WINNEMUCCA - Not too many teams can lay claim to perfection, but the 2012 Lowry High School junior varsity softball squad can now do that.
The Lady Bucks capped off a 27-0 season on Tuesday afternoon on their home field with a doubleheader sweep of rival Elko. Lowry won the first game 10-3 and for good measure used a perfect game by Kylee McClellan to win the finale 17-0.
The Lady Bucks outscored their opponents 441-49 this year and dating back to a season ago they are 43-2-2. The only losses were to Bishop Manogue and Wells (varsity) and those were avenged this year.
"I can't complain at all," said LHS head coach Katy Schwartz. "Nothing changed today and they just went out and did their thing. Their thing is to get it done. Sometimes it is by a lot and other times it is by a closer margin. They seem to find a way, they believe in themselves and they believe in their team."
Lowry chipped away bit by bit in the opener, as McClellan and Jorden Raynor led off the bottom of the first with singles, with Raynor's hit driving home McClellan. Taylor Schwartz added a sacrifice to plate Raynor for a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Bucks tacked on a single run in the second, as Alyssa Jones drove home McKenzie Moore and two additional runs in the fourth on base hits by Megan Lombardi (double) and Jones (triple).
For Lombardi it was the first of six consecutive hits, which included three in the second game of the doubleheader.
"I was so happy for Megan," Schwartz said. "She was on fire today and she hit really well today. I was hoping she would keep it up in the second game and she picked up right where she left off."
Lowry saw its 5-0 advantage cut to 5-3 in the top of the fifth inning, as Elko used two hits and three Lowry errors to close the gap. However those were the only runs the Indians scored on the day.
"We had one bad inning in two games but that was OK because we came back and got it done," added the coach.
The Lady Bucks recovered those runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Schwartz and Alyssa Dendary led off with singles and both scored on groundouts to the shortstop by Lexie Coleman and Allison Barron.
For good measure, Lowry tacked on three runs in the sixth, one coming off a bases-loaded walk to Jaecee Munger and a two-RBI double by Lombardi, who led the Lady Bucks with three hits. Schwartz and McClellan each added two hits and Schwartz picked up the win, throwing five innings. The sophomore struck out eight and walked three while allowing three runs (none earned) on four hits. McClellan threw the final two innings and struck out five of the six batters she faced.
The freshman's perfection did not stop after the last two innings of game one, as she dominated the Indians in game two on her way to a perfect game. McClellan struck out eight, as a single ball did not leave the infield.
Lowry picked up all the offense it needed in the bottom of the first, as McClellan, Raynor and Schwartz led off with singles and scored. The Lady Bucks used a two-RBI single by Dendary and singles by Schwartz and Munger in the second to increase the lead to 7-0. Lowry put the game out of reach by scoring five runs apiece in the third and fourth innings and finished with 21 hits.
McClellan and Schwartz each went 4-for-4 at the plate and the duo combined for six RBIs. Lombardi capped off her six-hit day with three more in the finale, while Raynor also had three hits. Munger and Dendary added two hits apiece.
"This is just a special group and I have had a lot of these kids since they were little," Schwartz said. "It means a lot to me that they stuck with me and buy in to what we tell them. They learned a ton and they have come a long way this season. It is not like they coasted and took things for granted. They really improved.
"I owe a lot to coach (Dana) Peters and her pitching expertise and everything else. She really knows her stuff and I am glad I had her to help me.
"To lose two games in two years, I am all right with that. They were getting stuff in school and were getting told they were going to lose their final game. The girls didn't believe any of that and got the job done. They knew what was at stake and I am very proud of them."
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