The Lowry High School softball team made its way to California last weekend for its only preseason contests of the season.
The Lady Bucks took part in the Preseason Tournament of Champions in Sacramento and went 2-3 over the three days.
Lowry opened the tournament on Thursday with a 13-0 loss to Reed of the Northern 4A in Nevada. The Lady Bucks bounced back on Friday morning to beat Monterey Trail (Elk Grove Calif.) 8-7, but lost to Christian Brothers (Sacrament) 9-2 in the second game on Friday.
Lowry played a pair of one-run games on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.) and beating Antelope, Calif., 4-3.
Reed blanks Lowry
Reed jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening inning and never looked back. The Raiders scored three times in the second inning and five more in the third.
The Lady Bucks were held to four hits, with senior Alanna Miller collecting half of them. Sydney Connors and Kelcey Cooper, both underclassmen each had one hit.
Sylvie Prokasky started for the Lady Bucks in the circle and took the loss in three innings of work. Macey Katzenmeyer threw the final inning.
Lowry rallies to beat Monterey Trail
Lowry picked up its first win of the season with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The contest went back-and-forth with both teams taking and giving up the lead.
The Mustangs struck first in the top of the first inning with a single run, only to see the Lady Bucks rally for four runs in the bottom of the second.
Monterey Trail answered back with three runs in the top of the third inning to tie the game at 4-4. Lowry plated single runs in the third and fourth innings to retake the advantage at 6-4.
The Mustangs erased the deficit with three runs in the top of the fifth inning to go in front 7-6, but the Lady Bucks had one last rally in them and scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to win 8-7.
Connors was 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Sophomore Madi McCellan also went 3-for-3 with a RBI and run scored. Alyssa Kuskie, Cooper and Prokasky each had one hit.
Katzenmeyer picked up the win the complete-game effort. The sophomore allowed seven runs (two earned) on seven hits. She struck out three and walked two.
Lady Bucks fall to Falcons
Christian Brothers built a 5-0 lead after two innings and Lowry could not make up the deficit. The Lady Bucks scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but it was not enough.
Lowry pounded out nine hits, but left eight runners on base. For the second game in a row, Connors was 3-for-3 at the plate. Bailey Sapien, Tiana Herrera, Kyllie Sappington, Kuskie and Prokasky had one hit apiece.
Prokasky suffered the loss, as she went the distance in the pitching circle. She struck out three and walked three.
Del Oro holds off Lowry
All of the offense for the Golden Eagles came in the first inning on a two-run home run by Natalie Miller. Katzenmeyer held Del Oro scoreless in the final five innings. She allowed six hits in the loss, while walking three and striking out two.
Lowry scattered six hits throughout the game and scored in the bottom of the fourth on a RBI-single by McClellan that scored Amaya Herrera. McClellan led the Lady Bucks with two hits.
Kaity Sample, Cooper, Connors and Sappington each had one hit.
Lowry rallies to knock off Titans
Lowry found itself in a 3-0 hole after the first inning against Antelope, but the Titans did not score again. The Lady Bucks cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the second on the strength of a Kuskie single.
Lowry tied the game in the fourth inning and took the advantage for good in the bottom of the fifth.
McClellan, Kuskie and Miller each had two hits for Lowry. Kuskie drove in two runs, while McClellan had the other RBI.
Prokasky picked up her first win of the season in the complete-game effort. She allowed three runs on seven hits. She walked two and struck out one.
Lowry (2-3) begins Northern 3A play this weekend in Spring Creek. The two teams play a single game on Friday at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m.
