Galena softball salvages split against Fallon

RENO - The Galena softball team may have turned a corner Saturday afternoon.

After scoring only five runs in the first two games of their series with Fallon, the Grizzlies erupted in the second game of the doubleheader to defeat the Wave 18-1. Fallon defeated Galena 7-3 on Thursday and 4-2 in Saturday's first game.

"We were tired of losing and our attitude changed in the second game," Grizzlies coach Teresa Burrows said. "We came out and were swinging hard and running ... I was proud of how our girls hit the ball and took care of the ball defensively."

The win gives Galena its first in the High Desert League at 1-8, 2-8 overall. Fallon, though, sits at 5-7 in league, 7-11 overall.

"Ultimately, we needed it for our confidence," Burrows said about the win. "Now that they realize they can do it against some good pitching, hopefully we can turn the corner now."

Fallon coach Tami Peel said her team lacked focus in the second game and made costly errors, contrary to the first game.

"We kept our heads in there and were hitting the ball well," Peel said about game one. "The second game was another story. We lost our heads. We just made a lot of errors. We had some critical breakdowns."

Jessie Wirth and game-winning pitcher Megan Fincher each blasted a 3-run home run over the centerfield fence in the lopsided league victory.

Fincher's blast came in the first inning when Galena scored five runs off Fallon pitcher Chelli Lewis. Kate Pinder relieved Lewis after the first inning and pitched four innings.

With the Grizzlies ahead 12-1 in the fourth inning, Wirth belted the second pitch off Pinder, clearing the center field fence.

Galena added two more runs on a bizarre play involving shortstop Alyssa Crawford and the field umpire. Kelsey Taclair skied the ball to Crawford who was trying to locate the ball with the umpire avoiding both Crawford and a Galena runner. Two runners crossed the plate when the ball hit the umpire.

The Grizzlies plated four runs in the second inning and two in the third after the Wave scored their lone run in the top of the inning.

Kaitlin Porter, Breanna Bullentin and Taclair each had a RBI single in the second inning. Porter also drove in a run in the third inning, and the second run came on a throwing error to third base.

In the first game, Fallon jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning.

Jen Easton scored on a delayed steal, and Kloei Humphrey drove in a run. Mallorie Getto and Humphrey each singled in a run before Galena came back with two runs in the fifth inning.

Burrows said Fallon's base running threw her team off guard.

"They ran aggressive on the bases," Burrows said. "Unfortunately, we weren't mentally prepared for that. They took advantage of that. They earned them (runs) by being aggressive on the bases."

A key ejection took away Peel's pitcher for the second game when Casey Pomeroy was tossed out in the sixth inning for malicious contact at home plate. By rule, Pomeroy had to sit out the second game.

"That definitely put a huge dampener on our team, and it showed us how powerful she is to us," Peel said about Pomeroy.