DIVISION I-A SOFTBALL: Error-prone Crusaders fall to Fernley

Faith Lutheran’s softball team seemed to be in good stead after two innings of its elimination game against Fernley in the Division I-A state tournament on Friday.

The next two innings couldn’t have been worse for the Crusaders.

Fernley ripped four doubles to score three runs in the third inning and took advantage of five errors in the fourth inning to down Faith Lutheran 10-2 in the losers’ bracket final of the tournament at UNLV’s Eller Media Stadium.

The Vaqueros (29-6) advance to meet Churchill County (26-9) in the title game at 10 a.m. today at Bishop Gorman. It’s the third straight year the Greenwave and Vaqueros will meet for the I-A crown.

“Man, they hit the ball,” Faith Lutheran coach John Chilman said. “We said that we wanted to make it to the finals, so it’s disappointing that we didn’t make it that one step further, but getting to state is a big deal.”

Breanna Hemphill’s RBI double and Claire Peck’s run-scoring single in the first inning gave Faith Lutheran a 2-1 lead. Fernley tied the game in the top of the second, then ripped four doubles in the span of six batters in the third inning to take a 5-2 lead.

The Crusaders couldn’t get out of their own way in the fifth inning, committing five errors to effectively end their chance of advancing.

“We can’t make those errors in a state tournament,” said Chilman, whose team committed eight errors in the game after being charged with nine errors in a tournament-opening loss to Churchill County on Thursday. “We have not been a team that has made errors. We’ve averaged less than two a game until this tournament, but these teams from the North, they put the ball in play.”

Hailee Edgar was 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI for Fernley, which pounded out 14 hits — six for extra bases — against three Faith Lutheran pitchers.

Hemphill was 2-for-3 with a double and a run, and Makena Martin went 2-for-4 with a triple for Faith Lutheran, which was the last Southern Nevada team still playing this season after eliminating Sierra Vista earlier in the day.

“As far the South, I think we met our goals,” Chilman said.

Faith Lutheran 5, Sierra Vista 1 — Winning pitcher Makenna Martin went 1-for-3 and had two RBIs as the Crusaders grabbed an early lead, then tacked on three sixth-inning runs to top the Mountain Lions in the morning elimination game.

Martin allowed five hits and struck out three in 5 1/3 innings.

Samantha Jack’s RBI single in the first inning plated Martin, and the Crusaders held a lead the rest of the way.

Vanessa Valdez and Hemphill each went 2-for-3 with Faith Lutheran.

Taylor DeGuzman was 2-for-3 with an RBI for Sierra Vista (17-11).