Improved Vandals win pair in Alamo tournament

The Eureka County High baseball team opened up the season last weekend in Alamo, where they finished 2-3 in the two-day Panther Classic tournament.

The Vandals, who return most of their squad this season after losing just one senior, split a pair of games against Pahrump Valley and Moapa Valley on Friday to start the tournament. Nick Hornberger led the way at the dish for Eureka in its 25-6 win against Pahrump with three hits, while Andrew Hayward and Travis Lacovera each had two. Senior Garrett Johnson belted a homerun in the win.

Hornberger continued to swing a hot bat in the second game of the double-header against Moapa Valley, but his team fell 6-4. Hornberger finished the game 3-3, giving him six hits on the day. Johnson, Hayward and Josh Plaskett all had a pair of knocks in the loss.

Day two of the tournament didn’t start out well for Eureka, as they fell to Moapa Valley 14-1 and host Pahranagat Valley 14-8. The Vandals were held to just four hits against the Pirates. Plaskett, Johnson, Lacovera and Hayward had two hits apiece in the loss to the Panthers.

Eureka was able to finish the weekend on a strong note after defeating Virgin Valley 23-4 in its final game of the tournament. Hayward, Lacovera, Johnson and Plaskett each had another two-hit game, while Dwight Huff, Berry Sanders, Tanner Colby and Jaiden Hicks each recorded a knock. Hornberger led the way with three more hits, giving him 11 total on the weekend.

The Vandals (2-3) will hit the road again Saturday when they travel to Coleville for a double-header.