By BOB SNELL & VERNON ROBISON
The Progress
The Virgin Valley High School softball team hosted the 40th annual Sherm Bennett Memorial Desert Winds Classic tournament last weekend which brought teams from all across southern Nevada to Mesquite. Included in the competition was the Moapa Valley High School team.
The Bulldogs won four games to run its winning streak to 12 as the Lady Bulldogs continued their hot start to the season.
Meanwhile Moapa Valley won 3 of its 4 tournament games, dropping one game to Legacy High School.
VVHS beat Lincoln County of Panaca twice in the tournament by scores of 13-1 and 15-2 with both contests called after five innings because of the NIAA mercy rule. The Lady Bulldogs also mercy-ruled Laughlin 16-4.
Virgin Valley had its biggest test of the weekend in holding off Legacy of North Las Vegas, 5-4, on Saturday.
In that contest, the Lady Bulldogs used a three-run second inning to jump in front 3-1. Hayden Owsley had a two-run double and Ava Noel singled in a run for VVHS. A two-run single by Mercedes Jordan increased the lead to 5-1 in the third.
The Lady Horns made it interesting by scoring single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to trail by a run. But, VVHS pitcher Julia Leavitt stranded the potential tying runner on second base.
Leavitt went the distance inside the circle surrendering four hits while walking six batters and striking out six. Davie Slack had two of Virgin Valley’s five hits.
In the win over Laughlin, the Lady Bulldogs blew things open quickly by scoring nine runs in the first inning. Owsley slugged a two-run homer and Ana Tausinga drilled a two-run triple in the frame. Noel added an RBI double with Mady Wright and Slack each singling home a run. Slack also stole home to cap the uprising.
Natalie Plancarte, Noel and Wright each had three hits to lead the offense while Reggi Frei went the distance inside the circle spacing two hits, walking five and striking out 11 batters.
In the 13-1 win over Lincoln County, Plancarte had two hits and drove in three runs. Jordan and Leavitt each collected two hits while Owsley and Tausinga drove in two runs apiece. Leavitt threw all five innings giving up just three hits, walking one and striking out six.
In Virgin Valley’s 15-2 victory over the Lynx, Leavitt homered, doubled, singled and drove in four runs. Plancarte smacked two triples and drove in two runs while Frei had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Ashley Anguiano pitched all five innings to get the win scattering three hits, walking six and striking out one.
The Pirates opened the tournament by winning a 12-10 game against White Pine.
The team racked up 13 hits in the game led by Andie Woods who got 4 hits and 3 RBI. Reagan Stankoski got 3 hits.
Woods started in the circle for the Pirates giving up only 2 hits and striking out 7. Kylie Neil stepped in for relief allowing 3 hits and striking out 2.
Later in the day, the Pirates went up against Legacy and were beaten 16-3. Neil pitched the loss giving up 9 hits, 15 runs (6 earned) and striking out 3 over five innings.
On Friday, Moapa had no trouble facing down the Lincoln County team, defeating the Lynx in a 12-2 no-hitter.
Stankoski and Deja Bradshaw each got 2 hits in the game. Kendall Longman drove in three runs on one hit. Wood got 2 RBI in the game.
Wood got the win allowing no hits and striking out 8.
The Pirates closed out the tournament on Saturday with a 12-5 win over Pahranagat Valley.
Nearly everyone on the roster connected with the ball. Wood and Longman each got 2 hits and 2 RBI in the game.
Neil earned the win allowing only 3 hits and striking out 10.
