In what is the first of two big weekends for prep sports, AAA track, golf, swimming, baseball and softball will head into zone play to determine which teams will square off at upcoming state matches – and five Truckee teams hope to figure prominently in the results when its over.

In the first round of division championship baseball play Friday, Spring Creek will face Battle Mountain (9 a.m. at Spring Creek) and Truckee will take on Fernley (11:30 a.m.). Truckee is the No. 3 seed, while Fernley is No. 2.

Winners and losers of each respective game will advance to play each other in the next round (winners at 4:30 p.m., losers at 10 a.m.).

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On Saturday, game six (12:30 p.m.) will pit the respective winners of the second round against each other for the division championship.

In the softball division tournament, also Friday and Saturday at Spring Creek, Truckee will take on the hosts at 9 a.m. Friday and Fernley will face Battle Mountain at 11:30 a.m.

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Games four and five are at 4:30 p.m. and 10 a.m., respectively, with winners advancing to game six Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Truckee enters the tournament in last place, with a 3-3 league record and facing No. 1 Spring Creek.

The TTHS softball team dropped both games (3-1, 3-1) of a doubleheader against Fernley Saturday at home.

In the first game, Lindsey Back had a double, while Grace Kennely and Heather Shove singled.

Kennelly hit Truckee’s sole RBI in the first game. Pitcher Erin Tomassello threw five strikeouts before she was taken out for an injury near the end.

In game two, Becca Martin and Natalie Pratt each hit a triple and a single, while Back was good for two singles. A single apiece came from Shove, Kennelly and Marci Ramirez.

Shove pitched the entire game, garnering five K’s.

Truckee’s only run came from Pratt, who scored off a fielder’s choice from Shove.

“We’re not disappointed, but we’re kind of bummed out,” said coach Cathy McClintock. “All these teams in league are so equal, it hurts to walk away with 3-1 losses.”

McClintock said Truckee’s hitting in the first game could have been better, but the bats warmed up in the second.

She said it was merely a matter of Fernley getting hits when they had runners on base.

Still, with divisions approaching, McClintock said she was encouraged by the hitting in the second game.

“If we can pull ourselves out of the losses this weekend, we have so much potential to do well.”

She said all four of the teams at zones will be tough, adding that Fernley is 4-4 in league play.

As for baseball, the boys had two uncharacteristic losses against Fernley Saturday, with both games being called for the 10-run rule. But senior Tom Hernandez sent out a warning to Fernley when he said, “everybody has the idea of revenge on their minds.”

Senior Jeff Andrs said the team knows what it takes to bring Fernley down.

“We’re going to play hard,” he said, adding that losing to them last week will only make Truckee play harder.

Kyle Barth said it will take “team unity and going out to have fun and not worrying about it,” to win.

Track

The TTHS track team will make the trek to Elko High School this weekend with events kicking off Friday at 3 p.m. and continuing through late Saturday afternoon.

TTHS swimmers will also square off in divisions tomorrow. See related story.