Pahrump Valley fights back, earns championship chance
When a seven-run second inning handed Dayton an 8-3 lead over Pahrump Valley in the Class 3A baseball state tournament Friday, it looked as if the Dust Devils were headed for a blowout victory.
Instead, the Trojans countered with a seven-run spurt in the fourth inning and went on to defeat Dayton 17-11 at Faith Lutheran.
The victory lifted Pahrump Valley into today’s championship round at 10 a.m. against Southern League rival Faith Lutheran. If Pahrump wins, a second game will be played between the teams at 12:30 p.m.
Trojans coach Doug Marion said the midgame comeback was a microcosm of his team’s season.
“Three weeks ago we were 1-7 in league and weren’t going to qualify for the playoffs,” he said. “But I tell you what, these kids in the last month have been so resilient. They haven’t given up. This has been an unbelievable experience.”
Dayton appeared to have Pahrump on the ropes with its big second inning. Brandon Aguilera led the uprising with a two-run homer.
But Pahrump’s comeback began in earnest in the fourth.
Junior Iggy Wagner’s bases-loaded triple off the center-field fence cut the lead to 9-7. Ethan Wald added an RBI single, and he later scored on a passed ball to tie the game at 9.
Pahrump went ahead when Tyrell Smith tripled to right-center to score a run. He came home on an errant throw to make it 11-9.
“(Dayton) is a very good team, but our kids just battled back,” Marion said. “It’s a special group of kids, and we have every right to be playing for the state title.”
Dayton trimmed the deficit to 11-10 in the fifth, but Dax Duesing’s two-run single sparked a five-run outburst by Pahrump in the sixth that all but put the Trojans into today’s title round.
Wagner finished 4-for-5 with five RBIs for Pahrump Valley, which took advantage of nine Dayton errors in a game that lasted nearly three hours.
Aguilera had two doubles to go along with his home run for the Dust Devils. Tom O’Brien also homered for Dayton.
• Faith Lutheran 13, Dayton 3 — The Crusaders’ hot bats and solid pitching powered them into the championship round.
Tyler Iodence and Christian Lopez each had two RBIs to lead Faith Lutheran.
“We came out and hit the ball really well,” Crusaders coach Tony Girod said. “Our pitching has been pretty dominant all year, but our offense hasn’t been that sharp.
“That was the best we’ve hit the ball. It’s the right time, I guess.”
• Pahrump Valley 10, Spring Creek 0 — Brandon Uyeno went 2-for-3 with four RBIs as the Trojans eliminated the Spartans.