The Spring Creek Spartans will face off against the Fernley Vaqueros at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing isn't great for Spring Creek: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while Fernley has snatched up three consecutive wins on the road.
While Spring Creek's win against Lowry wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Spartans narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Buckaroos 13-12.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Fernley and Dayton meet (two straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Vaqueros put the hurt on the Dust Devils with a sharp 10-3 win. The victory continues a trend for the Vaqueros in their matchups with the Dust Devils: they've now won four in a row.
Riley McCullar was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4. He also brought in three RBI, which is notable because Fernley is 2-1 when he posts at least three RBI, but 4-12-1 otherwise.
In other pitching news, Hayden Lyon tossed a big game, tossing 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits.
Back at the plate, Fernley got a big performance out of Vance Swindlehurst, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. Those three hits gave Swindlehurst a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Alex Juliot, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5.
Fernley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .406. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Fernley's win bumped their record up to 6-13-1. As for Spring Creek, their victory bumped their record up to 13-10.
Spring Creek skirted past Fernley 8-7 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Vaqueros have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
