Fallon’s James Kelsey was strong at the plate and on the mound, where he threw a six-inning no-hitter in the Greenwave’s road sweep over Lowry last weekend.
Photo by Tony Erquiaga.
It’s not impossible but Fallon’s baseball team can still win the 3A East and first-round bye for next week’s regional tournament.
After sweeping last-place Lowry on the road last weekend, the Greenwave (9-3) entertains first-place Spring Creek (11-1) for a three-game series beginning Friday at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex. Fallon would need to sweep the series to take over the division.
Going into the final week, the only ticket punched came Saturday when South Tahoe swept North Valleys in Reno to win the 3A West. After Spring Creek, Elko and Fallon are tied for second but the Indians hold the tiebreaker after winning two-of-three earlier this month.
But the next four playoff spots after the league winners are based on points, which includes the crossover games. Elko and Fallon are still tied with 19 points followed by North Valleys with 17 and Truckee with 12. Fernley is in seventh position with nine points.
The bats were alive in last weekend’s road sweep of the Buckaroos as Fallon won 14-2 on Friday, and 10-0 and 19-3 on Saturday.
Sophomore James Kelsey threw a no-hitter in Saturday’s first game, striking out 14 in six innings while walking four.
Senior Brady Alves led the team at the plate with three hits — coming up a homer shy of the cycle — as he drove in a team-high three RBIs. Junior Baylor Sandberg was a triple shy of the cycle as he finished with three hits and two RBIs, and senior Cooper Lee drove in two on two hits, including a double.
Ahead 1-0 in the second inning, Lee’s two-out double scored sophomore Mason Storm and junior Rylan Dixon. After the next two innings were scoreless, Alves’ triple extended the lead to 4-0 before Sandberg’s two-run homer to center.
Saturday’s nightcap saw the biggest run differential (16) of the series thanks to a 12-run second inning.
After tormenting the Lowry bats in the earlier game, Kelsey was on fire from the plate, driving in five runs on two hits, including a home run. Sandberg drove in three on two hits, including a double, and juniors Bryce Adams and Caden McKnight, sophomores Mason Storm and Trevor Hyde each had two RBIs.
After scoring four in the first inning, Fallon added 12 more in the second when Kelsey’s RBI single with one out got the scoring going.
Four consecutive singles by Hyde, Storm, Adams and sophomore Chase Carnahan extended the lead to 10-0. After a pitching change, Alves was hit by the pitch, allowing Adams to score, followed by McKnight’s RBI infield single. Sandberg’s sac fly scored Dixon. With two outs, Kelsey homered on the first pitch to right.
Sandberg pitched two innings for the win, striking out two in two innings, and senior Steven Moon struck out two in one inning.
Kelsey got the scoring going in Friday’s game, doubling in a pair of runs in the first inning. Junior Carter Paul singled in one run with two outs followed by sophomore Chase Carnahan’s two-run triple to right field. Carnahan scored on an error to give Fallon a 6-0 lead.
Fallon added three more in the next inning on Kelsey’s RBI groundout and Hyde’s single. Hyde scored on an error.
Ahead 9-2 in the third, Sandberg singled in senior Isiah Diaz, Kelsey doubled in junior Rylan Dixon and Hyde singled in Sandberg. Kelsey scored during Paul’s at-bat to give Fallon an 11-run lead.
Sandberg led the team with four hits and Kelsey had four RBIs.
Adams picked up the win, striking out four in four innings while allowing five hits and two earned runs. Alves pitched the fifth.