Lady Wave sweeps Elko, sets up showdown with Lowry

ELKO — The Lady Wave softball team continued to roll in the 3A North by sweeping Elko over the weekend.

Fallon (12-1, 3A North) opened the series with an 11-1 win on Friday before sweeping the doubleheader, 15-5 and 11-1. Fallon traveled to Fernley (15-1) on Tuesday for the second meeting before the two schools before the Lady Wave returns home this weekend for a three-game series against third-place Lowry (16-2).

In the opening game of the Elko series, Fallon scored seven runs in the top of the seventh inning and pulled away for an 11-1 victory after scoring only one run in the first inning.

Senior Caitlyn Welch ripped a leadoff double down the line in left field and stole third base, scoring on a sacrifice fly by junior Alexis Jarrett.

Fallon junior Rylee Buckmaster fell behind 1-2 and earned a leadoff walk in the top of the third after a 13-pitch battle, fouling off seven pitches. She advanced to second base on a single by Welch to left field, but a groundout to senior Riley Harris at third base retired the lead runner, Elko missing out on a chance for a double play at first base.

Welch took third base on a wild pitch, and a single on a fly ball to left field by senior Stacy Kalt drove in Welch and Jarrett for a 3-0 lead. Elko escaped further damage with a 6-3 double play by junior shortstop Jacqueline Pete to junior first baseman Kenzie Ratliff.

Fallon took a 4-1 advantage in the top of the sixth on a sac fly by sophomore Aspen Mori that drove in senior Macie Anderson from third base.

The Lady Greenwave took control in the top of the seventh.

Welch drilled her second double of the ballgame with one out, followed by a single from Jarrett to center field.

Welch scored on a passed ball, and Elko pitched to Cornmesser with runners on the corners — the bases cleared by a three-run hammer to left field — opening an 8-1 lead.

The bases were loaded by singles from Anderson and Mori and a walk to junior Shelbi Schultz, a two-run error on a groundball at second base giving Anderson and Schultz free runs home.

Mori scored on a passed ball for the final run of the game.

Faith Cornmesser’s lone hit — her home run — accounted for all of her game-high three RBIs, and Kalt and junior Lorynn Fagg drove in two runs each for Fallon.

On the mound, Cornmesser earned the complete-game win. She allowed one run on three hits over seven innings, striking out six batters and walking three.

Welch scored a game-best three runs and finished 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles.

Anderson and Jarrett scored two runs apiece for Fallon, Jarrett hitting 2-for-3 and Anderson batting 2-for-4.

Cornmesser put the Lady Greenwave on top early in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, hammering a two-run homer to left field in the top of the first inning — scoring herself and junior Alexis Jarrett.

Elko went down in order in the bottom half, but the Lady Indians returned with a one-two-three defensive frame of their own in the top of the second. A grand-slam blast by sophomore Madi Murray to left field erased a two-run deficit for a two-run lead. Junior Kaitlyn Rizo smashed the Lady Indians’ second home run in as many innings to left field, but Elko could not take advantage of a double by Pete on the next at-bat.

The Lady Wave’s first two hitters in the top of the fourth fell in succession, but Fallon stayed the course and made a rally. Junior Shelbi Schultz singled on a bunt to the mound, junior Lorynn Fagg was hit by a pitch and the bases were loaded with a walk to senior Macie Anderson.

Fallon took advantage of a two-run error with two outs at second base, slicing the deficit to one as Schultz and Anderson ran home.

Cornmesser was inserted on the hill for Fallon, immediately sitting down Elko one-two-three in the bottom half.

In the top of the fifth, sophomore Aspen Mori tied the ballgame with a fly ball to left field, driving in Jarrett. Schultz gave the Lady Greenwave the lead for good with an RBI single that scored Cornmesser, an error in left field giving Mori a run to the dish. A wild pitch brought home Schultz, Fallon opening an 8-5 lead. An error in left field and another at third base allowed Fagg to score, Anderson rolling home on a single by sophomore Bella Jones.

Elko went down in order in the bottom half, and Fallon opened an 11-5 lead with a one-out double by Mori to right field — scoring Cornmesser — Mori crossing on a fielder’s choice on the next AB.

With two outs, Fagg scored on a passed ball and Fallon gained a double from Anderson, who plated the final run of the inning after three-consecutive walks – the final coming with the bases juiced.

Cornmesser singled to lead off the top of the seventh, advancing to second on the throw and stealing third.

She scored the final run of the game on a passed ball, the Lady Wave posting 13-unanswered runs.

A double by Gallagher with two outs in the bottom of the seventh was Elko’s first hit since the bottom of the third, but she was stranded by a popup to end the game.

Mori (2-for-4 with a double), Cornmesser (2-for-4 with a home run) and Schultz (2-for-5) drove in two runs apiece for Fallon. On the mound, Cornmesser turned the complexion of the game with her arm – striking out six batters and walking none over 4-2/3 innings of two-hit ball.

In the series finale, Fallon built a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with Welch scoring on a single by Kalt, who came home on a groundout RBI by Anderson.

Elko was retired by Cornmesser in order in the bottom half, the Lady Wave posting five runs for a 7-0 lead in the top of the second. Schultz scored on a passed ball, Fagg opening a 4-0 lead on a single by Jarrett.

Buckmaster crossed on a base knock by Kalt, and Jarrett was driven in with a sacrifice fly by Cornmesser.

An error at shortstop with two outs allowed Kalt a free stroll home.

Cornmesser bookended another one-two-three inning with strikeouts in the bottom of the second, and Elko played its first three-up, three-down inning of defense in the top of the third.

Murray reached on a leadoff error in the bottom half, but the inning closed with a 1-4-3 double play.

A sac fly by Kalt in the top of the fourth inning gave Fallon an 8-0 lead, and Cornmesser struck out two more hitters in a one-two-three bottom half.

Fagg pushed the advantage to 9-0 in the top of the fifth with a single that scored Mori, but the Lady Indians struck down a run at the plate for the second out of the inning – junior Lauryn Guenin firing from center field to freshman catcher Emery Lesbo.

Schultz scored on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh, and Fagg crossed on an inning-ending double play – Pete beginning a 6-3-4 sequence – Murray firing from first to Harris at third for the final out.

Cornmesser punched out the first and second hitters in the bottom of the seventh, finishing her complete-game win with a groundout.

Kalt led the Lady Wave with a game-high three RBIs, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate. Cornmesser struck out 12 batters against just one walk, allowing just three hits and one run over seven innings.