It was almost de ja vu all over again for the Dayton High softball team, but in the end Fernley came away with a 6-3 win in eight innings on Tuesday at Dayton.
In the two schools first meeting, Dayton scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out a 6-5 win against Heather Matthews and Fernley. Dayton (2-4, 1-3 in the Northern 3A) came back again against Matthews, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score 3-3. But Fernley scored three runs in the top of the eighth for the win.
Matthews went the distance for the win, striking out 10 and walking none while scattering eight hits. Sierra Barnwell went the distance for Dayton, striking out 10 and allowing six hits.
But Barnwell was plagued by walks as she walked seven and Dayton was also plagued by errors as it committed seven errors.
"Our downfall was our errors," Dayton coach Dusti Houk said. "Defensively we didn't back her (Barnwell) up."
Dayton tied the score in the seventh when Brittany Hill and Amanda Beard both singled and pulled off a double steal to advance to second and third. Hill scored on Brittany Burrows' groundball and Barnhill singled home Beard.
Melony Cox tripled, Breanne DeHaven doubled, Melissa Goetz had a hit and an RBI and Amanda Brandenburg had two hits and a run for Dayton.