Bulldogs Take Region

By BOB SNELL

The Progress

Virgin Valley High School sophomore Riley Price used her arm and bat to help guide the Lady Bulldogs to the 3A South Regional championship on Saturday afternoon, May 22, at Bulldog Diamond in Mesquite.

Price threw a one-hitter and clubbed a home run in Virgin Valley’s 6-2 victory over Pahrump Valley in the title contest.

The Lady Bulldogs, who finished 13-1 overall on the season, went 4-0 during the tournament with wins coming against Boulder City (twice), Sunrise Mountain and Pahrump Valley.

“The girls played really well. It was all about them this week,” VVHS head coach Travis Griffiths said. “I was just along for the ride.”

Price dominated inside the circle all week for the Lady Bulldogs. The right-hander threw three complete games, giving up just one earned run, while scattering seven base hits, walking four, hitting two and striking out 25 batters in 19 innings.

She also fared well at the plate, too. Batting in the clean-up spot, Price slugged four home runs and drove in 12 runs. Her best performance came in Friday’s 11-0 win over Boulder City when she belted two home runs, drove in seven runs and pitched a two-hitter.

In Saturday’s championship game, Pahrump Valley scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning to jump in front 1-0. Virgin Valley answered right back when Natalie Plancarte tripled and scored on Ana Tausinga’s ground out. Price followed by blasting a home run over the centerfield fence to put the Lady Bulldogs up 2-1.

Virgin Valley added two more runs in the second on consecutive base hits by Marli Wakefield, Evia Toone, Destiny Moeai, Reggi Frei and Plancarte.

The Lady Bulldogs closed out their scoring with two runs in the fourth on a double by Wakefield and singles by Moeai and Frei, plus a Pahrump Valley throwing error.

Virgin Valley opened the tournament with a 16-1 romp over Sunrise Mountain at home last Tuesday. The Lady Bulldogs followed up with a 3-1 win over Boulder City on Wednesday.

Moapa Valley also participated in the regional tournament and came close to reaching Saturday’s championship contest.

The Lady Pirates opened the tournament with a 13-3 triumph over Valley of Las Vegas last Tuesday. After falling 7-4 to Pahrump Valley on Wednesday, Moapa Valley came back to blow out SLAM of Nevada, 15-0, Thursday in an elimination game.

Traveling to Pahrump again on Friday, the Lady Pirates appeared to be in good shape to force a “what if” game against the Lady Trojans. Moapa Valley led 9-4 with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning when Pahrump Valley staged a furious rally scoring five runs to tie the game 9-9. The Lady Trojans scored the game winner in the eighth to pull out the 10-9 victory.