Fallon wins final series heading into 3A baseball playoffs

The Greenwave baseball team set itself up to win the division against the top team on Friday.

After defeating Spring Creek, 11-1, on Friday at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex, Fallon couldn’t muster the same offensive power in Saturday’s doubleheader opener, falling 7-3. Fallon, though, won the series with a 10-1 victory in the nightcap.

Instead of getting the No. 2 seed and bye in this week’s 3A Northern Region tournament, No. 4 Fallon will open with No. 5 North Valleys at 9 a.m. today at Wooster High School in Reno. The Greenwave defeated the Panthers in their only meeting, 13-2 on March 18 when the game was moved to Fallon due to snow.

The winner advances to take on No. 1 South Tahoe at 1:30 p.m. A loss to the Panthers would put Fallon in the 9 a.m. Friday consolation game against the No. 3 Elko-No. 6 Truckee loser. The Indians and Wolverines play Thursday at 11:15 a.m. with the winner taking on No. 2 Spring Creek at 3:45 p.m.

Friday’s 1:30 p.m. game will determine the first team going to Virgin Valley when the two Thursday afternoon winners meet. The consolation final, which determines the second and final team going to state, is Saturday at 9 a.m. The regional championship is Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

A four-run fourth inning was the difference in Fallon’s loss to the Spartans on Saturday.

After senior Cooper Lee’s RBI double and sophomore Trevor Hyde’s RBI single with two outs gave Fallon a 2-1 lead in the first inning, Spring Creek tied the game on an infield single in the third. Fallon, though, retook the lead the next inning when senior Isaac Martinez’s fielder’s choice scored Lee from third.

After the first three Spartans reached base in the fourth, sophomore James Kelsey struck out the next two swinging. An 11-pitch at-bat resulted in a walk that tied the game, 3-3, followed by a hit-by-pitch on a 3-0 count with the bases loaded. A misplayed grounder in the infield led to two more runs scoring to give Spring Creek a 6-3 lead.

Fallon tried to rally in the final inning after junior Baylor Sandberg and Kelsey popped out. Hyde and Martinez singled on line drives into the outfield before a strikeout ended the game.

Kelsey took the loss, allowing only two earned runs while striking out eight and surrendering six hits in 3.2 innings. Lee pitched the final 3.1, striking out five and allowing one unearned run and one hit.

In the series opener, Fallon never looked back after building a 3-1 lead in the first inning to go with Sandberg’s one-hitter.

Lee tied the game in the first when he singled in Alves, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. Sandberg’s triple broke the tie and Kelsey’s RBI groundout gave Fallon a two-run lead.

Kelsey’s sac fly opened the scoring in the fourth inning and Hyde and Martinez’s singles opened the game as Fallon led 7-1. Bryce Adams’ grounder was misplayed at first, allowing Hyde to score, and Mason Storm’s RBI single scored Martinez for the ninth run.

Alves ended the game on a single to center when Adams scored from second in the sixth.

Sandberg struck out 11 and allowed one unearned run just hours before winning his Night of Fights bout.

In the final game of the regular season on Saturday, Fallon jumped out to a 9-1 lead after three innings.

Martinez singled in Lee and Sandberg stole home to give Fallon a 2-0 lead after the first inning. Alves’ line-drive single scored Isiah Diaz in the second inning and Lee’s bunt allowed Anthony Juarez to score from third. Hyde’s RBI single to right gave Fallon a 5-1 lead.

Diaz’s 3-2 double in the next inning followed by Anthony Gonzalez’s single increased the margin to six runs. Gonzalez stole home two at-bats later and Luis Lopez scored on a wild pitch with Fallon leading 9-1.

Eric Cornejo’s single in the fifth scored Juarez for Fallon’s final run of the game.

Adams picked up the win on the hill, going 5.2 innings and striking out six while allowing two hits. Sean Reeder pitched the final out of the sixth inning and Hyde closed the game, striking out two.