Cardiac kids pull out late-inning wins

 WINNEMUCCA — The Greenwave baseball team refused to die at Saturday’s Northern 3A-East season-ending tournament.

Down by three runs going into the final inning, the Wave scored three runs to defeat Spring Creek, 8-7, in Fallon’s first tournament game that spanned two days. Steady rain halted play on Friday afternoon after two innings before the teams returned to the field the following morning.

That three-spot also came in handy in Saturday’s game with Fallon trailing its longtime rival, Fernley, 13-11. The Wave rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh and final inning, and then pitcher Bryce Adams shut the door on the Vaqueros to seal the 14-13 win. Fallon improved to 11-8 overall.

Coming into the tournament, the Greenwave performed its magic against Lowry one week ago in a nonconference game by rallying for two runs in the seventh for a 24-23 win.

While the comeback kids posted come-from-behind wins against Spring Creek and Fernley, the season will boil down to final game — the championship — between Fallon and Dayton.

The Wave took a 3-0 lead over the Dust Devils on Damien Towne’s two-run double in the first inning, and Connor Lee’s RBI single in the second. During the prior weekend in the final regular season league games, Dayton took the series, winning two of three games.

Then the rains intensified, resulting in the game being stopped and teams scrambling for cover.

As of Monday, schools and officials were trying to find a neutral field to resume the game. Any updated news has been posted on the Lahontan Valley News website and Facebook page.

“We keep bouncing back,” said Fallon coach Lester de Braga, referring to the Greenwave’s two one-run wins. “It’s always good to beat anybody.”
Despite the weather, de Braga said I was still a fun weekend to see how his players responded.

In a shortened season due to COVID-19 protocols, de Braga said the team keeps progressing. Although the pitching has struggled, he said it’s been difficult to develop the players because of time constraints. Normally, the season is three months, but this year, the time spent on the diamond has been reduced to just under two months.

The big inning, though, dictated the outcome of the Fallon-Fernley game. Up 11-7, the Vaqueros scored six runs in the fifth inning to take the lead until the Wave rallied in the final inning.

Connor Lee doubled to open the inning, and Avery Strasdin doubled home Lee to cut the lead to a run. Bryce Adams RBI double tied the game. Trevor Austin reached base on an error, which also allowed the go-ahead run to cross the plate.

Each team scored one run each in the first inning, and the Vaqueros added a run in the home-half of the second.

Adams, who pitched the final two innings, shut down the Vaqueros to claim the win. He also gave Fallon an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a single to left field. Fernley tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Austin Pryor’s RBI single. The Vaqueros’ Kyle Jones ground out in the second inning, scoring a run for a 2-1 lead.

Third baseman Avery Strasdin ripped a triple for a run, and Adams singled home another teammate for a 3-2 lead in the third inning.

Fernley pounced on Fallon for four runs in the bottom half of the inning to double the score, 6-3. Jacob Bigrigg single home two runs, while Jake Cumming singled. A balk led to the final run.

The Wave regained the lead in the fourth inning, 9-6, and added four more runs in the fifth. Strasdin’s single scored two runs in the fourth, and Towne hit a sacrifice fly. A passed ball led to another run.

Hunter Cooper and Towne each singled in a run, and Matt Davis knocked in a pair.

Fernley, which scored a run in the fourth inning, erupted for six in the fifth to regain the lead, 13-11. Austin Pryor and Brandon McCullar each singled home two runs, and Tucker Hall singled in another. An error led to a run.

Both teams didn’t score in the sixth inning.

Fallon banged out 17 hits with Strasdin going 4-5, Adams 3-5 and Lee and Brady Alves, each 2-4.

Fallon advanced in the single-elimination tournament with an 8-7 win over Spring Creek.

Austin’s line-drive double to left field on the first pitch drove in two runs for the win. Fallon’s other run came from Towne’s double.

Both teams scored four runs on Friday before play was suspended. The Spartans, the lower-seed team, took advantage of Fallon’s miscues in the second inning. Three runs were scored on two passed balls and an error, and Riley Stewart’s single.

Fallon tied the game on Cooper’s two-run single to left field and Davis’ single. A wild pitch resulted in another run.

When the game resumed on Saturday, Spring Creek took a 7-3 lead on Connor Clarke’s single, and Garrison Bylund’s two-run double.

The Wave scored in the sixth when Cooper hit into a double play.

The Wave had 11 hits. Strasdin went 2-4, while Austin and Cooper were each 2-3.

Adams, who relived starting pitcher Francisco Tapia, pitched the final four innings and earned the win.

Fallon 24, Lowry 23
The Fallon Greenwave scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning last Tuesday to take a wild 24-23 win over Lowry in Northern 3A-East baseball at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex.

The game counted as a nonleague game as both team prepare for this weekend’s 3A-East tournament in Winnemucca. Lowry (5-1 overall, 5-10 league) plays Elko at 3:30 p.m., and Fallon (9-8 overall, 8-7 league) faces Spring Creek at 1 p.m.

Tuesday’s game saw both teams combining for 43 hits, but the big difference was Lowry committing nine errors compared to Fallon’s two.
Lowry jumped on Fallon for nine runs in the first and seven in the second for a 16-5 lead.

Marcus Montes struck first, hitting a double to drive in a pair of runs. Brendan Robinson and Zach Fernandez each doubled in a run. Justin Horton, Tristan Schmittel and Garette Hinshaw each had RBI singles.

Fallon scored two runs in the home half of the first on Matt Davis’ triple and an error.

Greenwave mistakes led to five of Lowry’s seven runs. Kaden Boyles singled in a run, and Logan Fettic’s ground out scored another.

Avery Strasdin hit an RBI single for Fallon in the bottom of the inning, and Cade Barton doubled in the second run.

Lowry didn’t score in the top of the third, but Fallon added 11 runs. Two errors allowed Fallon to score twice, and Strasdin batted in two runs, while Lucas Prinz and Davis each slammed two-run singles.

Going into the fourth inning, the score was tied at 16, but Lowry snapped the deadlock with two runs. Fernandez drilled a single for a run. Fallon took a one-run le after the bottom of the fourth inning on an error, a triple and Evan Crandall’s single.

In the see-saw battle, Lowry took a 21-20 lead after the fifth inning.

Fettic’s single tied the game, but a passed ball and error led to two runs. Zane Bogdanowicz lofted a sacrifice fly for Fallon.

Hinshaw hit an RBI single for Lowry’s only run in the sixth. Isaiah Diaz singled in a run for Fallon as the Wave tied Lowry at 22.

Fernandez’s fielder’s choice pushed Lowry to a one-run led in the top of the seventh, but Fallon responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning for the win.

Fallon used six pitchers in the game. Lowry used four pitchers.