SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — After turning in a second-place in the Northern 3A regular season standings, the Lowry High School softball team saw its season come to a premature ending with a 3-2 loss to host South Tahoe in nine innings at the Northern 3A Regional Championships on Friday night.
The Lady Bucks ended the season at 23-9. Lowry started the tournament with a 7-3 loss to Fernley on Thursday night and came back with a 12-5 win over Elko on Friday morning, before losing to South Tahoe.
Fernley knocks off Lowry
Fernley’s Skylar led the game off with a solo home run and the Vaqueros never trailed in the contest. Lowry had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the first inning, when Sydney Connor’s double hit the bottom of the fence, but the ball went out of play. The umpires ruled that Kyllie Sappington had to go back to third base instead of scoring from first base. The rally ended on the next batter on a ground out.
The Vaqueros added three unearned runs in the fourth inning with two outs after two errors in the outfield, giving Fernley a 4-0 advantage. The Lady Bucks broke through for the first time in the bottom of the fourth after a double by Connors and Madi McClellan was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced a base on a ground out by Tiana Herrera and a batter later, a ground out by Sample drove home Connors.
Lowry cut the deficit to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Sappington scored on a passed ball. That was as close as the Lady Bucks got, with the Vaqueros adding three runs in the sixth inning.
Connors (three) and Kelcey Cooper (two) had five of Lowry’s six hits, while Sample had the other. Macey Katzenmeyer started for Lowry in the circle and suffered the loss. She allowed six runs (three earned) on three hits. She walked three and struck out one. Sylvie Prokasky pitched the final two innings and gave one run (none earned) on three hits. She walked one and struck out one.
Lowry rallies to beat Elko
Lowry suffered another slow start as Elko used a two-run home run as part of a four-run second inning to lead 4-0 in an elimination contest on a cold and windy Friday morning in Lake Tahoe.
The Lady Bucks broke through in the bottom of the second inning with the three runs after back-to-back singles by Herrera and Sample. Prokasky followed with a walk and Alyssa Kuskie drove in a run with a single and Sappington added an RBI to plate Prokasky.
Lowry shook off the slow start and took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. All of the runs came with two outs, with Cooper starting the rally with a single. Sappington followed with a walk, Connors was hit by a pitch and Miller and McClellan added back-to-back singles to give Lowry a 7-4 lead.
The Lady Bucks broke the game open with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Cooper and Herrera had doubles in the frame and Sappington, Connors and Miller had singles to put Lowry up 12-4.
Lowry pounded out 16 hits, including three each from Kuskie, Cooper and Herrera. Sappington and Miller each had two hits. Katzenmeyer started and received a no-decision in two innings of work. Prokasky threw the final five innings to earn the victory. She allowed one run on four hits. She struck out two and walked two.
Vikings eliminate Lady Bucks
The finale for Lowry proved to be a pitcher dual between Prokasky and South Tahoe’s Kendra Conard. The Lady Bucks grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a lead off single by Miller and a fielder’s choice that allowed McClellan to reach base. After the next two batters were retired, Sapien drove home Miller for the opening run.
The Vikings used three consecutive singles in the top of the third inning to jump in front 2-1. The Lady Bucks tied the game in the bottom of the fifth after a triple and error allowed her to score.
Both teams had opportunities to win the game in the latter innings, when South Tahoe broke through in the ninth inning on an RBI-triple by Conard. McClellan led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk but was erased off the bases on a double play. Sample started the rally again, but the contest ended with a pop fly to third base.
Miller and Sapien each had two hits. Prokasky threw all nine innings, but suffered the loss. She allowed three runs on nine hits. She struck out five and walked four.
Lowry graduates five seniors in McKenna Jones, Tiana Herrera, Amaya Herrera, Sample and Miller.
