Fallon freshman Hannah Frank swings at a pitch durng a game last week. The Lady Wave host Spring Creek for a three-game series starting at 3 p.m. today.
After a bumpy start to the season, the Fallon softball team is heating up.
The Lady Wave are riding a four-game winning streak after a three-game sweep over Truckee last weekend.
Fallon, though, battles Northern Division I-A foe Spring Creek, who has won three of its past four games, at 3 p.m. today at the Edward Arciniega Complex. The clubs return to the diamond for a doubleheader at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Fallon stumbled out of the gate, losing four of five at a tournament in California. Since then, the Lady Wave has been crushing its opponents.
Fallon battered defending state champion Fernley, 10-2, on March 18, then outscored Truckee 42-2 in last weekend’s sweep.
Spring Creek, meanwhile, took two of three from Dayton last week and slipped past Elko, 3-1, on Tuesday.
But the Spartans run into a Fallon club who is coming into form.
Lady Wave have eight players hitting .300 or better led by Rileigh Ricken’s .476 average. Ricken leads the club with two home runs and has added three doubles and six RBIs.
Kayla Buckmaster sports a .409 average with a pair of doubles and six RBIs.
Ali Tedford, the junior leadoff hitter, leads the club with 13 hits and five doubles, is second with a .394 average and is third with seven RBIs.
In addition to Ricken, Tedford and Buckmaster, Megan McCormick (.370, nine RBIs one triple), Paige Thorn (.346, eight RBIs, one home run), Izzy Thomas (10 hits, two RBIs), Ashlie Alvarez (.333, four hits) and Shelby Lawry (.300, three hits, three RBIs).
In the circle, Ricken is Fallon’s ace, posting a 2-1 record and a 2.35 ERA in 25 2/3 innings. She also leads the staff with 15 strikeouts against three walks.
Miranda Ford is 2-2 with a team-best 1.70 ERA to along with six strikeouts. Buckmaster is 1-1 in three appearances with a 4.42 ERA and also has six strikeouts.
Spring Creek, meanwhile, is led by Mikal Jerman, who is hitting .462 with two RBIs. Serima Thompson leads the Spartans with six hits, while Janaya Conklin has five RBIs, but is only hitting .167.