Pahrump’s Coco Locos finish runner-up after hard-fought tournament run

Pahrump’s Coco Locos came up short in the Division 4 All-Star championship game, losing 11-8 to Summerlin North at Mountain Ridge Park on June 23 after playing five games in nearly as many days. The runner-up finish ended a hard-fought tournament run, but it also answered the bigger question around town: Pahrump’s youth baseball pipeline is still producing a team that can reach the final and stay in the fight until the end.

Anthony Aguilar started on the mound for Pahrump, and the defense set the tone early with a double play turned by Kasen Smith and Sawyer Tillery. The Coco Locos then worked their way into a 1-0 lead, showing the same mix of patience and pressure that carried them through the bracket before Summerlin North responded and gradually built the margin Pahrump kept chasing.

Even as the game tightened and the lead changed hands, the Coco Locos kept finding ways to answer. Trustin Wagnon delivered a key double, Alan Rodriguez brought in a run, and the lineup continued to put traffic on the bases after Summerlin North moved ahead. Pahrump’s offense never fully stalled, and the defense stayed active behind Aguilar with strong work from Smith, Tillery, Stetson Brown and others that kept the championship from slipping into a blowout.

That mattered beyond one trophy game. A runner-up finish in a postseason tournament signals that Pahrump can still field a group that plays deep into the summer, handles pressure and gives local families a team worth following. In a town where youth sports often depend on volunteer coaches, parents, and steady community backing, a run like this can help sustain interest, encourage more kids to sign up, and strengthen the case for more sponsorships and investment in local baseball.