The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans softball team delivered a stellar performance at the March Warmup Classic in St. George, Utah, on March 14-15, 2025, finishing the tournament with an impressive 4-1 record. Despite a close opening loss to the Taylorsville Warriors, the Trojans bounced back with four consecutive wins, demonstrating resilience, offensive firepower, and defensive adjustments that solidified their status as a formidable competitor.
Day One:
Game 1: Taylorsville Warriors 9, Pahrump Valley Trojans 7
The Trojans kicked off their tournament run against the Taylorsville Warriors in a high-energy battle. Pahrump came out swinging in the top of the first inning, immediately putting pressure on the Warriors’ defense. Autumn Colon led off the game by drawing a walk, followed by a single from Riley Saldana. Evalenne Armendariz walked to load the bases, and Danika Cox-Hosino knocked a single into play to bring in the first run. Sunday Colon added another RBI with a walk, and Mariah Gray and Ava Chiancone each reached base with walks, continuing the early offensive surge. A single from Colon kept the rally going before the Warriors were able to escape the inning. By the time the dust settled, the Trojans had plated five runs and held a commanding 5-0 lead.
Taylorsville quickly responded in the bottom half of the first inning. A leadoff walk put a runner on base, and the Warriors’ third batter crushed a two-run homer, closing the gap to 5-2.
The second inning saw the Warriors tighten up their defense, holding the Trojans scoreless despite Sunday Colon blasting a double. The Warriors capitalized on their turn at the plate, scoring three runs on a combination of singles, a double, and a few Pahrump errors, tying the game at 5-5.
Both teams remained locked in a defensive battle through the third inning, with quick three-up, three-down performances on both sides.
In the fourth, the Trojans briefly took back the lead (6-5) when Autumn Colon walked and later scored, but Taylorsville countered with a dominant bottom half, stringing together three singles and a home run to score four runs. The Warriors now led 9-6.
The Trojans attempted a late-game comeback in the top of the fifth, as Mariah Gray doubled and Ava Chiancone singled her home, cutting the lead to 9-7. However, Taylorsville’s defense locked down the final three outs, handing the Trojans their only loss of the tournament.
Game 2: Pahrump Valley Trojans 13, Snake River Panthers 1
Determined to bounce back, the Trojans dominated their second game against Snake River, securing a 13-1 mercy-rule victory in four innings.
The top of the first saw strong defensive play from Pahrump, shutting down the Panthers’ offense without allowing a run. When the Trojans took to the plate, they immediately capitalized, scoring six runs to take an early lead.
Kayleen Carranza reached first on an error, followed by a walk from Evalenne Armendariz and a single from Danika Cox-Hosino. Ava Chiancone walked to load the bases, setting up Mariah Gray for a powerful double that cleared the bases. Kayla Glenn was hit by a pitch, and a single by Sadie Freeman kept the offense rolling. The inning ended 6-0 in favor of Pahrump.
The Trojans held the Panthers scoreless again in the second, and their bats continued to fire on all cylinders, adding three more runs thanks to doubles from Cox-Hosino and Chiancone and a single from Gray.
Snake River finally scratched a run across in the third inning, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.
Pahrump sealed the game in the bottom of the fourth, capitalizing on singles, walks, and hit-by-pitch plays before the mercy rule ended the contest at 13-1.
Game 3: Pahrump Valley Trojans 13, Bear Lake Bears 8
The final game of day one saw Pahrump Valley take on the Bear Lake Bears, securing a 13-8 victory in another strong offensive showing.
A dominant nine-run first inning set the tone. Autumn Colon and Danika Cox-Hosino led off with singles, followed by a double from Armendariz that brought in two runs. Sunday Colon, Riley Saldana, and Mariah Gray each contributed RBIs, keeping the line moving.
Bear Lake attempted to rally in the third and fourth innings, cutting the Trojans’ lead to 9-8, but Pahrump’s defense tightened up.
In the final inning, Evalenne Armendariz crushed a three-run home run, and Sunday Colon tripled to add insurance runs. The Trojans closed out the game with strong pitching and defense, securing their second win of the day.
Day Two:
Game 4: Pahrump Valley Trojans 6, Grand County Red Devils 3
The Trojans faced a tough opponent in Grand County but managed to grind out a hard-fought 6-3 victory.
Evalenne Armendariz and Sunday Colon led the offensive charge, each contributing key hits, while Mariah Gray and Ava Chiancone capitalized on errors and wild pitches to keep the Trojans ahead.
In the fifth inning, Pahrump added three more runs, thanks to doubles from Cox-Hosino and Armendariz, sealing their third straight tournament win.
Game 5: Pahrump Valley Trojans 10, Skyridge Falcons 9 (Walk-off thriller!)
The Trojans’ final game of the tournament was a nail-biter against Skyridge.
The Falcons jumped out to a 3-0 lead after a pair of early home runs, but Pahrump responded in the second with a two-run rally.
Both teams traded blows throughout the game, keeping it tight.
Heading into the final inning, Pahrump trailed 9-8. With one last chance, Madison Rodriguez doubled, followed by a clutch single from Colon. Finally, Danika Cox-Hosino delivered the game-winning hit, securing a thrilling 10-9 walk-off victory!
Head Coach Brian Hayes reflected on the team’s performance, noting the tremendous growth over the tournament. “We saw a lot of growth this weekend and finished the tournament firing on all cylinders with a walk-off win. Our pitchers (KG and Evalenne) gave us a chance in each game, limiting walks and giving our defense opportunities to make plays. Our defense was a bit shaky the first day, but after a few lineup adjustments, the message was sent that we need to make plays—and after seeing Saturday’s performance, they got the message. Maddie Rodriguez shut down the run game, throwing out runners testing her on the base paths.”
“Offensively, Evalenne continued to crush it at the plate, and Danika was on fire for the weekend. Autumn Colon was a run-scoring machine, and Sunday Colon, Riley Saldana, and Madison Rodriguez added some pop in the middle of the order. It was a fantastic weekend for us—the tough part of our schedule is coming up. Tough, meaning finding a way to stay hungry in the many non-competitive games we have left on our schedule.”
With a 4-1 record, the Trojans left their mark at the March Warmup Classic, setting the tone for an exciting season ahead.
*Photos are from other games this season.
