The Virginia City women stormed into Saturday’s doubleheader against Smith Valley riding high on a four-game winning streak, and when the dust settled, they had stretched it to five. The Muckers took the Bulldogs to task in a 20-10 rout, marking their most decisive victory over Smith Valley since April 2021.
Leading the charge was Bity Lopez, who turned the basepaths into her playground. She crossed home plate four times and swiped five bases, reaching base in all five at-bats. Not to be outdone, Nanna Lopez hammered out a 3-for-3 performance, smashing two doubles while scoring three runs and stealing two bases. Danika Baker added to the carnage, stealing four bases and going 2-for-4.
When all was said and done, Virginia City had battered Smith Valley’s defense with a .562 team batting average—just another day at the office for a squad that has hit .412 or better for seven straight games.
Not finished, the Muckers squared off against the Bulldogs again later that day and once more left them in the dust, this time by a 23-15 margin. With the victories, Virginia City lifted their record to 8-4-1, while Smith Valley’s losing streak stretched to 11 games, their 0-4 start to this season looking grimmer by the day.
On the men’s side, the Muckers weren’t quite as fortunate. Their struggles continued with a lopsided 23-8 defeat at the hands of Smith Valley. It marked the second consecutive game Virginia City had lost by 15 runs, a statistic that does not bode well for their fortunes moving forward.
Despite the rough outing, Derek McCoy gave the home fans something to cheer about, going 1-for-2 while scoring twice and swiping a base. History suggests that when McCoy gets two or more runs, the Muckers have a shot—but with an 0-8 record in games where he doesn’t, the team needs more bats to come alive. Shiloh Coelho also made his presence felt, scoring twice and stealing two bags.
With the loss, Virginia City’s record dipped to 2-9, while Smith Valley improved to 5-1. Both teams return home to familiar surroundings, hoping for some hometown magic. The Muckers will host North Tahoe at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, while Smith Valley takes on Mineral County on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.
The question now is whether Virginia City can shake off the road woes or if the home field will offer little more than a change of scenery.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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