There were thoughts of holding a senior day as the Lowry High School baseball team opened the Northern 3A season against Spring Creek on Saturday in Winnemucca.
Even though it was the first weekend of play in the Northern 3A, the season was suspended starting Monday by the NIAA due to the ongoing cornoavirus.
Instead, players did not do a senior day, with hopes of the season resuming in a few weeks.
The Buckaroos split with the Spartans, losing the first game 15-14 and winning the second 8-7, with a sixth-inning rally.
“It was a tough last couple of days,” said LHS coach Benny Martinez. “We battled in both games and got the job done in the second game. It was hard to focus thinking this might be the last games of the year. We hit the ball pretty well, but still need to throw strikes if we get back going.”
In the opening game, Spring Creek jumped on the scoreboard for five runs in the first inning, taking advantage of three walks, a hit by batter and an error by Lowry.
The Spartans had just one hit in the frame. Spring Creek used a double and single to add a single run in the second inning to lead 6-0.
The Buckaroos cut the deficit to 6-1 in the bottom of the second, when Tristen Schmittel drove in Jordan Parker, who reached on an error.
Spring Creek added two more runs in the top of the third inning, when Lowry rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 8-8.
Anthony Hemp started the frame with a lead-off single and Josh Leveille followed with a one-out single to score Hemp.
After Parker, Schmittel and Garner reached base, Garette Hinshaw cleared the bases to make the score 8-5. Michael Yarnell followed with single to score Hinshaw and Brooks Bergenheier and Yarnell scored after a number of of Spring Creek errors.
The Buckaroos took a 9-8 lead in the fourth inning on the strength of base hits by Leveille and Schmittel.
The lead was short-lived as Spring Creek scored seven runs in the fifth inning to go back in front 15-9.
Lowry countered with a singe run in the sixth and almost completed the comeback in the seventh inning.
Tyler Neu led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a walk to Parker. Schmittel followed with a RBI-single to cut the gap to 15-11.
After the second out was recorded, Hinshaw and Yarnell both were hit by pitches. The second hit by pitch, scored Parker to make the score 15-12.
Bergenheier followed with a two-RBI single to make the score 15-14, but the rally ended with a strikeout.
The Buckaroos had 17 hits in the contest, with Hinshaw picking up three hits. He also had a team-high four RBI.
Schmittel added three hits as well and Bergenheier, Hemp, Leveille, Yarnell and Klay Garner each had two hits.
Leveille, Garner, Bergenheier and Hinshaw split time on the mound.
Lowry rallies to beat Spring Creek
Lowry overcame a 5-1 deficit tin game two to split the series with Spring Creek. The Buckaroos closed the gap to 5-3 in the second inning, using back-to-back doubles from Parker and Yarnell.
Spring Creek tacked on a single run in the third inning, only to see Lowry counter with two runs to make the score 5-4.
The Buckaroos used consecutive hits from Leveille, Schmittel and Garner to account for the runs.
The Buckaroos took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Lowry strung together three hits and took advantage of a Spring Creek error to go in front.
Lowry quickly got the first two outs in the seventh inning, but a single, two hit batters and a walk led to a run for the Spartans.
With the bases loaded, Bergenheier came in to pitch and got Tyler Knuston to fly out for the final out on the first pitch to secure the win.
Lowry had 13 more hits, with Leveille having a team-high three. Hemp, Schmittel, Garner and Yarnell each had two hits. Schmittel picked up the win in five innings of relief and Bergenheier earned the save.
“This a great group of guys and hopefully they get a chance to show what they got,” Martinez said. “You just pray that we can get back going in a few weeks. We have have a lot of things to work on Monday, but we don’t have that opportunity. We just have to look at the bigger picture right now. We just told the guys to work on what they can on their own and hopefully we get to play again.”
