Getting back on track was a top priority for the Dayton High School baseball team on Tuesday.
The Dust Devils didn't get off on the right foot when they absorbed a 13-4 loss to Rite of Passage, but they got back off the deck and rallied for an 11-10 win against Lyon County rival Yerington on the opening day of the Dayton Invitational.
Clayton Friskey slammed a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to erase a 9-8 deficit as Dayton (20-8) salvaged a split to start the two-day round robin tournament. Of more significance, the Dust Devils showed signs of life on the field after struggling for the past two weeks, according to coach Craig Miller.
"I told the kids, it didn't matter whether we won or lost today. We needed to re-establish our fundamental game," said Miller, whose club had lost three straight and five of its last seven games. "Baseball is a very simple game. You have to catch the ball, you have to throw the ball, you have to hit the ball ... and we haven't been doing those things lately."
The Dust Devils struggled in that regard earlier in the morning when they managed just four hits and left seven baserunners stranded against Rite of Passage ace DaJuan Kennedy. Dayton also committed four errors, while the pitching hit six batters and surrendered two walks.
Game two started out on a better note, when the Dust Devils scored three runs in the first inning, but they still saw their rally end with the bases loaded.
Matt Sumsion delivered a two-run single in the third and Mike Sampang homered to lead off the fourth as Dayton extended its lead to 8-3.
Yerington answered with six runs in the top of the fifth, thanks to four walks to go with a two-run homer by Zach Roots and Joe Goffinet's grand-slam over the left field fence with two outs. The Lions hit four home runs, including two by Roots and a shot by Alex Tapia to lead off the game.
"Give Yerington credit, they never gave up when they were down," Miller said. "But then, we can give ourselves a pat on the back because we came back and scored three in the bottom half of the inning."
Bob Nylen, in his first day back after sustaining a partial shoulder separation walked and stole second to open Dayton's fifth inning comeback. Matt Sumsion drew another walk - the 11th given up by Yerington pitchers in the game (seven scored) - and then Friskey slammed a one-strike pitch over the center field fence for his fifth home run of the season.
"I've been working on going to the opposite field because nobody pitches me inside anymore," said Friskey, a senior right fielder who went 2-for-3 in the game. "Finally, I got that inside pitch I wanted."
Chris Van Zant gave up one more run in the sixth, but closed the door to pick up the complete game victory. The senior left-hander allowed six hits, walked eight and struck out eight.
Defense was another key because the Dust Devils committed just one error.
"The last couple of weeks, we've been averaging five, six errors a game," Miller said. "You can't do that and expect to win many ball games."
The Dust Devils have also been slumping at the plate since April 6 - at which time their record was 16-2.
"We haven't been hitting like we were earlier in the season," Friskey said. "The second game, everybody in the lineup was hitting. That's what we need to do; hopefully this tournament will get us ready for our division doubleheaders against Incline and Manogue (next week), and then we go right into the division tournament."
Dayton, 6-2 for second-place in the 3A Division II standings, visits Incline for an important 4 p.m. doubleheader on May 2 and then hosts first-place Bishop Manogue on May 6.
The Dayton tournament concludes today, with the championship game tentatively scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
In other games:
RITE OF PASSAGE 13, DAYTON 4
Kennedy, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound senior right-hander, survived three straight walks to start the game and three straight hit batsmen in the fourth inning to win the tournament opener.
"He's played well for us," Rite of Passage coach Rob Humphrey said of Kennedy, who struck out eight in four innings (he struck out 17 in a game against North Tahoe earlier this season). "This is the first time he's really played since he was 14, but he's a tough kid. He's definitely only going to get better."
Kennedy helped his own cause with a home run and Anthony Lucero doubled three runs home in the second inning as the Rams took a 6-1 lead. Kennedy's younger brother, sophomore DaSean Kennedy, doubled two runs home in the third inning and added a two-run homer in the fourth.
Rite of Passage is 9-4-1 overall this season and 6-1 in Division I, good for a first-place tie with Fernley.
"This is an important week for us," Humphrey said. "After we play here, we go to Battle Mountain for two on Saturday and then we have Fernley for two at home the following Saturday (May 6)."
Quincy 11, ROP 1
Quincy handed the Rams the loss and improved to 2-0 on the first day of the tourney. It can clinch a spot in the championship with a victory against Dayton at 9 a.m. today.
If Quincy loses to the Dust Devils, the tiebreaker will determine the championship teams. The third-place game will be played at 2 p.m., followed by the championship at 4:30 p.m.
Quincy 18, Yerington 8
The Lions fell to Quincy and became the only team to go 0-2 on the first day.
Andrew Malarchik was 2-for-2 with two RBIs, while Alex Tapia was 2-for-4 with a homer for Yerington.
Yerington faces Rite of Passage at 11:30 a.m. today and could still earn a spot in the championship if it beats the Rams.