WINNEMUCCA - After driving across Nevada and into central California to start the season, the Lowry High School varsity softball team packed up its gear this past weekend and headed east to the Utah border to face West Wendover.
The Lady Bucks went winless in California in five games but got on the winning track to open Ruby Mountain League play by outscoring the Wolverines 55-4 in the three-game series. Lowry (3-5 overall, 3-0 Ruby Mountain) beat West Wendover 13-0 on Friday, March 16, and swept a doubleheader 23-4 and 19-0 on Saturday.
"The competition was a little different and I was glad to see us come back with good attitudes and not play to the level of our competition but to the way we can play," said LHS head coach Ty Lucas. "Last year we had a hard time doing that and we didn't dictate the game we wanted to play. We came out last weekend and did that. We struggled with slow pitching last year and had troubles adjusting. But the girls did a good job and it took us one bat to get into it."
Hana Etcheverry put herself into the NIAA record book with her performance in the three games, including five home runs and 12 RBIs in the first game on Saturday. The five home runs breaks the old record for the state previously set by Coronado's Sarah Detwiler, and the 12 RBIs are second to Amanda Collier of Spanish Springs set in 2007.
"She was a beast over the three days and was seeing and hitting the ball," Lucas said. "She has been looking good all year and she finally stepped up into that No. 4 spot in the lineup that we need her to. She is producing in the fourth spot and that will be big for us."
In the opening game of the series, Jordan Mecham and Shannon McClellan combined to throw a one-hitter, as Mecham picked up her first win of the year. The junior struck out two, with the only hit coming in the first inning. McClellan threw the final two innings, striking out two and walking one.
Madi Gonzalez opened the game by getting hit by a pitch and eventually scored after stealing second and third on a ground out by Angie Herrera. Heather McElvain followed with a triple and Etcheverry kicked off her weekend with a two-run home run to give the Lady Bucks a 3-0 advantage.
Lowry totaled seven runs in the opening frame, which included RBIs by Carli Evatz and Heather McElvain, as 12 batters came to the plate. Gonzalez scored twice in the inning, including the final run when McElvain was hit by a pitch.
The Lady Bucks used an RBI single from Gonzalez to add a run in the top of the second, and Evatz and Mecham used a fielder's choice and sacrifice to score McElvain and Etcheverry, respectively, for a 9-0 advantage. Lowry added single runs in the fourth on a sacrifice by McElvain and one in the fifth on an RBI single by Taylor Johnson.
Gonzalez led the Lady Bucks with three hits, while McElvain and Johnson picked up two hits apiece in the 11-hit attack.
Etcheverry put on a show in the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday, going 5-for-5, with five home runs and 12 RBIs. The senior connected on a three-run shot in the first, hit a solo homer in the second, a three-run home run in the fourth and a grand slam in the fifth.
The Lady Bucks took advantage of four errors by the Wolverines to score seven runs in the opening inning. Following the home run by Etcheverry, McElvain countered with a triple and scored on a passed ball. Kayla Doyle and Ere Higbee also reached base and scored in the first.
That would not be the first time Higbee would score, as the sophomore hit two home runs of her own, starting with a solo shot in the second and a two-run homer in the fifth to cap off the scoring for the Lady Bucks. She finished with four hits and four RBIs.
Lowry picked up 17 hits, with McElvain adding three, Sydnie Sundahl two and Cassie Klemish, Gonzalez, McClellan and Doyle one each.
"We got contributions from everyone in the lineup," Lucas said. "I was impressed with Ere, she came out and hit the ball well. We had girls come through when we needed it."
Doyle went three innings to pick up her first win of the year, as she struck out four and walked three while allowing no hits. McClellan went the final two frames, giving up four runs on two hits. West Wendover scored all four of its runs in the bottom of the fifth, aided by two Lowry errors.
"We just had a mental lapse in that final inning and that is what can happen," said the coach. "We can't allow that to happen, especially against good teams. For the most part I liked how we responded from the first week."
Mecham collected her second win of the weekend in the series finale, as West Wendover had just two runners reach base. The junior went four innings and allowed just one hit, which came in the fourth. Mecham struck out two and walked two. McClellan threw the final inning with one strikeout.
"We are working some things out with our pitching and we have three solid pitchers that any team would like to have," added the coach. "We want to utilize them to the best of their ability. We might have a full-time closer come in at the end of the game, but we are working some kinks out. We have these early tournaments and we can work on some things."
Lowry built a 5-0 lead after two innings on the strength of a three-RBI triple by Gonzalez. The Lady Bucks put the game out of reach with an 11-run fourth inning that saw 16 batters come to the plate. Gonzalez and Etcheverry each had two-RBI singles in the fourth inning.
Lowry is back on the road this weekend at Fernley for crossover games with the Lahontan League. The Lady Bucks face defending 3A state champion Churchill County today at 2 p.m. Lowry plays Fernley and Dayton on Saturday at noon and 2 p.m., respectively.
"This weekend will be a good indicator to see where we are at," Lucas said. "It will be quality competition with good hitters and pitchers. Fallon won it all last year and look just as impressive this year. I watched a little bit of them in Sacramento and they looked good. We will be able to gauge ourselves with these three games."
The long road trip to start the season will then take Lowry north for the Idaho Sporting Goods Tournament in Meridian, Idaho, on March 30 - 31. Lowry faces Timberline (Idaho) at 2 p.m. and Boise (Idaho) at 4 p.m. at Borah High School on March 30. The Lady Bucks wrap up the tournament on March 31 against Hillcrest (Idaho) at 10 a.m. and Kuna (Idaho) at 2 p.m.
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