Baseball and softball are as unpredictable as a desert storm—wild, relentless, and capable of turning instantly. From Virginia City to Dayton and beyond, teams battled for bragging rights, with some walking away victorious and others licking their wounds.
After falling to non-varsity opponent in their last meeting, the Virginia City Muckers’ softball squad came out with fire in their bellies on Saturday, clinching a 15-12 victory. It was their first road win against their rivals since March last year, and they had none other than Nanna Lopez to thank.
Lopez was a nightmare on the basepaths, scoring four times and stealing three bases while reaching base in all four of her plate appearances. Not to be outdone, Ava Farrell went 2-for-3, tallying two runs, a triple, and a stolen base.
The Muckers’ bats were relentless, boasting a scorching .407 batting average on the day—continuing a six-game streak of hitting .316 or better. But the celebration was short-lived. When the two teams meet again, Virginia City found themselves on the losing end of a 23-13 slugfest, dropping their record to 2-1-1.
Next up, the Muckers will make their home debut against Wells.
Fernley’s softball team didn’t just win on Saturday—they made a statement. The Vaqueros overwhelmed the Sparks Railroaders with a 17-1 shellacking, securing their second straight victory and boosting their record to 5-1.
They’ve now won three games this season by at least five runs, proving that when they get rolling, there’s little that can stop them.
Fernley’s baseball squad didn’t fare as well. They found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-0 shutout at the hands of the Wooster Colts, marking their fifth consecutive loss to their rivals.
Despite the defeat, Hayden Lyon was a lone bright spot on the mound. The young hurler struck out eight batters over five innings while allowing just one earned run on four hits—the fewest given up since March 2024.
The loss dropped Fernley to 1-6-1 on the season.
Meanwhile, over in Dayton, the Dust Devils made quick work of the Hug Hawks on Saturday, steamrolling their way to an 18-1 victory—their sixth straight win against their northern foes. The game was over almost as soon as it began, thanks to a dominant two-way performance from Duke Evans.
Evans was untouchable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while surrendering no earned runs on three hits. It was his first scoreless outing since April 2024. But he wasn’t done there—at the plate, he went a perfect 2-for-2 with a home run, four RBIs, and a double, setting a new personal best in RBIs.
If Evans was the hammer, Ivor Evans was the anvil. He torched Hug’s pitching staff, going 2-for-3 with a home run, seven RBIs, and three runs scored.
Those seven RBIs were also a career-high, cementing his place as the team’s biggest offensive threat. Dallan Cowee rounded out the offensive showcase, going 1-for-2 with a triple, two runs, and a stolen base.
Dayton’s red-hot offense posted a .474 batting average, marking the fifth consecutive game in which they’ve improved their team hitting percentage. The win pushed their record to 5-1, with an average margin of 14 runs per game.
Next, Dayton will host Smith Valley on Tuesday, with the Dust Devils’ pitching staff—which has allowed just 2.2 runs per game—ready to put the clamps on another opponent. Hug, now 2-2, will try to bounce back when they take on Lowry at home next Saturday.
With plenty of baseball and softball left–the season is still wide open.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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