SPARKS, Nev. — The Truckee baseball team will look to return to the win column this weekend following a trio of losses to rivals South Tahoe.

The Wolverines fell behind early in Thursday’s series opener against the Vikings, and were unable to bounce back, falling 6-3.

Senior Dylan Sumner led a Truckee team that was limited to five hits, swatting a double and a single.

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The teams then traveled to Golden Eagle Regional Park in Sparks on Friday for a doubleheader, and again the Wolverines would fall short to their rivals.

In the first game, Truckee’s seventh-inning comeback was halted after pulling within a run in a 4-3 loss. Sophomore Colby Jitloff and Sumner registered the team’s only hits with each reaching second base on a double. Sophomore Parker Bacon pitched a complete game with five strikeouts, seven allowed hits, and a pair of earned runs.

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The following game featured standout defensive and pitching performances, but it would be a balk that decided the contest.

The teams came into the bottom of the sixth inning tied at 0-0, and after putting runners on second and third base with two outs, Vikings Head Coach Mark Shehadi, signaled for his player to steal home against Truckee’s left-handed senior pitcher Damon Bacon.

“I had to do it. I had to make something happen,” said Shehadi. “I had to try something, who wants to go extra innings when we’ve got our rival right here?”

With a runner sprinting toward home, Bacon fired the ball to the catcher in what would have been a tag for the third out of the inning. Instead, the pitcher’s motion was deemed a balk, and the go-ahead run moved across the plate.

Truckee was unable to even the score in the top of the seventh, giving South Tahoe a 1-0 win and the three-game sweep.

The balk, called by the umpire behind the pitcher, was protested by Head Coach Aaron Harris, and following arguments after the contest, resulted in a postgame ejection. Truckee’s coach will miss the opener of the team’s series against Sparks.

Senior Ethan Ariza and senior Matt Tanner recorded Truckee’s two hits during the game. Bacon struck out five batters, allowed three hits and an earned run during a six-inning effort.

Truckee (6-9) faces Sparks (11-9) on Friday at 3 p.m. The teams then play a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 111 a.m.

Season-best performance at plate not enough for Lady Wolverines first win

The Truckee softball team put together their best offensive performance of the season last week, but it wasn’t enough to snap the Wolverines winless streak.

After suffering defeats of 15-1 and 17-2 in the first two games of Truckee’s games against South Tahoe, the Wolverines’ bats came alive with three runs to open things up in the series finale.

The Vikings, however, responded with five runs in the bottom of the first inning en route to capturing a 22-7 win.

Sophomore Scarlett Fierro led Truckee with a double and two RBIs. Senior Frida Quintero also hit a double and drove in a run. Freshman Estefania Meza and freshman Danna Rodriguez each drove in a run.

Truckee (0-15) will travel to face Sparks (10-10) on Friday. The teams the play a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.