The Durango baseball team, led by Alexander Mercurius, secured a thrilling 4-0 victory over Silverado in the 12th inning of their game at Centennial. Mercurius’ three-run homer sealed the win for the Trailblazers, propelling them to the Class 4A state baseball championship game on Saturday. Durango, with a record of 26-6 as the Mountain League champion, will face an opponent yet to be determined at 10 a.m. Saturday. The team broke the scoreless tie with a go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly before Mercurius stepped up with his heroics.
Silverado, the Sky League champion, with a record of 19-9, will face Bonanza or Tech in an elimination game on Friday afternoon. In other Class 4A action, Tech defeated Sierra Vista 4-3, with Kentin Grantz leading the Roadrunners to victory by going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Tech will now face Bonanza in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. Friday, with the winner advancing to play Silverado in a semifinal just 30 minutes later.
Bonanza also secured a decisive victory, beating Rancho 13-5 behind the stellar performance of Darren McGee, who had a double, a triple, and three RBIs. Dillon Owens contributed to the win by going 3-for-5. Moving down to Class 3A, Boulder City emerged victorious over Churchill County with a score of 9-8. Gauge Rhodes and Carter Law each went 2-for-4 with a double to help the Eagles build a seven-run lead and hold on for the win. Boulder City will now face Truckee in a semifinal at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Truckee defeated The Meadows 3-0, with Carson Rinetti hitting a double to contribute to the win. The Meadows will face Churchill County in an elimination game at 11 a.m. Friday. In Class 2A action, Lake Mead narrowly defeated North Tahoe 2-1 in a game that saw Danny Yeates and Cameron LaPres each hitting a double. Lake Mead will now face Needles in a semifinal at 12:30 p.m. Friday, while North Tahoe will take on Yerington in an elimination game at 10 a.m. Friday.
Needles secured a dominant 13-2 victory over Yerington, with Holden Jones and Gabe Rodriquez leading the charge with three hits apiece. Shifting to Class 1A, Indian Springs triumphed over Smith Valley with a score of 7-1. Jacob Gourley had an impressive game, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and three RBIs. Indian Springs will now face Wells in a semifinal at 10 a.m. Friday. Smith Valley will have to battle it out against Liberty Baptist in an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. Friday.
Wells pulled off a comeback win against Liberty Baptist, rallying from a six-run deficit to secure an 8-7 victory. The Leopards scored a run in the eighth inning to seal the deal. In the realm of softball, Doral Academy defeated Basic 3-2 in the Class 4A semifinal, with EmmaLynn Hussey going 2-for-3 to help the Dragons secure the win. Doral Academy will now advance to the championship game on Saturday at 10 a.m. against an opponent yet to be determined.
