Things didn’t go as well as they hoped on the scoreboard for the High Desert Little League All-Stars last weekend.
Fernley lost 15-0 to Summerlin South Little League in their first game last Thursday, then were eliminated with a 12-1 loss to Carson Valley on Friday night. But manager Ben Pagni said what the team accomplished was more important than whether they won or lost baseball games.
A retired veteran, Pagni said team building and developing leadership are his specialty, and he believes the players developed as leaders and teammates in their run through the regional tournament to qualify for State.
“They showed so much heart and dedication and they fought the whole time, even though the scores didn’t reflect what we would have liked,” Pagni said.
Two early home runs put Fernley behind on the scoreboard in both games. Summerlin South scored two runs in the first inning and 10 in the second and ended the game by the 15-run rule with three runs in the third inning.
Two Summerlin South pitchers combined on a three-inning perfect game, striking out seven of Fernley’s nine batters.
Friday night, two of Carson Valley’s first four batters hit homers to give the Douglas County team a 4-0 lead four batters into the game. Carson Valley scored eight runs in the first inning, one in the second and three in the third.
Fernley got its run in the top of the first inning when JJ LaCroix singed in Weston DeGolyer.
Pagni said DeGolyer, Garrett Conner and Ayden Pagni were three players who led the team throughout the regional and state tournaments.
“I could name great qualities about every single player but those were three that stood out,” Pagni said. “We were consistent throughout the lineup.”
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