After struggling over the past few years, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Lowry High School baseball team.
The Buckaroos equaled their Northern 3A win total from last year with a 5-4 victory at Fernley on Monday afternoon. The game was made up after being postponed last Friday. Lowry scored a single run in the top of the seventh inning to take two of three games from Fernley.
“We are playing well right now,” said LHS coach Andy Harmon. “Not too bad of a start for such a young team. There is going to be mistakes and that occasional bad game but the kids have bought in. They are not quitting and into the game until the end.”
Fernley strung together a pair of hits in the bottom of the first to leas 1-0, only to see Lowry bounce back with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning.
Josh Leveille led off with a triple and scored after a base hit by Jacob Marriott. Marriott plated the second run after singles by Tazmin Milton and Michael Yarnell.
Fernley retook the advantage in the bottom of the third inning on the strength of two doubles and a Lowry error. That did not last long, as the Buckaroos responded with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Riley Sakurada reached base on an error and score moments later on a triple by Marriott. With two outs, Kyle Sappington gave Lowry the lead at 4-3 with a single to right field.
The Vaqueros tied the game in the bottom of the sixth without the aid of a hit. The Buckaroos walked three batters and hit another, allowing the Vaqueros to tie the contest at 4-4.
Lowry took the lead for good in the top of the seventh inning, following a lead-off walk by Milton. Sappington used a sacrifice bunt to move Milton to second and Milton scored on an error off the bat of Brendan Domire.
Fernley put two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Yarnell was able to pitch out of and earn the win in two innings of work.
Milton started for the Buckaroos and allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits in five innings of work, He struck out 10 and walked none.
“He gave us a great start,” Harmon said. “Tazmin pitched well.”
Marriott paced Lowry with two hits and two RBI. Domire, Leveille, Milton, Sappington and Yarnell each had one hit.
Lowry (2-1 Northern 3A, 3-5 overall) hosts Spring Creek this weekend, weather permitting. The series opened on Friday and concludes with a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m.
“Every game is going to be a dogfight in our league this year,” Harmon said. “This a big series for us against a good team.”
