By STEVE RANSON
sranson@lahontanvalleynews.com
Déjá vu almost struck the Greenwave baseball team Tuesday afternoon.
The Wave grabbed a 6-0 lead against visiting Dayton at the Ed Arciniega Athletic Complex until the Dust Devils rallied for eight runs in the sixth inning.
Fallon, though, regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning to nip Dayton, 9-8, in a nonleague game. When the two teams met last year, Fallon had a good-sized lead before the Dust Devils rallied late in the game for a win.
Fallon improves to 11-7, while Dayton falls to 11-3. The teams face each other again on April 24 in Fallon.
Fallon coach Brad Barton said his team showed some character in coming back to win the game.
"We lost our focus and stopped thinking about our jobs," Barton said of the sixth inning. "The same thing happened last year. But we made some substitutions and had some clutch hits to get the win."
Dayton coach Craig Miller said his team was missing two starters who were gone on a school trip to Southern California. Lyon County students are on spring break this week. Miller said the two players accounted for 12 hits against Fernley on Saturday.
"Early on we struggled and didn't show our offensive production, but I'm proud of them putting eight (runs) on the board," Miller said.
Ryan Shepherd pitched the first five innings for Dayton, and Brandon Aguilera took the mound in the sixth inning. Pinch hitter Charlie Hejny greeted Aguilera with a triple, and Lyle Gardner followed with an RBI single to right field. Thad Cornu then singled Gardner home to tie the game. Third baseman Trevor de Braga ripped a triple to deep center field to drive in Cornu.
Cornu, Fallon's leadoff batter, said he wanted to help Fallon win.
"I just want to get the job done for the team," he said. "I knew our team would come through in the end."
Cornu's single to begin the game in the first inning ignited the Wave to score four runs. After Cornu reached base, de Braga tripled, and Brett Wickizer walked. Starting pitcher Allan Albisu smacked an RBI double.
Shepherd struggled and loaded the bases. He hit outfielder Jake Baker, which scored Fallon's third run, and two batters later, walked Reto Gross. Shepherd settled down and retired the next 11 batters before allowing two runs in the fifth inning.
Jeff Lister and Nate Stenberg each singled in a run with two outs.
Albisu and Sam Corbin, who relieved Albisu in the fourth inning, kept Dayton scoreless and hitless.
The Dust Devils relied on timely hitting and two Fallon errors to take the lead in the sixth inning.
Tim Doyle led off the inning with a Texas Leaguer to right field. A throwing error allowed one run to score before Shepherd walked home Dayton's second run. Konrad Perkins, Nick Bircheff and Cory Torvik singled home a run, and Doyle's second hit in the inning drove in two more runs.
Junior relief pitcher Daniel Bright faced Dayton in the seventh inning. Cody Yoder led off with a single, but Bright came back and retired Shepherd on a comebacker to the mound and then stuck out Perkins and Bircheff. Corbin earned the win.
"I was nervous because the team got up, and I didn't want to lose the game for the team," he said.
Except for Yoder, Bright was ahead of his final three batters, running the count on each each player to 1-2.
"Daniel has been nails out there," Barton said. "Every time he is out there, he does the job."