Robinson, Needles down Laughlin for league baseball title
Needles pitcher Benny Robinson allowed two runs in the top of the first but bounced back to give the Mustangs 6 1/3 strong innings in a 7-2 win over Laughlin for the Division III Southern League baseball title Saturday at Mountain View.
Robinson struck out five and supplied two RBI singles.
“I was able to settle down after the first,” Robinson said. “I used my fastball to complement my breaking ball, and our defense played great. This was just a great opportunity.”
Needles (17-6) turned double plays in the second and third innings, and Robinson set down 10 of the next 13 batters before exiting with one out in the seventh.
Needles and Laughlin (23-8) both advanced to the state tournament, which begins Thursday at The Meadows.
■ DIVISION IV SOUTHERN LEAGUE — Round Mountain topped host Pahranagat Valley 9-2 in the second game Saturday to win the Division IV Southern League title.
Pahranagat Valley (21-6) posted an 8-3 win over the Knights (18-6) in the opener to force the deciding game.
Both teams advance to this week’s state tournament, which begins Thursday at Rancho.
SOFTBALL
Lincoln County bounced back from a 3-2 loss to Needles to top the Mustangs 9-4 in the Division III Southern League title game at Mountain View.
Elle Scott had two hits and four RBIs in the second game for the Lynx (23-4).
Dakota Lillard threw a one-hitter in the first game for Needles (23-8).
Both teams advance to the Division III state tournament, which begins Thursday at The Meadows.
■ DIVISION IV SOUTHERN LEAGUE — Brook Higbee went 4-for-4 with an RBI, and Pahranagat Valley used a six-run fifth inning to erase a 10-6 deficit and top Indian Springs 12-11 in the Division IV Southern League final in Alamo.
Jamie Hansen went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs for the Panthers (19-4), who put the first six runners of the fifth inning on base, five of them on hits.
Veronica Allen was 4-for-5 with an RBI, and Gabi Lopez went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Thunderbirds (15-7).
Both teams advance to next the state tournament, which starts Thursday at Rancho.
