Moapa Valley softball shuts out Chaparral in four innings

All Moapa Valley pitcher Emilie Barraza needed was the team’s first-inning offense.

She got 16 runs instead.

The junior pitched a complete-game shutout and scored two runs in the Pirates’ 16-0 four-inning road victory over Chaparral on Wednesday.

Moapa Valley scored three runs in the first inning on a single, double and multiple walks.

Barraza did the rest.

“That’s huge for pitchers. It makes them feel comfortable,” she said. “Especially for me. It makes me more comfortable and ready to pound the zone.”

And that she did.

Barraza struck out two in the first inning and finished with six strikeouts. She allowed one hit and hit a batter. She said she was focusing on throwing strikes instead of throwing fast and was pleased with the effort.

“It was a little scary with some of their home-run hitters,” she said. “But other than that, I was pretty comfortable.”

The Pirates were patient at the plate and drew 12 walks. Aria Messer went 2-for-2 with two doubles, and Sierra Harding and Kaitlyn Anderson added doubles for Moapa Valley, which scored nine runs in the fourth inning to end the game.

“We told (our players) that if we jump on them early good things will happen,” Pirates coach Matt Messer said. “We go out in the first inning and get three runs, and that’s exactly the way we wanted to start.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.