Meadows remains in hunt

Michael Wallace's grand slam didn't help The Meadows win its first game of the Class 2A state baseball tournament, but it still might have saved the Mustangs' season.

The Meadows rode the momentum from Wallace's blast into the second game Friday and beat Pershing County 11-7 at Mountain View to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament.

The Meadows trailed Whittell 10-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning of the opener and had just three hits before Wallace cleared the bases with his shot to left. The Mustangs still lost 10-7, but against Pershing County, The Meadows banged 14 hits and scored eight times in the third inning.

The win over Pershing County gave the Mustangs (18-9) a rematch with Whittell at 9 a.m. today at Mountain View in another elimination game.

The winner will play Needles (Calif.) at noon and must defeat Needles (23-6) twice to win the state title.

The Meadows did all of its damage in the third inning against Pershing County with two outs. Ryan Wells had a two-run single to make the score 4-1, and Austin Brown's double made it 5-1. Brian Fahey then broke the game open with a two-run single.

That was plenty for Mustangs freshman starter Garrett Gosse, who threw six strong innings.

• Whittell 10, The Meadows 7 -- The Warriors took advantage of several mistakes by the Mustangs to score six times in the fifth inning.

Alex Potnick had a run-scoring single that gave Whittell a 4-1 lead before an error allowed two more runs to score. The Warriors also scored on a balk and a wild pitch.

• Needles 10, Whittell 0 -- Jared Enderle allowed one hit and struck out eight as the Mustangs won in five innings to advance to play for the title.

Andrew Mathews went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Needles. Darra Russell was 2-for-2 with three runs, and Bobby Stahel went 2-for-4, including a three-run triple in the fourth inning.

• Needles 8, Pershing County 5 -- Enderle hit a three-run homer as part of a seven-run fifth inning to lift Needles in the opener.

Stahel had a two-run single, and Mathews and Matt McAndrews added RBI singles in the fifth.

Pershing County's Dillon Wanner hit a three-run homer in the sixth to make the score 8-4.

SOFTBALL

• Needles 7, Lincoln County 0 -- At Mountain View, senior Lexi Baldwin pitched a two-hitter as the Mustangs advanced to the Class 2A state championship game.

Lincoln County (24-12) will play Pershing County at 10 a.m. today at Mountain View in an elimination game. The winner will meet Needles (21-5) at noon and must win twice to capture the state title.

Baldwin finished with eight strikeouts and got out of a big jam in the fourth inning. Lincoln County had runners on second and third with one out, but Michelle Wheatley was tagged out trying to score on a wild pitch, and Baldwin got the next batter to end the threat.

• Lincoln County 6, Battle Mountain 0 -- Kori Gloeckner struck out seven, and Tera Tibbitts went 3-for-3 as the Lynx won in the first round.

• Needles 9, Pershing County 1 -- Alex Chandler struck out 10 and didn't allow a hit after the first inning as Needles rolled in the first round.

• Pershing County 9, Battle Mountain 4 -- Ryann Jensen had a two-run double as part of a four-run first inning as the Mustangs eliminated the Longhorns (23-8).