The Virgin Valley Bulldogs will square off against the Pahrump Valley Trojans at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Virgin Valley 3.7, Pahrump Valley 3.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Virgin Valley heads in on the heels of a playoff matchup on Wednesday. They took a 10-7 hit to the loss column at the hands of The Meadows School. The Bulldogs' defeat signaled the end of their nine-game winning streak.
Virgin Valley saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mason Montoya, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. Malachi Jordan was another, earning two runs and two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Pahrump Valley can bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 17-1 margin over Canyon Springs. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won 14 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Tony Whitney and Aidyn Cratty did most of the damage at the plate: Whitney went a perfect 4-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI, while Cratty got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Pahrump Valley is undefeated when Whitney posts two or more runs, but 9-10-1 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Benny Cimperman, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run.
Pahrump Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .522. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Canyon Springs only posted a batting average of .312.
Pahrump Valley's win bumped their record up to 21-10-1. As for Virgin Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 21-9-1.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Virgin Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .452. However, it's not like Pahrump Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .462. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Virgin Valley couldn't quite get it done against Pahrump Valley in their previous meeting back in March as they fell 6-3. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
