Everyone enjoys Fridays, but the Lowry High School softball team is making the last day of the school week tough on itself.
The Buckaroos have struggled to find its game when opening their three-game series' with other ball clubs. That wasn't any different when they traveled to South Tahoe last weekend and found themselves trailing the Vikings 6-1 on April 1.
Despite the slow start, Lowry used a nine-run fifth inning to come back and win 10-8. The Buckaroos used that momentum to sweep the Vikings 16-1 and 14-2 on Saturday.
Lowry (12-4 overall, 11-1 Division I-A North) have won 12 of its last 13 games after starting the season 0-3.
"We have to figure out Fridays or it's going to bite us in the butt," said LHS coach Ty Lucas. "We just need to be ready to go, but we have done it all season. It was nice to see the way we bounced back on Saturday. That was the best doubleheader we have played all year. It was encouraging to see that. We are a tough team, we just have to find a way to afford slow starts."
In the opening game of the series, South Tahoe jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings of play. The Vikings chased Buckaroos starter Alyssa Dendary out of the circle after just 1.2 innings of work. Dendary came into the match-up with a 5-0 record in league play.
Lowry broke onto the scoreboard in the fourth when Schwartz led off with a single. Jorden Raynor came into pinch run and she was knocked in by Jaecee Munger, who singled.
Ashlee Barron began the nine-run rally in the fifth, as reached on an error. Shelby McKinnon followed with a single and Dendary, Ere Higbee and Kylee McClellan all reached base. After a strikeout, Lexie Coleman was hit by a pitch and Munger followed with a two-RBI single. Alyssa Jones added a single and McKinnon capped the frame with a three-RBI double.
Schwartz picked up the win for Lowry as she entered with one out in the third inning. The senior allowed three runs on two hits. She struck out four and walked none.
McKinnon was 3-for-5 for the Buckaroos, with all three hits in her final at bat. She scored twice and had three RBI. Munger was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored and Dendary, Higbee, Schwartz, Coleman and Jones each had one hit.
Lowry wasted little time in Saturday's opener as McKinnon led off the game with a bunt single and stole second and third base before scoring on an error to make the score 1-0. McKinnon scored for the second time in the third inning after Higbee singled her home. The Buckaroos picked up a second run in the third inning on a bases-loaded walk to Munger, which scored McClellan.
Lowry tacked on three runs in the fourth inning on the strength singles by Caitlynn Cooper and Dendary. The Buckaroos broke the contest open in the fifth inning, scoring 10 runs while sending 13 batters to the plate to end the game by the 10-run mercy rule. McKinnon had two base hits in the frame and Munger and Allison Barron reached base twice on a single and hit by pitch. Higbee, McClellan and Schwartz all had base hits as well.
Schwartz was dominant in the circle in her complete-game effort. The senior gave up one run on three hits. She walked two and struck one out.
McKinnon had another strong game at the plate, going 4-for-5 with four runs scored and three RBI. Higbee, McClellan and Cooper each had two hits and the trip combined to score six runs and drive in six runs. Allison Barron, Dendary and Munger had one hit apiece.
Lowry went with the hot hand in the series finale as Schwartz picked up her third win of the series. She gave up just two runs in the fifth inning and five hits for the game. She struck out three and walked two.
"Taylor came in and did a good job for us," Lucas said. "She got us out of jam on Friday and pitched well on Saturday and got three wins. That was encouraging. It's nice to have two pitchers, it has been key for us. Alyssa had the hot hand the week before and Taylor had it this week. Right now, we are going with the pitcher that is hot."
Lowry took a 5-0 advantage in the second inning of the finale, picking up base hits from McClellan, Coleman, Jones and Dendary added the final blow with a two-RBI single.
Leading 7-2, the Buckaroos tacked on seven runs in the sixth inning on the strength of nine base hits. McKinnon and Dendary each had two hits in the frame.
Dendary paced Lowry with a 3-for-5 performance that included three RBI and a run scored. McKinnon, Higbee, McClellan, Coleman, Munger, Ashlee Barron and Cooper each had two hits.
"The offense is clicking for us right now," Lucas said. "It was nice to see the weekend Shelby had. We are still trying to fill out spots in our lineup. Right now, we have at least seven solid hitters. There is not an easy out in our lineup. All of these girls are capable of good things, it's just who wants it at the moment. So far, we are right where we want to be."
Lowry is back on the road this weekend for a three game series against Churchill County in Fallon. The Greenwave defeated the Buckaroos last year in the regional tournament with a late rally. Churchill County currently leads the league at 11-0. The two schools play a single game on Friday at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader Saturday at 11 a.m.
"It's a big weekend, but we're treating it like any other series," Lucas said. "We are not going to worry about what name is on the jersey. We are still looking at individual wins to get us where we want to be. It's always good games when we play against Fallon. We know what they got and they know what we have. There will be no secrets when we play."[[In-content Ad]]
