. It was good to get the win.”

Virgin Valley struggled to solve the off-speed pitches of Valley senior hurler Gary Bricker, who held the Bulldogs to just three hits while striking out six, through four-plus innings.

“(Bricker) threw well,” Turley said. “He had his breaking ball working. We need to have a better approach at the plate with pitchers like that. That’s something we’ll need to work on.”

The Bulldogs got a break in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, a passed ball on a strike out that should have been the second out, allowed junior Cameron Perkins to reach first base safely and open the door for a comeback.

After sophomore Martin Jordan was hit by a pitch, sophomore Stratton Waite legged out an infield single to load the bases. Senior Tyler Jensen grounded out to first base to bring home Perkins from third, but a wild throw to home plate allowed Jordan to slide home with the tying run.

That was all for Bricker as the Vikings made a pitching change. Freshman Kurt Felix drew a walk and stole second base. Senior Bridger Toone followed by lashing a hanging curve ball over the leftfielder’s head for a double to drive in both Jensen and Felix putting the Bulldogs up 4-2.
“The kids kept competing,” Turley said. “I was proud of the way they battled.”

Freshman Bryce Intagliata started on the mound for Virgin Valley. The left-hander went four innings allowing three hits, one run (unearned), two walks, one hit batter and striking out seven Valley batters. He also picked off a runner at second base.

Waite finished up pitching the final three innings to get the win. The right-hander gave up one hit and an unearned run while issuing one walk and striking out four.

Intagliata led Virgin Valley in batting going two-for-three with two singles while Jordan had a triple to right field in the third inning.