CAPTION – Dave Maxwell:
Junior pitcher Mariah Zander in full extension as she helped lead Pahranagat Valley to four wins in the Panther Invitational Mar. 15-16.  The Lady Panthers host Moapa Valley Mar. 26.

Pahranagat Valley High School (PVHS) softball played four games at the Panther Invitational March 15-16 in Alamo and won them all under clear blue skies, but a cold north wind.

Cousins Hannah Castleton and Morgan Harris were the big bats for the Lady Panthers.

During the Saturday morning game, Harris, the senior shortstop, drove in seven runs. She had a triple, a single and an inside-the-park home run, leading PVHS to a 21-5 win over Wells. In the afternoon, Castleton, a senior catcher, drove in four runs on two hits, including an inside-the-park home run, to lead the girls to a 15-5 win over the White Pine JVs.

Jessica Brede also contributed three hits for the Lady Panthers.

It was a rematch of last year’s state championship game in Reno, which the Panthers won. PVHS has beaten the Wells Leopards seven of the last 10 meetings between the teams since 2016, including four straight years in the state championship game.

PVHS unloaded on the Leopards in this game with a 10-run outburst in the first inning. Wells got a little bit back with a four-run fourth inning.

Just prior to that though, the Panthers unleashed a nine-run fourth inning sparked by Harris’ three-run homer and RBI triple by Jessica Brede.

Mariah Zander went the distance for Pahranagat. She gave up five runs on two hits, struck out 10 and walked five.

For the Leopards, Kyanna Delrio pitched four innings. She gave up all 21 runs on six hits and struck out six, but issued 14 walks.

In the afternoon game, White Pine started with two runs in the top of the first inning and Alamo answered with six in the bottom half of the inning, which involved two singles by Emily Hansen and Rebecca Taylor, plus Castleton’s three-run homer.

The girls stole seven bases in the contest. Taylor, Harris, Hansen and Kaitlyn Higbee each had two hits in the game.

Zander got the win for Pahrangat, allowing seven hits and five runs and striking out two.

In Friday’s games, Zander had a four-inning no-hitter with eight strikeouts, blanking league rival Beaver Dam 14-0.

Also Friday, the girls bested Eureka 18-3.

PVHS (6-0) are off until Mar. 26, at which point they’ll play a non-league game against Moapa Valley in Alamo and travel to Mineral County in Hawthorne Mar. 29 for the first meeting between the teams in at least 15 years.