If you like offense, Monday’s Northern 3A softball game in Fernley was the perfect one for you.
Lowry High School and Fernley finally made up their postponed game from March and the two league powers combined for 35 runs and 34 hits. The Vaqueros came out on top 19-16, dropping the Lady Bucks out of first place in the Northern 3A.
Madi McClellan provided Lowry with a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning off her two-run home run. That was short-lived as Fernley bounced back in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game after a three-run home run.
The two teams combined for five home runs and eight doubles on the day.
The Vaqueros used a two-run home run in the second inning to go in front 5-3, only to see Lowry bounce back with three runs in the third inning to re-take the advantage at 6-5.
Alyssa Kuskie led-off the frame with a single and scored on a RBI-double by Kyllie Sappington.
Sappington scored off a double by Sydney Connors and Connors plated the third run of the inning, scoring on an error off the bat of Bailey Sapien.
As soon as Lowry went back in front, Fernley countered with three runs in the bottom of the third to lead 8-6. The Lady Bucks tied the game at 8-8 in the fourth inning after back-to-back singles by Kuskie and Kelcey Cooper and a sacrifice fly by Sappington.
The difference on the day proved to be the bottom of the fourth inning when Fernley scored nine times to go in front 17-8. The Vaqueros strung together seven hits and sent 14 batters to the plate.
The Lady Bucks closed the gap to 17-10 in the fifth inning but Fernley got those two runs right back in the bottom of the fifth.
Lowry gave Fernley a scare in the seventh inning, scoring six runs and had the tying run at the plate.
Savannah Dalley, Sylvie Prokasky and Kuskie started the rally with singles. All three scored on bases-clearing double by Cooper.
The Lady Bucks closed the gap to 19-14 on a sacrifice fly by McClellan that scored Cooper.
Connors and Sapien scored the final two runs but Fernley held on for the win, as Prokasky flew out to center field for the final out.
The Lady Bucks out-hit the Vaqueros 19-15, with Kuskie going 5-for-5 at the plate. Cooper added three hits and four RBI and Sappington each had three hits and two RBI. Connors picked up two hits, two RBI and three runs scored.
Fernley improved to 11-1 in the Northern 3A and is followed by Churchill County (9-1) and Lowry (13-2).
Lowry opened a three-game series at South Tahoe on Friday afternoon. The Lady Bucks and Vikings play a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m.
