Lady Wave rally falls short in Northern 3A regionals

ELKO — The young Lady Wave softball team reached deep in its lineup against Elko on Friday but came up short in an 11-9 setback in the third round of the NIAA 2019 Northern League Softball Championship at Elko High School.

With the loss, Fallon finished its season with one win and two losses in the double-elimination championships.

Pitching in her third straight game, Fallon pitcher Ashely Agaman struggled in the first inning against the hosts. During the season, both Fallon and Elko tied for third place, but based on a tiebreaker system, Fallon was the higher seed.

The Greenwave junior pitcher opened the game by issuing a walk followed by Lauryn Guenin’s single. After retiring Emery Lesbo on a fly ball, Agaman loaded the bases on a walk and hit batter, which led to Elko’s first run. Pitcher Breanna Whitted’s two-out single gave Elko a 3-0 lead.

Fallon scored a run in the bottom of the first on Lorynn Fagg’s single. Lesbo drove in a run in the second, and Fallon errors led to two more runs as Elko led 6-1.

Lesbo was the Greenwave killer in the third by delivering a two-run double.

Aspen Mori and Rylee Buckmaster each singled to begin the third, but Whitted retired the next two batters. An infield error moved up the runners, and a passed ball allowed Mori to score.

Makenzee Moretto’s ground out led to another Greenwave run in the fourth.

Elko padded its lead to 11-3 after a three-run burst in the fifth inning. Madisyn Murray reached base on an error, and Agaman walked Jersey Tsosie. Lexi Schweer delivered a big blow against Fallon by slamming a three-run home run.

Rachel “Franny” Mori pitched the rest of the game for Fallon.

The Lady Wave scored six runs over the next two innings.

Fagg singled in the fifth, and her sister Shaylee doubled her home. Shelbi Schultz’s ground ball was bobbled and allowed Shaylee Fagg to cross the plate to cut Elko’s lead to 11-5.

With two outs in the sixth inning, Lorynn Fagg drilled a two-run homer, causing Elko to make a pitching change by bringing in Rylee Ferguson. Savana Manha reached base on an error, and Fran Mori walked. Elko allowed the runners to move up on a passed ball, and another passed ball led to Manha scoring. An infield error on Shaylee Fagg’s grounder led to Fallon’s ninth run to score.

Fallon’s rally ended when Fagg was thrown out stealing.

Ferguson retired Fallon’s first two batters in the seventh inning until Moretto reached base on Elko’s ninth error. She then fanned Aspen Mori for the game’s final out.

After Lowry spotted Fallon a first-inning 4-0 lead, the Lady Bucks went on a rampage for the rest of the game to defeat the Greenwave, 17-6, in Thursday’s second round.

Earlier in the day, Fallon defeated Spring Creek, 11-1.

Fagg doubled in Fallon’s first run against Lowry, followed by Savanna Manha’s RBI double.

Agaman, who picked up the win against Spring Creek, singled home Manha, and with two outs, first baseman Shaylee Fagg ripped a run-producing double.

Lowry tied the game in the bottom of the first, but Fallon surged ahead, 5-4, in the third by scoring a run on an error.

Manha homered in the fifth for Fallon’s final run.

Fallon scored all of its runs in the first and sixth innings against Spring Creek. Lorynn Fagg and Agaman each singled home a run to give Fallon a 2-0 lead. Fallon added three more runs on an error and a throw, and Mackenzie Fish scored on a passed ball.

In the sixth inning, Buckmaster doubled in a run, and Manha hit a line-drive single for an RBI to give Fallon an 8-1 lead. Agaman doubled to send home two runs, and the game was called on the 10-run mercy rule when Fish grounded into a fielder’s choice to score the 11th run.