Dust Devils, Vaqueros split doubleheader

Dayton High's Adam Diament pitched the distance in game one and Fernley's Tony Selden went overtime in game two, working eight innings for a complete game victory as the Lyon County rivals split an important Northern 3A doubleheader Friday afternoon in Dayton.

Dayton won the opener 11-4 behind the nine-hit pitching of Diament and Selden allowed nine hits over eight innings to win the second game 7-6 in a battle between teams tied for third-place in a tight Northern 3A race. Both teams have identical 9-5 conference records coming into the final week of the season - Dayton finishes with a doubleheader next Saturday at Yerington and Fernley plays first-place Bishop Manogue in a doubleheader.

"This next week is going to be very interesting to see who does what," Dayton coach Craig Miller said. "We want that third spot so we can host in the (first round of the) playoffs."

Diament only needed 80 pitches to win the opener. He struck out three and walked none along the way.

Diament helped out his own cause with a two-run single to cap Dayton's six-run first inning. Tim Torres also delivered a two-run single in the first.

Torres hit 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Matt Bowman 3-for-4 and Tom O'Brien drove in two runs.

Casey Skog, Bowman and Torres had two hits each for Dayton in game two. Skog narrowly missed a game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth when he hit a fly ball that caught on the warning track in right field with a runner on second base to end the game.

Selden allowed nine hits, struck out and only walked one batter for Fernley. Dayton freshman Travis Wood threw 7.1 innings, struck out three and walked none.

Fernley scored once in the top of the eighth and the damage would have been more extensive except Skog caught a fly ball in center field with one out and a runner on third. He threw a strike into the infield and first baseman O'Brien relayed a throw to Torres at the plate to complete the inning-ending double play.