Undefeated Bulldogs Clobber Pirates

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

The Virgin Valley High School softball team ran away with the game late, on Thursday, May 4, blowing out the Pirates 13-3 on the Moapa home field. The Bulldogs relentlessly tallied a total of 10 runs in the last three innings of the game to come out with a huge lead in the last game of the regular season for both rival teams.

The win kept the Bulldogs in the top seed of the Desert Division going into the regional playoffs next week. The Dawgs are undefeated in the regular season, with a 13-0 record in league play.

The Pirates come into the regional playoffs as the third seed in the division with a split 5-5 league record in season play.

Virgin Valley stepped out ahead early in Thursday’s game with two runs scored on a line drive double, hit by Ana Tausinga in the top of the first inning.

The Pirates answered with a run brought in by a ground ball double, hit by Kyndall Longman in the bottom of the frame to make the score 2-1.

In the third inning, Natalie Plancarte grounded out at first. But it allowed Reggi Frei to make it home for 3-1 score.

The Moapa girls kept the game close, at least for the moment, with another run in the bottom of the inning. Andie Wood hit a grounder to center field getting on base. Reagan Stankowski, who had been on 2nd base, advanced to third on the hit, then got the wave home on the throw. That kept the Pirates just a point behind.

The Bulldogs slipped a couple more runs on the board in the fifth inning on hits by Davie Slack and Ari Easton.

But the scorefest for the Dawgs really started in the sixth inning. First Reggi Frei hit a fly ball deep into right field and made it home on an error to make the score 7-2.

A few minutes later, Riley Price knocked a home run over the right field fence, bringing home Plancarte and Gracee Alejos along with her.
Davie Slack hit a sacrifice fly bringing in Tausinga and making the score 11-2.

The Lady Pirates didn’t give up. They scored one more time in the bottom of the sixth when Tyelar Anderson hit a grounder and reached first on an error. This sent Longman home for an 11-3 score. But that was all that was left in scoring for the Pirates.

The Bulldogs still weren’t quite finished, though. In the final inning, Brooklyn Montoya sent a fly ball soaring high over left field for another Bulldog home run in the game. Montoya also brought Plancarte home in the process making the final score.

Price pitched all seven innings for the Dawgs allowing only seven hits, striking out 12 and walking only one.

Kylie Neil went the distance in the circle for the Pirates. She allowed 15 hits while striking out one Bulldog batter.

Montoya led the Bulldog offense with 3 hits and 3 RBI. Price got 2 hits and brought three runners home. Frei, Plancarte, Tausinga and Easton all got multiple hits for the Dawgs as well.

Wood nailed three hits for the Pirates with one RBI. Longman’s bat connected with the ball twice in the game for hits, also bringing in one batter. Stankoski got 2 hits in the game.
“We were happy to get a win against a very good team,” said VVHS Head Coach Travis Griffiths. “It was a big win for us!”

Griffiths said that he and the Bulldog coaching staff are proud of the girls and the hard work of the team this season. “We feel extremely fortunate to be their coaches,” he said.

MVHS Head Coach John Stastny said that he was pleased with the team’s defense and team spirit in the face of the loss.
“Kylie Neil, who is a freshman, did a fantastic job pitching all seven innings!” Stastny said over the weekend. “Now we are just looking forward to Monday!”

The Pirates travelled to Las Vegas on Monday to face #2 Clark High School in the first round of the regional playoffs.
Virgin Valley hosted the #7 seeded Valley High School on Monday for their first round game.

The results of both games didn’t make the print deadline for this edition but results for both have been reported at www.mvprogress.com.