RICHARD STEPHENS / PVT Brandon Villenueva hustles home to score for Beatty, which Tuesday, split a Nevada Class A Central Division baseball doubleheader with visiting Tonopah. The Hornets are at Henderson International School today. Advertisement

BEATTY -- Now, all the Beatty baseball team can do is wait.

After splitting a Nevada Class A Central Division baseball doubleheader with Tonopah here Tuesday, the Hornets must wait for the outcome of the Muckers' doubleheader at home today against Round Mountain.

After losing the first game 7-5, the Hornets overpowered the Muckers 12-7, leaving the Hornets at 5-3 in the league, while Tonopah is 4-2. Winning both games against the Knights would assure Tonopah of a berth in the Southern regionals May 14-15-16 at Pahranagat Valley Alamo.

A split could mean there would be a playoff between the Muckers and Hornets before the regional field is set. The top two teams in both the Central and South Divisions qualify for the tournament.

Currently, the leading Central teams are Indian Springs (5-1) and Tonopah (4-2, .667), with Beatty having completed its Central campaign at 5-3 (.625). In the South, Lake Mead Christian Academy is 6-1, with Alamo at 5-1; the Eagles and Panthers are assured of regional berths.

Beatty, 16-6 in all games, is on the road today to play Henderson International School of the South Division in a twin bill starting at 1 p.m.

If the regionals began today, the pairings would be:

* No. 1 Central Indian Springs vs. No. 2 South Alamo, 3 p.m., May 14;

* No. 1 South Lake Mead Christian Academy vs. No. 2 Central Tonopah or Beatty, 6 p.m., May 14.

Subsequent games are at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. May 15 and 10 a.m. May 16. The two finalists earn automatic berths in the state tournament, to be played at a Southern site to be announced.

In the first game Tuesday, Cody Serfoss was the winning pitcher, allowing five hits and striking out nine.

Scott Thibodeaux, Reese Jones and Mike Dolfin combined for five hits and five runs batted in for the Muckers, who got a big defensive play from outfielder Taylor McLauchlin. He made a diving catch of a line drive in the bottom of the seventh to help preserve the Muckers' lead.

In the second game, Beatty took advantage of eight walks and ineffective hitting by the Muckers to earn the split. Tonopah had the bases loaded three times with less than one out and could not score.

Thibodeaux was 3-for-4 with a triple, with Dolfin going 2-for-2 with a triple and two RBI. Serfoss and McLauchlin each had two RBI.

Ricardo Pelayo went 2-for-4 with four RBIs in the second game to help the Hornets split with the Muckers. Brandon Villanueva had two hits and two RBIs in the second game for Beatty.

Isaias Flores was 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and two RBIs for Beatty.

In the Northern League, Carlin and Wells figure to qualify for the state tournament, since the Railroaders and Leopards are the only teams at .500 or better this season.

The Northern regionals will be played May 15-16, with the top four teams playing in the double-elimination tournament. The top two teams advance to the state tournament, to be contested at a southern site May 21-22-23.