The Fernley High School softball team pulled into a three-way tie for second place in the Northern 3A East Division by winning two of three games last weekend in Elko.
The Vaqueros defeated Elko 7-1 on Friday and 9-6 in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, before Elko avoided the sweep with a 12-9 win in the finale.
Taylor Tollestrup hit two home runs and the Vaqueros played strong defense behind pitcher Janessa Robinson to open the series with Friday’s win.
“Friday we played great,” coach Diane Chapin said. “Janessa threw very well, only allowing four hits. Defense was solid with no mistakes. Taylor led the game off with a home run, and we kept getting good plate appearances and adding runs, including a second home run from Taylor.”
The top of the batting order keyed the attack, with Tollestrup and Emma Masters reaching base six times and scoring five of Fernley’s runs.
With Fernley leading 1-0 after Tollestrup’s first-inning homer, the Vaqueros scored twice in the third inning. Tollestrup walked and stole second, then scored after an error on a bunt single by Masters, who later scored on a fielder’s choice on a ground ball by Emma Collins.
The Vaqueros scored three more times in the fourth inning, with the runs coming on an error, a groundout and Tollestrup’s second home run.
Robinson struck out five and walked one in seven innings, allowing just one run.
In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Vaqueros scored five runs in the fourth inning after trailing 4-2. Robinson drove in one run with a single, and after two runs scored on an error and a groundout, Masters capped the rally with a two-run double to put Fernley ahead 7-4.
Fernley stretched the lead to 9-4 in the top of the sixth when Tollestrup singled in a run and later scored on an error.
Masters went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs, while Tollestrup and Grace Chapin each had two hits. Lauren Smith scored three runs, and Chapin and Tollestrup both scored twice.
Robinson relieved Masters in the pitcher’s circle with Elko leading 3-2 in the third. The first batter she faced hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2, but she escaped the jam with no further damage, giving the Vaqueros the chance to rally.
In the third game, the Vaqueros committed five errors, leading to four unearned runs in the 12-9 loss.
Fernley’s only lead of the game was 4-3 in the top of the third, when a home run by Grace Chapin capped a four-run rally, but Elko struck right back in the bottom of the third to take a 7-4 lead.
Tollestrup hit a three-run homer in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 7-7, but Elko scored three in the bottom of the fourth and two in the fifth. In the top of the seventh, Collins doubled in one run and Grace Chapin singled in another, but the rally came up short.
“Saturday we still hit well and had home runs from both Taylor and Grace, we just weren’t as sharp on defense and allowed too many extra bases, especially in the last game,” Diane Chapin said.
The Vaqueros came out of the weekend with a 12-5 overall record and 3-3 in the Northern 3A East, tied for second with Elko and Fallon. Lowry leads the league at 5-1 after sweeping Spring Creek last weekend.
This weekend the Vaqueros host Spring Creek, with a single game Friday at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader Saturday starting at 11 a.m.
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