Pirates Mow Down Foes To Close Regular Season

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

The Moapa Valley High School Softball team enters the NIAA Southern Region Playoffs this week as the second seed in the Desert League with a 6-2 league record. The only two league losses for the Pirates were run-ins with their Virgin Valley rivals. Other than the Bulldogs, the Moapa girls have made quick work of every other team in their league.

Last week was certainly no exception on that score. The Pirates had two decisive victories at home last week. They pounded the Sunrise Mountain Miners, 21-7, on Monday, May 2. Then they completely shut out Canyon Springs, 22-0, on Wednesday.

The Miners got on the board early, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. But the Pirates came roaring back in the bottom of the frame scoring 6 runs.
Two more Pirate runs in the second inning made the score 8-3.

In the third inning, with bases loaded, two more Sunrise Mountain runs were scored on an error making the score 8-5, Pirates.

In the bottom of the inning, Ellie Cornwall hit a ground ball and reached third base on an error which also brought home Delaney Graham and Macie Frei. Later in the inning, Cornwall stole home making the score 11-5.

In the fourth inning, the Pirates cleared the table. Though the Miners were able to score an additional two runs in the top of the inning, the Pirates had a scorefest in the bottom of the frame, bringing home 10 runners for the final score of 21-7.

Moapa Valley had 11 hits in the game. Emily Matheson led the Pirate offense with three hits. Lexi Fullman, Kendall Longman and Cornwall got two hits apiece. Graham batted three runners home on one hit.
Graham got the win for the Pirates striking out 10 and allowing two hits.

On Wednesday, the Pirates hosted a bloodbath of a game against Canyon Springs. The Moapa defense was impregnable allowing no hits in the game. Edyn Bennett started in the circle for the Pirates striking out 5 in the first two innings. Andie Wood stepped in for the last inning throwing three strikeouts.

Meanwhile the Pirate offense was relentless. Moapa scored 21 runs in the first inning before breaking a sweat. The Pirates scored again in the second inning to make the final score before the game was called on the mercy rule.

Almost the entire Pirate lineup got hits in the game. Longman and Graham got two hits apiece with Longman getting 4 RBIs and Graham getting 3. Macie Frei got 3 RBIs on a single hit.

The Pirates faced Clark High School in the first playoff round on Monday in Moapa Valley. The second round is on Tuesday against the winner in Monday’s game between Boulder City and Desert Pines. Watch mvprogress.com for daily updates on games this week.