Strong batting puts Lady Eagles atop league

Freshman Marleena Mills might have just saved the season for the Lady Eagles’s softball team Saturday coming up with her biggest hit of the season in Boulder City’s 1-0 victory over Pahrump Valley.

Knotted at 0-0, Mills stepped to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Trojans, in desperate need for a run. With sophomore Lily Osman standing on third, Mills provided Boulder City with a clutch single off Pahrump Valley pitcher Amaya Mendoza, to give the Lady Eagles the close victory.

“The Pahrump game was a fun game to play,” Boulder City head coach Angelica Moorhead said. “The ending was excellent and Marleena just needed to put the ball in play, and that’s exactly what she did. She is a solid player and doesn’t get rattled under pressure easily. I’m sure that created more confidence for her to keep playing intense as she has. She is a hard worker and truly loves the game. That’s huge, and that is why she is doing so well.”

Monday’s following 10-0 victory over Moapa Valley was also huge for the program, creating a one-game lead over the Pirates for first place in the Division I-A conference.

On Monday senior pitching ace Charlie Masterson provided one of her best outings of the season striking out eight Moapa Valley batters, while allowing just two hits.

“There are not many days that Charlie is not on her game,” Moorhead said. “That girl is such a great teammate and a huge asset to our program. Always working hard, and so positive, what a great leader for our team. But she needs her team as much as they need her. No one can play this game by themselves. This is a good group of girls; they need to know they can take it all the way if they work hard and believe they have what it takes.”

Creating separation over the Pirates in the conference standings, the bats were certainly cranking Monday with sophomores Jordan Moorhead, Bailey Bennett-Jordan and Micayla Gegen each adding a pair of runs batted in for the Lady Eagles’ 13 hit outing.

“We have our good days and our bad,” Moorhead added. “But when we are clicking and having fun playing ball, look out because they can crank out some hits and make some great plays. We need to stay focused and continue to work toward our goal. I just want the best for these girls.”

Standing at 18-4 overall and 7-0 in conference play, the Lady Eagles have cruised throughout the first half of their league schedule. With a tough matchup against the Division I state champion runner-up Palo Verde Panthers on deck, Moorhead is hopeful the team can have a positive showing.

“As long as we keep hitting the ball, we will continue to score runs,” Moorhead concluded. “We definitely need to work on quicker speeds because that is what we will be facing in regionals and, hopefully, in Reno at state. Our schedule has some upcoming tough games, and we didn’t fare so well with Sierra Vista, but we will be ready for them next time we see them. These tougher games will help us get ready for the big games at the end of our season.”

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.