Truckee softball eliminated from postseason

Host Spring Creek eliminated the Truckee High softball team from the Northern 3A regional playoffs with an 11th-inning walk-off home run in the second game of the series Saturday.

The Spartans, seeded third in the best-of-three-series, defeated the fourth-seeded Wolverines 5-0 in the opener and 7-6 in Game 2.

“All of us coaches are super proud of the girls,” said Truckee head coach Mitch Brown. “They played hard; they just fell short.”

Spring Creek senior Meg Harasymczuk dealt the deciding blow after four inning of scoreless ball, sending a pitch over the fence in left-center for her 13th homer of the season. Harasymczuk also led her team with a .481 average during the regular season.

“It’s very hard to take that loss,” Brown said. “It was a great game, don’t get me wrong, but it’s tough because the girls played their hearts out.”

Sophomore pitcher Rachel Zissimos started for the Wolverines before freshman Stacy Brenes came in for relief after the fifth. Brown said both pitchers threw well. Harasymczuk just got a meaty pitch to hit, and she didn’t miss it.

On the offensive side, the Wolverines had their chances to post more runs on freshman pitcher Jordan Garcia, who pitched both games. In Game 2 alone, Truckee left 17 runners on base.

“I think that is the key to why we didn’t win,” Brown said.

The Spartans scored one run in the bottom of the second inning, four in the third and one in the fifth to take a 6-4 lead into the sixth. Truckee, which put together a four-run rally in the third, scored two more in the top half of the sixth to tie the game at 6-6.

Senior Katie Reiswig went 2 for 6 with three RBIs and Amber Davy was 2 for 6 with two RBIs. Chelsea Cordell was 3 for 6, Kaycie Jones 2 for 4 and Annie Duner 2 for 5.

Brown said the Wolverines played excellent defense both games, particularly senior Morgan Womack in center field.

“Morgan must have tracked down about five or six balls in the outfield,” the coach said. “She was lightning fast out there.”

Game 1 was a pitchers’ duel between Brenes and Garcia until the Spartans broke it open with a five-run fifth.

Truckee’s bats remained quiet throughout the contest, as Duner recorded the only hit while the Wolverines left nine runners stranded on base. Eight Wolverines reached base by walking or being hit by a pitch.

The Wolverines finished 9-11 against the Northern 3A.