The Lowry High School baseball team picked up its first win of the season in the series finale at Sparks this past Saturday afternoon in Northern 3A action.
The Buckaroos dropped the opening game of the series on Friday afternoon 8-6 and the first game on Saturday 12-9. Lowry prevented the sweep in the finale to improve to 1-5 in league play and 1-10 overall.
Sparks walks off to win on Friday
Lowry led throughout much of the game and built a 6-3 advantage in the top of the seventh, before Sparks came back to win on a walk-off grand slam.
The Railroaders started the rally in the seventh with a hit by pitch, The Railroaders loaded the bases with two consecutive singles and scored a run to cut the deficit to 6-4. After a walk to load the bases, Hunter Nobbs hits a 2-1 pitch over the fence to win the game.
The Buckaroos scored a single run in the top of the first inning, when Kyle Young doubled home Ridge Ricketts. The Railroaders came back in the bottom of the first to tie the game.
Lowry reclaimed the advantage in the top of the third inning with three runs. Tazmin Milton began the rally with a lead off walk and scored on a wild pitch after a dropped third strike that allowed Young to reach base. Travis Hardy closed out the frame with a two-RBI double that scored Ricketts and Young.
The Buckaroos added a single in the fourth inning, when Riley Sakurada walked with the bases loaded.
Sparks trimmed the Lowry lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth, when Lowry got one of the runs back in the seventh.
Young started for Lowry and got a no-decision in six innings of work. He allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits. He struck out six and walked three. Milton suffered the loss, giving up four runs on three hits.
Hardy led Lowry with two hits and two RBI. Jake Marriott, Nico Espinola, Sakurada and Young each had one hit.
Lowry rally falls short in Saturday’s opener
Lowry grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning, as Brendan Domire and Young each crossed the plate. Sparks cut advantage in half with a single run in the first and it took the leads for good with five runs in the bottom of the second inning. Matt Longland hit a three-run home run in the frame to blow the game open.
Sparks used three consecutive singles in the fourth inning to score four runs and increase the lead to 10-5. The Railroaders added two more runs in the sixth to go in front 12-5.
Lowry gave Sparks a scare in the top of the seventh as Michael Rangel, Roberto Rodriguez and Espinola singled. Domire knocked in a run with single after the second out was recorded to make the score 12-7. Young followed with a triple to drive in another run and Smith’s single trimmed the deficit to 12-9. However, the rally stopped there.
Marriott suffered the loss on the mound in three innings of work. He allowed 10 runs (six earned) on nine hits. He walked three and struck out two. Ren Mattson threw three innings of relief and allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit. He struck out three and walked two.
Lowry had its highest hit total of the year with 12, as Domire led the way with three. Young had two hits and Ricketts, Smith. Hardy, Marriott, Rangel and Marriott had one hit each.
Lowry earns first win
Lowry jumped out to a quick start in picking up its first win, with a two-RBI single by Hardy that knocked in Ricketts and Domire. Sparks cut the gap in the half in the bottom of the first, but it was all Buckaroos after that.
After leading off the second inning with a double, Rodriguez scored a run on a balk by the Sparks pitcher and the Buckaroos never trailed again. Lowry added three runs in the third inning on singles by Sakurada, Rodriguez and Ricketts and a triple by Good.
With the aid of three batters getting hit by pitches, the Buckaroos broke the contest open with six runs in the sixth inning. Lowry sent 12 batters to the plate in the frame and had just two hits in scoring six runs.
Smith went the distance in earning the win for Lowry. He allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits. He struck out nine and walked two.
Lowry knocked around 12 hits, with Ricketts and Rodriguez collecting three each. Domire had two hits and Young. Hardy. Sakurada and Good each had one hit.
Lowry will be at home for the first time this season when it takes on Elko on Friday at 4 p.m. The two squads play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. The Indians come into the weekend at 4-2 in the Northern 3A.
