High Desert 12U All-Stars open State Tournament play Thursday

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

The District 3 champion High Desert Little League 12-year-old all-stars are set to play this week in the double-elimination State Tournament in Las Vegas.

High Desert beat Walker River Little League of Yerington in the District 3 championship game, and are scheduled to play Carson Valley, of Minden/Gardnerville, the District 1 champion, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Mesa Park in Summerlin. District 2 champion Paseo Verde (Henderson) faces District 4 winner Mountain Ridge (Las Vegas) in the other semifinal.

The tournament officially begins with opening ceremonies on Wednesday.

High Desert went 4-1 in the regional tournament, reaching the championship with three wins, then after a 7-5 loss to Walker River in the first game of the championship matchup, won the winner-take-all game, 13-10.

High Desert opened the tournament July 1 with a 9-4 win over Walker River. A seven-run third inning was the difference in the game. The game was tied 2-2 when Zane Ketner hit a two-run double. With the bases loaded, Carson Glass hit a double to left field knocking in three runs, and he came all the way around to score when the left fielder misplayed the ball. Bodie Henderson capped the rally with a run-scoring double.

Henderson, Hector Bernal and Travis Lyle split the pitching, combining to strike out 12 batters.

The next day, High Desert needed just three innings to beat Hawthorne, 17-2. Fernley scored seven runs in both the first and second innings, and added three in the third to end the game by the mercy rule.

Henderson drove in three runs, Lyle and Maverick Parks each drove in two.

On July 4, Fernley broke a 2-2 tie with a nine-run fourth inning, then added five in the fifth to beat Ruby Mountain (Spring Creek) 16-5. Junior Kelly and Carson Foster did the pitching,

Parks hit a home run and drove in three runs, while Henderson and Keltner drove in two each. Henderson, Bernal and Travis Lyle again split the pitching.

That put High Desert into the championship round, needing one win against Walker River, which had to beat Fernley twice for the title. With the game tied 2-2, Walker River scored four times in the top of the sixth. High Desert scored twice in the bottom of the sixth, but their comeback effort was thwarted when Walker River threw out a Fernley baserunner at third base.

High Desert only got three hits in the game, all in the seventh inning,

Ketner hit a home run and drove in five runs as High Desert built a 13-3 lead in the championship game, before Walker River made it close with two in the fifth and five in the sixth.

Parks drove in four runs with a pair of doubles and Glass drove in two. Bernal pitched a complete game, striking out eight.

The team was honored Monday night with a parade down Main St. led by the North Lyon County Fire Protection District before they began the trip to Las Vegas.

“Everybody got an opportunity and they all stepped up and made plays when they were in the field and at the plate, putting the ball in play,” manager Steve Henderson said.

Bodie Henderson was awarded the Golf Glove award, for a composed attitude and his play on the field.