Some readers may remember the dialogue between Lucy and Charlie Brown.
The Peanuts characters created by American cartoonist Charles Schulz often competed in sports, including baseball.
Lucy once told Charlie Brown that you learn more when you lose. “Well, then I must be the smartest person in the world!” he replied.
The Pershing County Mustangs baseball team hosted Yerington last Tuesday and lost 19-0.
The home crowd shivered in the cold and wind, as loyal as ever.
This past Saturday the Mustangs traveled to Yerington for the last two games of the series. Pershing lost both games (7-0, 12-2).
Yerington improved to 12-0 in the 2A. Pershing stands at 2-19, overall and 1-14 in the league. But the Mustangs are living proof of Lucy’s observation. They’ve learned a lot so far this season.
“I’m proud of the way our boys competed. We showed fight and growth,” said Jared Jensen, head coach. This summer he’ll run Lovelock’s coed adult softball league for ages 16 and up at McDougal Field.
“Tuesday we struggled all around,” he said. “We showed we were a very young team with a long way to go.”
Mustang baseball’s senior night will be quick. Nick Flores is the team’s only senior.
In Saturday’s opener the Mustangs lasted seven innings against the top-ranked team in the 2A. “The things we preach, like making the easy outs, made us compete in that game,” said Jensen. He acknowledged that making more of the easy outs would have kept the score closer.
For the first time since 2017, the Mustangs held Yerington to seven runs or less. The Mustangs also finished the game within seven runs of the Lions, another first.
Wyatt Diaz pitched, giving up only three earned runs. Tyler Miller pitched one inning at the end and gave up zero runs.
However, Yerington pitcher Justin Evasovic (#8) gave the Mustangs heartburn. He surrendered zero runs on zero hits over seven innings, striking out 18 and walking zero. He also went two for four at the plate to lead Yerington in hits.
Now the Mustangs are in the midst of a battle against rival school Battle Mountain (9-9, overall, 5-6 in the 2A).
Pershing County hosted the Longhorns on Tuesday, April 26. Results were not available at press time.
They’ll finish up the series in Battle Mountain this Saturday at 10 a.m. and noon.
