The infield meets in the pitching circle.
Tony Erquiaga
It was something of a miracle that the Pershing County High School softball team competed in the state tournament in Reno last Thursday.
They lost their star catcher to a non-sports injury before the regional tournament but still qualified due to their teamwork.
Fortunately, Aaliyah Allen is on the mend and looks forward to returning as a junior next season.
The Lady Mustangs arrived at Hixson Park ready to compete this past week at the NIAA 2A State Championship.
They came into the fray undefeated in conference (18-0). They lost to Needles, the eventual champions, in the opener 10-0.
Meanwhile, Battle Mountain overcame White Pine 10-7.
That pitted White Pine and Pershing County against each other in the semifinals.
Both teams were determined to advance to the next level but White Pine came out on top in the close game 6-5.
"We were tied at one point but White Pine came out ahead of us. We made some mistakes they capitalized on," coach Jordan McKinney said. "Pitching for state was all Taylor (Garland) as we had a hole to fill in the catcher's spot. Taylor was amazing. During the game, the announcers even said how great she is on that mound."
"Raegan (Burrows) is so athletic that she picked up the catcher's role quickly. Catcher is the hardest position on the field physically. For her to pick it up and do what she did last weekend was nothing short of extraordinary," she added.
Needles beat Battle Mountain 20-0 in the winner's finals.
But the Longhorns bounced back to defeat White Pine 12-7 in an elimination game.
Saturday's championship match came down to Needles and Battle Mountain. Needles won 8-0 and walked off with the title for the second year in a row.
The Lovelock girls and their coaches made many memories this year. Kaylen Halverson achieved a .620 batting average. Garland and Anna Happy each tallied nearly 50 runs.
The team scored a record-breaking 14 home runs. More importantly, they loved playing together and always did their best.
"My assistant coaches were Jason Allen, Faith Moreira and Keith Harvey. We were a good team. We all brought something different to the table and the girls responded well," McKinney said. "Our girls should be proud of all they accomplished this season. They are a tough team and next year will be their year."
Pershing County's Kyra Cerini makes a running catch in the outfield against Needles.
The Pershing County High School softball team cheers from the dugout during a game with White Pine at the NIAA 2A State Championship at Hixson Park in Reno.
Pershing County's Riley Harvey throws out a Needles runner at first base.