Dayton hasn't had much luck against Fernley recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Dust Devils will welcome the Vaqueros at 3:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Having struggled with five losses in a row, Dayton turned things around against Virginia City on Wednesday. They blew past the Muckers 13-1. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Dust Devils considering their two-run performance the matchup before.
Sofia Ramirez was a major factor no matter where she played. She tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. What's more, she posted two strikeouts, the most she's had since back in March. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Macie Hannum, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, four runs, and one triple. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March of 2025. Another player making a difference was Esmeralda Hernandez, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Dayton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .576. They are 9-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
The home team had won the previous two meetings between Fernley and Spring Creek, and Fernley kept the tradition alive. The Vaqueros were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over the Spartans on Saturday. The Vaqueros haven't had any issues with the Spartans recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Not much got past Janessa Robinson, who gave up just three hits to keep Spring Creek off the board. Robinson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Taylor Tollestrup was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last eight games she's played. Ximena Rodriguez was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Dayton's victory bumped their record up to 11-7. As for Fernley, their win bumped their record up to 15-5.
Fernley's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Dayton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Fernley, though, as they've been averaging only 3.8 strikeouts. Will Dayton keep running through batters, or will the Vaqueros buck the trend?
Dayton might still be hurting after the 13-3 defeat they got from Fernley in their previous meeting back in April of 2025. Can the Dust Devils avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
