Oasis Academy junior Kayden White prepares to catch the ball in foul territory while umpire Ken Stern looks on during Saturday’s doubleheader against Pershing County.
Photo by Thomas Ranson.
The Bighorns baseball team bounced back from its first series loss to sweep Pershing County and take over first in the 2A North.
Oasis Academy defeated Pershing County, 8-0, last Wednesday at Greater Nevada Field, home of the Reno Aces, before sweeping Saturday’s doubleheader, 9-8 and 6-5, in Fallon.
Oasis Academy improved to 15-3 in league and is 1.5 games ahead of West Wendover (13-4) and two games ahead of Yerington (11-3). The Bighorns host North Tahoe (9-4) this weekend with Senior Day on Saturday before traveling to West Wendover next week.
Yerington’s schedule is lighter in comparison. The Lions face three teams with losing records: Silver Stage (3-12), Battle Mountain (6-8) and Sierra Lutheran (3-12). West Wendover has only one series left in the regular season.
The 2A North regional tournament is next month in Yerington.
After a shutout to open the series against Pershing County, Oasis came back from a 7-3 hole in Saturday’s first game to win by a run.
Senior Fenn Mackedon led the team with three hits, including a double, and an RBI, while junior Trevor Barrenchea drove in three on two hits and senior Zachary Budner doubled, singled and drove in two. Juniors Matthew Bird and Ryder McNabb each doubled and drove in one, and senior Josh Gusewelle tripled.
Mackedon, Bird and Budner pitched with Bird striking out six in two innings despite allowing five hits and a walk. Mackedon struck out three in two innings and Budner pitched the last three innings, striking out four while giving up three hits.
Down by four in the fifth inning, Oasis Academy loaded the bases with a single, walk and a hit by pitch. Barrenchea singled in Mackedon with one out, but the Bighorns stranded three runners. They were able to capitalize in the following inning when Mackedon, Budner and Bird hit back-to-back-back two-out doubles to take the lead. Barrenchea’s single gave Oasis Academy a two-run lead.
The Mustangs scored on a sac fly in the top of the seventh before Budner induced a game-ending groundout to short.
The nightcap saw another Bighorn comeback.
Gusewelle led the team with a triple, double and RBI, and junior James Thibodaux singled twice. McNabb singled and drove in two, and Mackedon singled and had an RBI.
McNabb pitched a complete game, striking out nine while giving up seven hits, three walks and four earned runs.
Down by one run in the fifth inning, Gusewelle hit a two-out double to center to score Thibodaux. McNabb was hit by the pitch and then he and Gusewelle stole a base to put two runners in scoring position for Mackedon. On a 1-2 count, the senior singled into left field to score Gusewelle and break the tie.
The Mustangs led off the seven with a single and a walk before a fielder’s choice put runners on second and third. A one-out single tied the game but Pershing County flew and grounded out to end the top half.
A sac bunt turned into an error to give Oasis Academy the sweep.
After sophomore Jose Montalvo singled to right, White laid down a bunt to the pitcher, who threw out White. However, Montalvo rounded second to third and then scored on a throwing error.
Wednesday’s shutout win was courtesy of pitcher by committee as junior Kayden White, Bird, Mackedon and McNabb each threw. Bird struck out four and allowed two hits in two innings, and Mackedon and McNabb each struck out two in two innings. White threw one inning.
Mackedon drove in one and was a homer shy of the cycle, while Budner singled twice, doubled and drove in one. McNabb drove in four on a single and double, and Thibodaux singled twice and drove in two.