HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Dax Duesing of Pahrump Valley pitches against Bishop, Calif., in a baseball doubleheader contested Saturday on the Trojans' field. Bishop won 6-1, 7-3. Advertisement

Despite the fact that they took an early lead in each of their games Saturday afternoon in a baseball doubleheader against the visiting Bishop (Calif.) Broncos, the Pahrump Valley Trojans fell short in both games.

The Trojans lost the first game 6-1 and the second, 7-3.

Pahrump Valley, 3-5-1, plays at home against Class 2-A Las Vegas The Meadows at 10 a.m. Saturday. A junior varsity game will follow.

After the games, a frustrated Trojan head coach Doug Marion said the Broncos played well and beat the Trojans in the second game. But the first game was a different story.

"In the first game, they didn't beat us," he said. "We gave them the game."

Marion attributed Saturday's first loss to a series of "small errors"-- missed signs, fumbled catches, etc.

In each of the Trojans-Broncos matchups, Pahrump Valley scored a run in the first inning.

In the first game, it was a Dax Duesing base hit that sent Richard Torres home. In that game, the Trojans were able to hold their lead until the top of the fifth inning, when Max Tormhlen got in after a botched pick-off attempt at first base.

Later on that inning, Bishop's Mark Gadea got in after Scott Rossi hit a ball through a hole between second and third.

The Trojans never recovered and allowed three runs in the sixth.

Pahrump got off to a good start in the second game as well. Dan Miller hit a run-scoring double, sending Tyrell Smith home. Smith, who pitched during the first game, was replaced in the second by Duesing and, later by Dan Miller.

The lead was held until the bottom of the third, when Bishop's Zack Reishe hit a ball over the shortstop, sending Daniel Dondero home.

Moments later, a passed ball got Gadea home. Later on that inning, Reishe also made it home. Because of a wild pitch, the Broncos also scored in the fourth.

The Trojans closed the gap in the sixth inning. John McHugh and Torres each scored runs, bringing the score to 5-3 and giving Pahrump a chance to take the game.

That chance wasn't realized, though, as the Trojans never scored again, while the Broncs were allowed home twice more.

"We didn't execute at all today ... the funny thing is I felt up until today that we were executing fantastically," Marion said.

But the coach said he's glad the losses are coming before the team starts Southern Nevada Class 3-A League play. The mistakes the Trojans made Saturday, he said, will be corrected before the team's real season starts.

"You can't win every game," Marion said, "but we're just trying to get better for when we start playing league games."

In junior varsity games played Monday, Pahrump Valley defeated Tonopah 17-8 and 18-3 on the Muckers' field.