Fallon's pitcher Faith Cornmesser releases a pitch while shortstop Stacy Kalt looks on during the game against Fernley.
SPARKS – One of the arguably best seasons in Greenwave softball came to an end Friday night when the Boulder City Eagles came back to beat the Lady Wave, 6-5.
Fallon is now eliminated from the state tournament, ending the chance for its seniors to three-peat a state title victory.
“The bottom line is if you watch our girls, you could see we left it all out there on the field,” Assistant Coach Dean Schulz said. “People always want to criticize the coaches but we did the best job throughout the season we possibly could and based off tonight, I’d definitely say we did well. The girls played well.”
Spirits were high early in the day when the Lady Wave softball team dominated its rival, the Fernley Vaqueros, 12-5, to advance to the semi-final game against the Boulder City Eagles.
Fallon’s first game of Friday against Fernley was a lot like every other between the two teams this season, a win by a wide margin defined by one inning with several runs with the rest of the game extending the lead.
Fallon’s Faith Cornmesser held Fernley to two runs in the top of the first on the mound while the Lady Wave put on five runs in its first at bat in the bottom of the first, going through the top of the order very mechanically.
The rematch wasn’t without highlights, however, and even hosted one of the first Fernley home runs this season, a two-run homer by Mercedes Rothwell which scored Hailee Edgar and prevented a 10-run loss in the bottom of the sixth inning. Fallon’s Courtney Cross and Stacy Kalt also each knocked a homer during the game.
Overall the victory was just what the Lady Wave needed for a morale boost after Thursday’s loss to the Spring Valley Grizzlies.
Boulder City would turn the Lady Wave’s luck against it early in the game and gained a 3-0 lead in its first at-bat. Runners Jordan Moorhead and Jeanne Carmell scored, as did Marlena Mills off an error by Fallon Pitcher Kayla Buckmaster when the Eagles loaded the bases.
Buckmaster redeemed the error in the bottom of the first and hit a home run, the beginning of a slow comeback for the Lady Wave while the Eagles led, 3-1.
Boulder City pitcher Charlene Masterson threw consistent low and inside strikes which held the Lady Wave scoreless in several innings.
Fallon came closer to catching up in the bottom of the third after a deep left field triple by Cornmesser brought in Fallon’s Caitlyn Welch for an RBI. The Eagles extended the lead in the top of the fourth, though, with a home run by Jerra Hinson which lifted Boulder City up, 4-2.
A homer by Fallon’s Megan McCormick in the top of the sixth, followed by a two-run RBI by Fallon’s Miranda Ford which scored Izzy Thomas and Paige Thorn, briefly took the lead for Fallon, 5-4.
The Lady Wave looked capable of holding the lead in the top of the seventh until Buckmaster’s accuracy began to slip in favor of high center wild pitches. Buckmaster walked Masterson at bat with the bases loaded, scoring an Eagles runner at third to tie the score 5-5.
The Eagles’ Lily Osmond came up to bat and bounced the ball right to Buckmaster, who threw out the lead runner at home. Unfortunately, catcher Welch tried to turn a double play to first, which accidentally hit Osmond in the back. Osmond was safe at first and, in the commotion, another Eagles runner ran home to score and take back Boulder City’s lead, 6-5.
In the top of the seventh Cornmesser struck out, followed by Buckmaster bouncing the ball to Masterson who threw her out at first for the first two outs of the Lady Wave’s last at bat. McCormick hit a lucky single to deep right field which briefly looked like the beginning of a miracle. Thorn, however, knocked the ball right into Boulder City’s left fielder’s glove and Fallon’s long night came to an end.
McCormick, one of Fallon’s graduating seniors from its last two state championship victories, said aside from a win she wouldn’t change a thing about who she played with on her team.
“I was upset, but mainly because this was my last Greenwave sporting event ever and the last game with a lot of my friends we’ll ever play together before graduation,” McCormick said after the game while Fallon’s players shared smiles and consolations. “I know this team is going to bounce back for sure, though. This team does great things and you can bet they’ll be back next year.”
Welch, a sophomore on the Lady Wave returning next year, expressed a similar sentiment in seeing many of her senior friends move on.
“It’s sad to see my friends who are upperclassmen have to leave,” Welch said, “but I’m just glad we came this far together.”
