The Battle Mountain High School softball team renewed its rivalry with Pershing County on Wednesday, April 22, in Lovelock.
The Lady Longhorns had defeated the Lady Mustangs three times this year during the preseason, but Pershing County got the best of Battle Mountain in the Division II North match-up winning 3-1.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Pershing County’s Mikayla Montes singled to left field and stole second base. Moments later, Bailey Wanner drove the ball to left-center field, scoring Montes from second base.
That’s where the score stayed until the top of the sixth inning when Battle Mountain’s Kylie Sondermann crossed the plate to tie up the score at 1-1.
The Lady Mustangs responded in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Wanner singled and got on base. Courtesy runner, Anna Vidales, stole second on the next pitch putting her in scoring position.
Next, Erica Holland went to the plate and crushed a pitch over the fence for a walk-off two-run home run.
Jade Harkness pitched a complete game in the circle for the Lady Longhorns. She allowed three runs on 12 hits. Harkness struck out one and walked none.
Despite scoring just one run, Battle Mountain still finished with nine hits. Marissa Rogers was 3-for-3 at the plate, while Sondermann and Itzela Martinez each had two hits. Kali Kester and Harkness had one hit apiece.
Montes pitched the first six innings for the Lady Mustangs. She allowed nine hits and gave up one run, with four strikeouts. Holland pitched the last inning, facing six batters, where she gave up no runs and allowed two hits.
The two rivals were to play a doubleheader on Saturday in Battle Mountain. However, Mother Nature had other ideas, as wet and cold weather came through the area, forcing the games to be postponed.
Battle Mountain and Pershing County were back on the field Monday to make up the games.
The Lady Longhorns have clinched a playoff spot in the Division III North Regional Championships to be played in Lovelock on Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9. Battle Mountain closes out the regular season this weekend in Incline, starting with a single game on Friday at 4 p.m. The two schools play a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m.
