WINNEMUCCA - Close games have been few and far between for the Lowry High School junior varsity softball team this season. However the talented squad found themselves in a battle Saturday in Winnemucca, as the Lady Bucks opened Ruby Mountain League play against rival Elko.
The Indians were looking to end the Lady Bucks' 14-game win streak to start the year and held a 2-0 lead in game one of the doubleheader. Lowry broke a 3-3 tie in the fourth inning with a pair of runs and went on to win 8-3, its closest game of the season. Game two of the doubleheader resembled more of Lowry's outcomes this year, as the Lady Bucks (16-0 overall, 2-0 Ruby Mountain) cruised to a 15-1 victory in five innings.
"We pressed too much in the first game and they realize that," said LHS head coach Katy Schwartz. "They were all trying too hard and were a little tense. Hopefully we are past that."
Elko put the first runners of the game on base in the top of the first inning, eventually using a two-out double to grab a 2-0 lead. After suffering three strikeouts in the bottom of the first, Lowry rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the second on a triple by Alyssa Dendary that scored Jaecee Munger, who led off the frame with a walk. Dendary tied the game when she scored on a sacrifice by Alyssa Jones.
Munger gave the Lady Bucks their first advantage of the day in the bottom of the third on a RBI-double that scored Taylor Schwartz. The lead was short-lived as the Indians responded with a single run in the top of the fourth inning on the strength of a double and single.
Lowry used two Elko errors in the bottom of the fourth to score two runs and take the lead for good. McKenzie Moore was the first to reach on an error by the shortstop and scored on a sacrifice by Allison Barron. A second error by the shortstop allowed Tanisha May to reach and she came around to score on a double by Kylee McClellan.
After allowing four runs in four innings, Schwartz found her groove in the circle and allowed just one base runner in the final three innings on her way to the win. The sophomore struck out seven and walked one, while allowing six hits.
Lowry tacked on three insurance runs in the sixth inning, with Barron and McClellan scoring on passed balls and Schwartz helping herself out with a run-scoring single to plate May.
"We did not hit the ball as well as we have been but that is all right," added the coach. "Emily (Andersen) messed with us a little bit in the first game. She would throw one right by us and then mess around and throw one high by us. It took us a while to adjust."
The Lady Bucks wasted little time getting the offense going in the nightcap, scoring six runs in the first inning - all with two outs. McClellan opened the game with a double and after the next two batters recorded outs, Lowry strung together six consecutive hits. During that stretch, Barron and McClellan, who was batting for the second time, had two-RBI singles.
The Lady Bucks added four runs in the second inning, started by a triple by Munger and followed by run-scoring singles from Dendary and Jones. Lowry tacked on three runs in the third and two more in the fourth on a single by Schwartz.
McClellan had Elko off balance in the second game, as she allowed just four hits and a run in five innings of work to earn the win. She struck out six and walked none.
"I thought Taylor and Kylee pitched really well," Schwartz said. "They had good command of their other pitches today. I was happy to see that and Tazz (Tanisha May) did a good job of catching with Lexie (Coleman) out sick. She got a lot of confidence with those throws down to second."
Lowry hits the road Thursday to play a doubleheader at Carlin at 3 p.m. and returns home on Wednesday, April 18, to host Wells.
"I am hoping to play Carlin's varsity this time and we are looking forward to playing Wells again," Schwartz said. "They were only one of two teams to beat us last year."
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