Despite dropping two of its last three regular season games, the Battle Mountain High School baseball team will still be the top seed for the Division III North Regional Championships this weekend in Lovelock.
The Longhorns (15-3 Division III North, 21-6 overall) lost Friday at Incline 19-9. Battle Mountain had two separate leads but could not hold on for the win. The Longhorns scored twice in the first and three more times in the second to lead 5-1. However, the Highlanders countered with three runs in the second and third innings to lead 7-5.
The back-and-forth contest continued as each squad scored three times in the fourth inning as Incline led 10-8. Battle Mountain cut the deficit to 10-9 in the top of the fifth inning, only to see Incline score twice in the fifth and seven times in the sixth.
Battle Mountain overcame a 1-0 deficit in the opener on Saturday to win 12-5. The Longhorns broke through with three runs in the third inning to lead 3-1, but the Highlanders answered right back with three runs as well in the bottom of the third to go back up 4-3.
Battle Mountain was finally able to pull away late in the game, scoring five runs in the fourth and three in the sixth.
In the nightcap, Incline rallied from six runs down to win 13-12 with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Longhorns led 3-0 after the top of the second inning, when the Highlanders tied the game in the bottom of the second. Battle Mountain opened a six-run lead, 9-3 in the top of the third, but Incline scored the next nine runs to go in front 12-9.
Battle Mountain tied the game with three runs in the top of the seventh inning, but Incline was able to get the walk-off winner in the bottom of the frame.
Battle Mountain will make the trip to Lovelock for the Division III North Regional Championships. The Longhorns will face Pershing County at 9 a.m. on Friday. Yerington and Incline play at 11:30 a.m. Friday.
The losers of the opening round games will play at 2 p.m. on Friday and the winners meet at 4:30 p.m. A second elimination game will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday with the championship at 12:30. If a second title game is needed, it will be played 30 minutes following the first game.
The top two teams advance to the NIAA State Softball Championships at The Meadows High School and the campus of Southern Nevada College from May 14-16.
