Fernley Keeps Rolling, Elko Puts Up Fight

The Fernley Vaqueros did what they do best on Friday—win softball games. The latest victim in their path? The Palo Verde Valley Yellow Jackets–who found themselves on the wrong end of a 5-1 affair.

Emma Masters had the Yellow Jackets swatting air for six innings, surrendering just one earned run on five scattered hits while collecting six strikeouts. It was a career-best performance for the ace, and she left little doubt as to why Fernley puts their trust in her with the ball in her hand.

Offensively, the Vaqueros made sure this was a group effort. Six players notched at least one hit, with Sara Moffett making the biggest splash—a triple and an RBI in her 1-for-3 outing. Lauren Smith did her part, too, scoring twice while going 2-for-3.

With that, Fernley stayed perfect at 3-0, while Palo Verde Valley saw a six-game road winning streak, stretching back to last season, come to an unceremonious halt. The Yellow Jackets fell to 3-1.

But softball waits for no one. The Vaqueros were back at it the next game, finding themselves on the wrong end of a tight 6-5 contest against Elko. Meanwhile, Palo Verde Valley dusted themselves off and blanked Needles 2-0 in their next matchup.

Friday’s clash between Fernley and Elko was one for the books—a battle between two heavyweights of the diamond. This time, however, the Vaqueros’ luck ran dry, and they suffered their first loss of the season, a narrow 6-5 defeat to the Indians.

Taylor Tollestrup made certain her name was remembered despite the loss, reaching base twice, stealing a bag, and crossing the plate once while going 2-for-2. Ximena Rodriguez kept the pressure on Elko’s defense, scoring two runs and stealing a base while reaching safely in both of her plate appearances.

If Fernley was looking for a silver lining, they found one in their on-base percentage—a season-high .538. They made sure someone was always on base at all times.

With that, Fernley dropped to 3-1, while Elko clawed their way to 1-3, snapping a five-game skid. But there was no time for either team to dwell on past results.

The Vaqueros rebounded swiftly, bouncing back with a convincing 7-2 win over Boulder City. Elko, on the other hand, ran into a buzzsaw named Lowry and fell 1-0 in their next outing.