RENO -- Early in the Southern Nevada Class 3-A League baseball season, the pitching staff on the Mesquite Virgin Valley team appeared to have everything -- except consistency.

The Bulldogs' staff struggled with an 11-10 win as likely to happen as a 21-12 loss, both of which happened in games against Pahrump Valley. Even in the Southern regionals, there were questions about the staff's effectiveness, which allowed 18 runs in 21 innings in wins against Boulder City (8-3), Pahrump Valley (10-7) and Boulder City (12-8) enroute to the title and a berth in the state tournament.

So what happened at the Nevada State Championships, contested last weekend at Peccole Park in Reno and Western Nevada College in Carson City?

The Bulldogs were going up against three Northern teams that had outscored opponents 68-34 to earn trips to Reno.

The Bulldogs' pitching staff never back off from that challenge, allowing only three runs as Virgin Valley claimed the state title with three impressive wins -- 3-2 in nine innings against Dayton in the first round, a 16-0 run-rule conquest of Spring Creek and a 7-1 romp past the Spartans in the finals.

Bulldog hitters collected 34 hits, compared to just 12 for the Dust Devils and Spartans. Spring Creek had defeated Dayton 13-3 to get into the championship round.

Virgin Valley scored all seven of its runs in the second inning of the showdown game. Zach Horlacher got the win, allowing six hits and striking out 11 without surrendering a walk.

Brent Horlacher, a lefthander, got the win against Spring Creek on Friday. Terran Leavitt got the win in the opener against the Spartans.

Virgin Valley succeeds another Southern 3-A team -- Las Vegas Faith Lutheran -- as champion. The Crusaders lost 8-6 to Pahrump Valley and 8-4 to homestanding Boulder City in the regionals.

NOTES -- Virgin Valley loses only four seniors, but they include Brent Horlacher, catcher Brady Eaton, outfielder Sean Shimizu and outfielder Adam Smith ... Key returnees for coach Boyd Witwer's team will include pitcher Jason Witwer, catcher-outfielder Ty Tait, infielder-pitcher Zach Horlacher and infielder-pitcher Victor Ruvalcaba.