Fallon senior Shayda Lofthouse pitches for the final time at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex after leading the team to a series sweep over Lowry.
The Lady Wave softball team started a new winning streak at the right time. Fallon swept Lowry last weekend at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex to take over second place in the 3A East with only one series remaining in the season before the regional tournament next week in Winnemucca. Fallon opened the Lowry series with an 11-1 win on Friday before winning Saturday’s doubleheader, 14-7 and 8-5. The Lady Wave travels to Spring Creek this weekend for a three-game series, beginning on Friday. After Savannah Stoker’s first-inning home run in Friday’s game, Fallon’s offense took over, ending the game in the sixth inning after three runs scored. Reece Hutchings doubled in Lydia Bergman to tie the game in the first and later scored after Taralynn Vershum’s single when an overthrow allowed Fallon to take the lead. Hutchings added to her RBI total with a two-run homer in the third inning off Kadence Cooney. Ahead 4-1 in the fifth inning, Hutchings’ single led to Vernita Fillmore scoring from second before Bergman scored on the next play when Vershum singled to right field. Kiley Wallace singled on a two-strike count to center to score Hutchings, and Vershum followed on the throw to give Fallon an 8-1 lead. In the sixth and final inning, the first four batters reached base against Peyton Cassinelli when Fillmore walked on a 3-1 count followed by singles by Dana Buckmaster and Bergman. With the bases loaded, Hutchings doubled in Fillmore and Buckmaster. Vershum’s RBI groundout scored Bergman from third to end the game. Fillmore settled down after allowing the first-inning homer and gave up just a single and walk the rest of the way. She struck out three in six innings. The Lady Wave and Buckaroos battled closely in Saturday’s opener before Fallon scored nine runs in the last two innings. An error started the game and led to a pair of Lowry runs before Fallon tied the game in the bottom half. Buckmaster’s sac fly brought in Villmore before Vershum’s two-out double to right scored Bergman to tie the game. Lowry took the lead in the third when B Hayes’ double drove in Stoker, who singled to lead off the inning. With two outs, C Tisue smacked a two-run homer off senior Shayda Lofthouse to center to give Lowry a 5-2 lead. Fallon chipped away with a run in the third when Hutchings singled in Bergman, but Lowry added another in the next frame with Stoker’s sac fly.
Matt Reibsamen/Special to the LVN The Lady Wave softball team welcomes Reece Hutchings at the plate after she homered against Lowry.
Down 6-3, Buckmaster singled in Darci Owens with a line drive to right field before Bergman walked to load the bases. Hutchings’ single narrowed the deficit to 6-5. After stopping Lowry in the fifth, Fallon took its first lead at 7-6 when Buckmaster’s two-out bases-loaded single scored Maddie Keller and Owens. Bergman followed by homering off a full count, giving Fallon a 10-6 lead. Lowry scored one in the sixth but Fallon responded with four more runs after Vershum and Keller reached by error against Stoker, the starting pitcher. Wallace crushed the ball to center for a three-run homer, and Buckmaster’s two-out triple gave Fallon a seven-run lead. Lofthouse picked up the win in the circle on Senior Day, going 5 ⅓ innings and striking out two. Fillmore closed the door and allowed a walk. Unlike the first two games, Fallon grabbed the first lead in the series finale on Owens’ two-run homer. Stoker, though, tied the game in the fourth inning with her second home run of the series. After the next two Buckaroos were retired, Tisue homered on the first pitch to break the tie and give Lowry a 4-2 lead. Fallon returned the favor in the bottom half of the inning, scoring all of its runs with two outs. With the bases loaded, Stoker walked Hutchings and Vershum to tie the game at four. Wallace singled on the next play with a line drive to left field, scoring Bergman and Hutchings to give Fallon a 6-4 lead. After B Hayes’ sac fly trimmed the deficit to one in the fifth, Fallon added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Wallace’s sac fly to right field scored Hutchings, and an infield error led to Vershum scoring from third. Fillmore pitched a complete game for the win.
Matt Reibsamen/Special to the LVN