The West Wendover Wolverines are taking a road trip to face off against the Yerington Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. West Wendover is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last six games.
While West Wendover's win against Pershing County wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. West Wendover skirted past Pershing County 9-8. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Aidien Rodriguez made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one hit in seven consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing Three bases. while going 3-for-5. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024.
Rodriguez wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Tavian Gonzalez, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Adrian Perez was another, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, Yerington got themselves on the board against North Tahoe on Saturday, but North Tahoe never followed suit. They were the clear victor by a 10-0 margin over the Lakers. The result was nothing new for the Lions, who have now won four contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Not much got past Toby Juarez, who gave up just three hits and racked up eight Ks to keep North Tahoe off the board.
On the hitting side, Yerington got a big performance out of Valor Angle, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Nolan Landa, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Yerington kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Yerington's victory was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-1. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for West Wendover, their record now sits at 8-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. West Wendover has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Yerington struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
West Wendover came out on top in a nail-biter against Yerington when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 10-8. Will West Wendover repeat their success, or does Yerington have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
