Coming into the final weekend of the regular season against Incline, the Battle Mountain High School baseball team needed to beat the Highlanders twice to make the postseason.
Last weekend started on a high note for the Longhorns, as they won Thursday’s opener 13-1.
However, Battle Mountain suffered a pair of 5-4 losses to Incline on Friday. In the series finale, the Highlanders scored four times in the seventh inning to all but end the season for Battle Mountain. The Longhorns finished 13-8 in the Northern 2A.
BMHS routs Incline
Battle Mountain scored three times in Thursday’s single contest and never looked back. The Longhorns held a 3-1 advantage through three innings before pulling away in the final four innings. Battle Mountain scored 10 runs in the final three innings.
Reese Artz and Erik Martinez paced the hitting attack with three each. Gabe Naveran had two hits and Kelvin Diaz, Kade Quintana, Tom Bairs and Mason Fuller each had one.
Naveran earned the complete-game win, allowing one run on three hits. He struck out six and walked two.
Highlanders rally to
beat Longhorns
The first game of the doubleheader was a different story, as the game was close throughout. Battle Mountain jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, only to see Incline tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second.
The Longhorns used single runs in the third and fourth innings to go in front but the Highlanders scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. Incline scored the winning run in the fifth and held Battle Mountain scoreless in the final three innings.
Fuller had two of Battle Mountain’s four hits and drove in a run. Naveran and Martinez each had a hit.
Incline wins on walk-off
The series finale was a pitching duel with the game tied at 1-1 going into the seventh. Battle Mountain broke through for three runs in the seven but it was not enough as Incline rallied for four runs its is half of the seventh to win the game.
Quinton Defoor and Fuller had two hits apiece. Baird, Naveran and Artz had one hit each.
Battle Mountain finished the year at 16-9 overall.
The Northern 2A Regional Championships start Friday and conclude Saturday in Battle Mountain.
Action starts Friday at 10:30 a.m. with top-seeded Yerington taking the field. The second semifinal game will be played at 1 p.m.
The championship is set for 10 a.m. on Saturday.
