Twice, the Fernley Little League Juniors softball team took the lead in last Sunday’s state championship game, only to see Sparks Centennial come back both times.
The third time was the charm, as Fernley won its second consecutive state championship and will advance to the West Regionals July 23-29 in Tucson, Arizona.
“It was definitely fun,” coach Sarah Parale said. “We lost one, but we were able to come back and beat them in the championship. So that worked out.”
The final was tight from the start. Ella Parale, the first batter of the game, led off with a home run, and Fernley added another run to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning, only to see Centennial answer with a two-run home run of its own in the second.
“It was back and forth the whole time,” Sarah Parale said. “They were a good team. The girls had to fight, for sure.”
Fernley went ahead again, 3-2, in the fourth inning, but Centennial answered an inning later with three runs. Trailing 5-3, Fernley’s last rally put the team ahead by two, and the dugout erupted, but only briefly because Centennial was the home team.
“They were going crazy, but we were all on edge,” Parale said. “We had three outs to go, and that was when we were all on the edge of our seats. That inning was crazy for sure.”
Parale said the emotional swings were constant.
“Emotions were high, and we had to ride the roller coaster,” she said. “They did so well doing that. Just kept it strong the whole time.”
Fernley opened the tournament with a 7-4 win over Moapa Valley on July 9. Nevaeh Leija drove in three runs with a double in the sixth inning that put Fernley ahead 7-3. Smythe drove in two runs in the first inning to stake Fernley to an early lead.
In its second game on July 10, Fernley lost 6-0 to Centennial, but the team bounced back on July 11 to beat Moapa Valley again, 9-3, to earn the rematch with Centennial for the championship.
The difference between Friday’s loss and Sunday’s win, Parale said, came down to belief.
“I don’t know that everybody’s confidence was there in the game we lost,” she said. “But yesterday, everybody’s confidence was there. They kept their composure and kept believing they could win. It was definitely a team effort.”
For the players who were part of last year’s run, Sunday’s win means a return trip to Arizona for the regional tournament. Parale said the excitement started immediately, and so did the logistics.
The team now has only a short window to organize travel and raise money to get all 12 players and as many families as possible to Arizona.
“The girls are all super excited,” she said Monday. “This morning has already started with getting down to the details of how we’re going to get everybody there.”
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