WINNEMUCCA - The Lowry High School varsity softball team has been down this road before, only this time the experienced squad is looking for a different outcome at the end of the season.
Just as it did a year ago, the Lady Bucks won two of three games from their rival Elko and now the squad is looking to make those wins stick. Lowry beat Elko and Spring Creek a combined four out of six times last year, but it was a season sweep at the hands of White Pine that ended the year prematurely.
"Elko was the state runner-up last year and we won the series from them," said LHS head coach Ty Lucas. "We did it again this year and that technically tells us where we can be at the end of the year. It just comes down to doing the little things right and we have to take care of one game at a time."
While the Lady Bobcats are just as strong as they were a season ago and lead the Ruby Mountain League at 8-1, Lowry is second at 5-1 and is two games up in the loss column versus Spring Creek and three up over Elko. Just the top two 3A teams in the league advance to the regional playoffs.
Lowry (9-9 overall, 5-1 Ruby Mountain) had an opportunity to sweep the series but lost a 3-2 lead in the first game on Friday, April 6, as Elko came back to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Lady Bucks responded on Saturday, winning a marathon opening game 5-4 in 14 innings and closing the weekend with a 9-6 win in game two.
"The first game we felt we probably could have won," Lucas said. "We stranded a lot of girls on base and made a couple of mental errors that hurt us. Even with those mental errors we had opportunities to win. That was on us and we have to execute. We are experienced enough and it's late in the season, we shouldn't be making those mistakes."
Elko broke the scoreless tie in game one of the series in the bottom of the third on base hits by Katie Beckstead and Angelica Luanjo, with a Lowry throwing error included. The Lady Bucks cut the deficit in half in the top of the fourth, after Madi Gonzalez led off the frame with a walk. And after a single by Ere Higbee, Heather McElvain sacrificed Gonzalez home.
Gonzalez provided trouble for Elko in the sixth inning, as she scored on an inside-the park home run after the Elko second baseman dropped the ball on the relay throw from the outfield. Lowry took its first lead of the game in the top of the seventh, as Cassie Klemish led off with a single and went to second on the errant throw from right field. Carli Evatz followed with a single to put runners on first and third, and Jordan Mecham followed with a double to score Klemish. Shelby McKinnon then hit a fly ball to left field that apparently scored Evatz but the junior was called out for leaving the base too early, ending the rally with a double play.
Elko began the bottom of the seventh with an infield hit by Tricia Ogle, which turned into the two winning runs. The game came to an end with back-to-back doubles by Lujano and Maggie Machado.
Mecham went the distance in the circle for Lowry, taking the loss. The junior allowed four runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Six different players had one hit for the Lady Bucks.
It was Lowry's turn for the comeback heroics in Saturday's marathon 14-inning matchup. The Indians held a 4-2 lead entering the seventh inning, when the Lady Bucks tied the game up with a two-out rally. Gonzalez walked to start the rally and Hana Etcheverry reached first on an error by the Elko shortstop that would have ended the game. Lowry took advantage of the reprieve as sophomore Ere Higbee made Elko pay with a double to left field to tie the game at 4-4.
Both teams had scoring chances in the next six innings but it wasn't until the top of the 14th, when Shannon McClellan led off with a single. Gonzalez followed with a single as well and Etcheverry made it three straight base hits, scoring Herrera, who was running for McClellan.
Elko had a rally going in the seventh as Beckstead reached on an error but she was the final out of the game, as she over ran second base after a hit by Lujano and was tagged out for the final out.
"I really liked the focus we came back with on Saturday," Lucas said. "I didn't have to say much to the girls. They knew what they had to do to get the job done and win the series. The game was intense and was a playoff atmosphere. It was similar to the game we played in Idaho with Kuna. It was a tight game and something had to give. The energy was there the entire game and I liked where we were mentally."
Lowry held a 2-1 lead in the third inning following a RBI-single by Etcheverry to score Gonzalez, but Elko came back in the bottom of the third to retake the advantage at 3-2 after a two-run home run by Joslynn Harris.
"Where we were mentally was the difference in the game," said the coach. "It is a good test for us in these close games and for the most part we have won those games this year."
Kayla Doyle started for Lowry and went 5.1 innings in the circle, receiving a no-decision. She allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with five walks and three strikeouts. McClellan went the rest of the way, giving up five hits on five strikeouts and no walks. Lowry pounded out 17 hits, with Etcheverry picking up a team-high five and Sydnie Sundahl adding four. Gonzalez had three hits and Higbee two.
Lowry took that momentum from game one and built a 9-2 lead in the nightcap, before watching Elko make things interesting with four runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Lady Bucks built a 7-1 lead in the fourth inning, after two triples by Sundahl and Gonzalez led to a three-run fourth. Sundahl collected her second triple of the game in the sixth and later scored. Gonzalez added an insurance run in the seventh after walking and stealing second and third. The senior added the insurance run on an error by the catcher.
Mecham earned the win as she pitched five innings, including coming back in the game for the final two outs. She gave up two runs (one earned) on seven hits, with five strikeouts and a walk.
Gonzalez picked up three hits and McKinnon and Sundahl each had two.
"We had a good, strong start to the game and we got a little fatigued at the end," Lucas said. "It was a long day and they are a good team and we didn't want to leave anything to chance. It was good to see us being more productive at the plate."
Lowry finishes up its 21-game road trip to start the season this weekend in Battle Mountain, beginning today at 4 p.m. The two schools play a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Lady Longhorns come into the series 0-6 in league play and were swept by Spring Creek last weekend.
"We are not taking anything for granted," Lucas said. "They played Elko tough in all three games and if we are not ready to play we will be in for a dog fight. Our plan is to show up with our 'A' game and not overlook them at all."
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