After coming off a tough loss to start the week against Fernley, the Lowry High School softball team bounced back in a big way this past weekend against South Tahoe.
The Lady Bucks outscored the Vikings 59-2 in a three-game sweep to improve to 16-2 in the Northern 3A. Lowry has clinched a spot in the Northern 3A Regional Championships and still has a chance to win the regular season title.
Lowry beat South Tahoe 25-0 on Friday and swept a doubleheader on Saturday 12-2 and 22-0.
Lady Bucks blank Vikings
Lowry raced out to a 10-0 advantage in Friday’s opening game and never looked back. Alyssa Kuskie began the game with a double and the flood gates opened from there. Following a walk to Kelcey Cooper and an out by Kyllie Sappington, Sydney Connors, Madi McClellan and Bailey Sapien all singled for the Lady Bucks.
After Sierra Maestrejuan was hit by a pitch, Destiny Starkey, Sylvie Prokasky, Kuskie and Cooper all got base hits. Starkey was the hitting star for the Lady Bucks with four hits, including a three-run home run.
Lowry looked like it was going to end the game in three innings, scoring three times in the third inning after consecutive singles by Maestrejuan, Starkey and Prokasky.
However, the Lady Bucks went scoreless in the third and fourth innings, until they scored 12 more runs in the fifth inning. Maestrejuan started the rally with a home run, one of three in the frame for Lowry. Cooper had a double and three-run home run in the inning for five RBI and Starkey also had a three-run home run.
Cooper was 3-for-4 on the day with six RBI and four runs scored. Kuskie, Connors, Maestrejuan and Prokasky each has two hits.
Prokasky was dominant in the circle as well, holding South Tahoe to two hits. She threw just 62 pitches and struck out five and walked two.
Lowry cruises past
South Tahoe
It was much of the same in Saturday’s first game, as Lowry built an 11-0 lead after the top of the third inning. Kuskie and Sappington each doubled in the first inning, helping the Lady Bucks scores three times.
Macey Katzenmeyer helped herself out with a lead off single in the second inning, as Lowry scored four runs. Kuskie, Connors and Bailey Sapien also had singles in the four-run second inning.
Katzenmeyer added a solo home run to start a four-run third inning and sandwiched in between singles by Cooper and McClellan, Sappington and Connors added a double and triple, respectively.
South Tahoe scored its two runs of the series in the bottom of the third after Katzenmeyer struck out the first two batters looking. The Vikings began the rally with a walk and followed with a single and double. The Lady Bucks also had two errors in the frame.
Katzenmeyer still earned the win, allowing two runs on two hits. She struck out five and walked one.
Katzenmeyer and Kuskie each had three hits for the Lady Bucks, while Sappington, Connors and Maestrejuan had two hits apiece.
Lowry finishes sweep
Lowry closed out the finale in three innings on the strength of a 14-run second inning. After a lead-off single by Maestrejuan, Savannah Dalley, Kuskie, Cooper and Sappington all doubled. After reaching on an error in her first at bat in the frame, Connors had bases-clearing, three-RBI triple.
The Lady Bucks tacked on six runs in the third inning, on three-run home runs by Kuskie and Connors.
Lowry pounded out 17 hits, with Kuskie going 4-for-4 with five RBI and four runs scored. Cooper and Connors each had three hits and the duo combined for eight RBI and seven runs scored. Sappington, Maestrejuan and Dalley each had two hits.
Maestrejuan was dominant in her three innings in the circle. The sophomore threw just 29 pitches and allowed one hit. She struck out three and walked none.
Lowry (16-2) sits in third place in the Northern 3A behind Fernley (15-1) and Churchill County (12-1). Fernley and Churchill County played a doubleheader on Tuesday and results were not available at press time. Fernley currently holds the tie-breaker over Lowry and handed the Lady Bucks their only losses.
Lowry travels to Fallon this weekend to play Churchill County, beginning on Friday at 3 p.m. The two rivals play a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m.
In addition, thew Northern 3A Regional Championships will now be played in Fallon from May 10-12.
The top six teams qualify for the regional championships and the top two teams in the regular season standing get byes in the opening round.
