WINNEMUCCA - The rollercoaster season for the Lowry High School baseball team continued this past weekend, as it traveled to Fallon for one of three Northern 3A regional pod tournaments against Churchill County.
The Buckaroos (16-12) had the defending champions on the ropes after opening with a 3-0 victory on Friday, May 11. That momentum continued into Saturday morning as Lowry held a 5-2 lead after the top of the fifth inning, only to see Churchill County score four runs on just one hit on its way to tying the series. The Greenwave score twice in the first inning of the third and deciding game and went on to win 4-1 in a game that took just 65 minutes to play. It was a bitter end to the year, after the Greenwave beat the Buckaroos 1-0 in last year's state tournament.
"It was a series where we didn't play badly and they didn't play good," said LHS head coach Ron Espinola. "It just happened that they took advantage of our mistakes and we didn't on their mistakes. We flew out to center field six times in the third game, so we were hitting the ball. We just hit it right where they were. We knew (Alonzo) Williams was going to throw outside but didn't expect their other two guys to do the same thing. Their coaching staff teaches them to do that."
The opening game of the series was much different than the regular season matchup that Churchill County won 10-0. Bryan Noble had a rare bad start in that game but made up for it, as he allowed just four hits in a 78-pitch performance. The Player of the Year in the Ruby Mountain League struck out seven and walked none. The Greenwave did not have a batter reach third base.
The game was scoreless through three innings when Jesse Studebaker doubled with two outs in the top of the fourth, which was followed by a double by Gus Duncan for the 1-0 advantage. The Buckaroos tacked on two runs in the fifth inning, as Brandon Okuma doubled with one out and was driven home by a single by Calvin Connors. Tyler Brumm added the second insurance run with a double to right field. He finished with two hits, as did Okuma.
"That was the best all-around game we played all year," Espinola said. "Bryan completely dominated them on the mound and we picked up the timely hits when we needed to. Okuma and Brumm made two of the best defensive plays you will see at any level. You look at the play Tyler made and ask yourself why he is not a first-team all league player at first base. I don't care who we played, he has been the best first baseman on the field. If you look at all three games it was probably our three best performances in one weekend."
In the first game Saturday, Lowry broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third inning, as Duncan led off with a walk and eventually scored on a single by Johnny Hernandez. Churchill County tied the game in the bottom of the third, as Hunter Mori led off with triple and scored on a wild pitch.
The Buckaroos looked as if they took control of the game and series, scoring four runs in the fourth inning. After Brumm reached base on a fielder's choice, Jace Billingsley and Studebaker followed with consecutive doubles. Duncan then reached on an error by the third baseman, which led to a run when Alex Nimmick grounded out to the pitcher. Michal Arenas closed out the frame with a single that scored Duncan.
The lead did not last for the Buckaroos, as the Greenwave rallied in the bottom of the fifth with one out, starting with an error. Churchill County took advantage of two walks and a hit, as well as a third strike that got away from the catcher, which would have ended the inning. Lowry had four passed balls in the inning, as Churchill County led 6-5. The Greenwave held on from that point, adding an insurance run in the sixth.
"When it goes south for us, it goes south," Espinola said. "When it goes bad it is usually an entire game. We gave up four runs in an inning, which is nothing. We just scored four the inning before. Right off the get go we were hitting the ball off of (Hunter) Mori but again it took a while for them to fall. I was thinking the same thing was going to happen in the third game. Their field is bigger than ours and if we are playing that series at home, some of the balls we hit off the fence are home runs in our park. Their left fielder was basically playing on the warning track, that's how well we were hitting the ball."
Billingsley went the distance on the mound but suffered the loss. He allowed seven runs (one earned) and six hits. The senior struck out eight and walked four. He also led the team with two hits.
"It has been his luck all season," added the coach. "This was about the only game where we gave him some run support this season."
In the winner-take-all matchup, Churchill County used a break in the bottom of the first inning and scored two runs and made that hold up. With runners on second and third and no outs, a sacrifice bunt by Frank deBraga went to Studebaker on the mound. Studebaker went to chase the runner at third base and in the process of the run down, his throw to Noble at third base got away, allowing a run to score. The Greenwave went on to score a second run in the frame.
Churchill County added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to lead 4-0. Lowry climbed on the board in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Brumm that scored Connors, who led off the inning with a single. Duncan doubled with one out in the seventh inning, but the Buckaroos' rally ended there, as the next two batters were retired to end the game.
Studebaker went the distance, as he gave up four runs (one earned) on five hits. He struck out three and walked two. Okuma led Lowry with two hits.
"It was not like it went wrong for us and didn't necessarily go right for them," Espinola said. "They caught a few more breaks and that's all it came down to. Whoever can limit the damage is going to win. Now that may not be the best team. If anyone looked at the stats, you would say we probably win. I still feel we are the best team in the state but we will not know. Losing what we lost last year and being as good as we were this year is a testament to the program. Obviously we lose another great crop of seniors but I think we will be just fine."
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