SMALL-SCHOOL SOFTBALL: Nine-run inning keeps Panthers alive

RENO — Pahranagat Valley was in serious danger of going home from the Division IV state tournament a day early when it fell behind by five runs in an elimination game Friday.

The three-time defending state champions found life, their bats and a ticket to the state championship just in time.

Pahranagat Valley erupted for nine runs in the third inning and downed Eureka 12-5 in the loser’s bracket final at UNR’s Hixson Park. The Panthers (25-8) will face Wells (23-6-1) in the title game at 9 a.m. Saturday at Shadow Mountain in Sparks and must beat the Leopards twice to claim the state title.

After losing to Wells in the first game Friday, the Panthers trailed Eureka 5-0 after one inning and showed little sign of life.

“I gave the kids one word this morning and it was discipline,” Pahranagat Valley coach Mike Sparrow said. “I didn’t feel like we were disciplined in the first game. We talked about it in the middle of the second game, and I told them they had to stay disciplined and put the ball in play, and they did.”

An unearned run in the bottom of the second inning got Pahranagat Valley on the board, and the Panthers exploded for nine runs on 10 hits in the third inning.

“This group doesn’t get down,” Sparrow said. “They just knuckle down. You just never know when things start going your way.”

Karley Whipple led off the inning with a single, and the Panthers sent 14 batters to the plate in the inning. Kaitlyn Davis’ two-run single tied the game, and an RBI double by Alyson Egbert started a string of six consecutive two-out hits.

Ashlyn Wadsworth took care of the rest.

After surrendering five runs on six hits in the first inning, Wadsworth didn’t allow hit in the final six innings. Wadsworth struck out six and walked two.

“We had a visit a little bit,” Sparrow said. “We got her mechanics straightened out a little bit, and then she was able to hit her spots a lot better.”

Brook Higbee, Madalyn Taylor, Morgan Harris and Whipple each went 2-for-4 for Pahranagat Valley.

Cassie Wells was 1-for-3 with a two-run double for Eureka (20-7).

Wells 7, Pahranagat Valley 5 — Lacye Pearson scored on an error in the fourth inning to break a 5-5 tie and lift the Leopards over the Panthers in the winners’ bracket final.

Pearson tacked on an RBI single in the fifth inning for Wells, which scored three runs in the top of the first inning.

Allyse Frehner was 2-for-3 with an RBI for Pahranagat Valley.

DIVISION III

Lincoln County 11, Yerington 1 — Kia Phillips was 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and five RBIs to power the Lynx by the Lions in five innings in the winners’ bracket final at Shadow Mountain in Sparks.

Lincoln County (25-8) will play Pershing County (30-5) in the state final at 10 a.m. Saturday at Shadow Mountain. If Lincoln County wins, a second game would be played to determine the champion.

Easton Tingey was 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and one RBI for Lincoln County, which got two doubles from Alisha Rowe.

Courtney Morose hit a solo homer for Yerington (24-5).

Pershing County 5, Needles 0 — Pershing County topped Needles (20-7) in an elimination game at Shadow Mountain in Sparks.