It was a busy week for the Battle Mountain High School baseball team who played six games in four days. The Longhorns picked up one win in that stretch of contests.
Battle Mountain hosted the Elko JV for a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 21, and lost 14-1 and 8-2 to the 3A Indians.
In the opening game, Elko scored in every inning, building a 5-0 advantage in the top of the second inning. Battle Mountain scored its lone run in the bottom the second, as Shelton Denham crossed the plate for the Longhorns.
Anthony Del Rio had two of Battle Mountain’s six hits, while Jr Vazquez, Marcos Jimenez, Blake Gutierrez and Denham each had one hit.
The Longhorns used a combination of Jimenez, Del Rio and Sage Holte on the pitching mound.
In the nightcap, Elko struck first for a single run in the top of the first inning, only to see Battle Mountain bounce back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the opening frame. Brock Bullock and Del Rio each had RBIs in the frame.
That turned out to be the only score for the Longhorns, as the Indians scored twice in the second inning and three times in the third to go in front 6-2. Elko added two insurance runs in the fifth inning.
Vasquez, Del Rio, Bullock and Gutierez each had a hit. Bullock and Eric Fernandez shared the pitching duties.
West Wendover sweeps DH from
Battle Mountain
On Friday afternoon, Battle Mountain jumped back into league play and hosted West Wendover. The Wolverines swept the doubleheader 5-1 and 9-8.
In game one, West Wendover broke a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. Battle Mountain cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third on an RBI by Wiatt Kelly that scored Jose Guizar.
The Wolverines added a run in the fourth and two more in the seventh inning, as West Wendover’s Cristian Rodriguez held the Longhorn bats at bay. The senior left-hander struck out 11 batters and walked none.
Del Rio collected two of Battle Mountain’s five hits, with Pablo Piedra, Guizar and Jimenez each picking up one hit. Jimenez and Anthony Silva split time on the mound.
West Wendover claimed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning in the second game but Battle Mountain came back to tie the contest in the bottom of the third inning when Del Rio scored on an error.
The Wolverines reclaimed the advantage in the top of the fourth with a single run, when the Longhorns took the lead for the first time at 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth.
Holte singled with one out to start the two-run rally, Del Rio singled him home to tie the game at 3-3. Del Rio later scored on a walk.
West Wendover tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the fifth inning, when Battle Mountain grabbed a 7-5 advantage in the bottom of the sixth. Guizar led off the inning with a single and scored on a double by Del Rio. Del Rio put Battle Mountain up 6-4 when he scored on a wild pitch.
The lead was short-lived as the Wolverines plated five runs in the top of the seventh to lead 9-6. The Longhorns rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh but could not complete the comeback.
Guizar and Del Rio each had three hits for Battle Mountain. Jimenez, Holte, Silva, Bullock and Gutierez.
Longhorns split
with Leopards
Battle Mountain was back on the field the following day in Wells for a non-conference doubleheader with the Leopards. Wells won the first game 17-15 in nine innings and Battle Mountain came back to win game two 16-2.
Battle Mountain held a 10-4 lead in game one, when Wells put five runs on the board in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 10-9.
The Longhorn led 14-12 going into the bottom of the seventh but Wells scored twice to send the game to extra innings. After a scoreless eighth inning, Battle Mountain scored once in the ninth but Wells plated three runs in the bottom of the inning to complete the comeback.
Fernandez had a team-high three hits and Vasquez, Jimenez and Gutierez each had two hits.
Battle Mountain trailed 2-0 after an inning in the series finale, but plated 16 runs in the next three innings to finish off the win. Jimenez and Silva each had two hits.
Battle Mountain traveled to Lovelock on Tuesday to play Pershing County and results were not available at press time. Battle Mountain plays at West Wendover on Friday and Carlin on Saturday.
