The roller coaster of a season for the Lowry High School baseball team continued last week, as the Buckaroos picked up one win in three games with Spring Creek to end regular season play in the 3A East.
Lowry hosted Spring Creek on Wednesday, May 12, and suffered a 14-4 loss to the Spartans, who entered the game with just one win league play.
The Buckaroos made the trip to Spring Creek on Friday, winning game one 16-1, but losing the nightcap 8-3 to have a record of 5-10 in league play.
“It just shows how the league and our season has been,” said LHS coach Benny Martinez. “We beat the best team in the league twice and lost to the last-place team twice. Anyone can win this regional tournament if you get hot for three games. I told the guys starting this weekend we are all 0-0. If we win three games, we are the champs. I just want them to have fun and play for each other.”
In the opening game of the series, Lowry claimed a 3-1 lead in the first inning, as Marcus Montes, Anthony Hemp and Tristen Schmittel were hit by pitches in consecutive at bats. Garette Hinshaw and Logan Fettic followed with singles.
The advantage was short-lived, as Spring Creek answered with seven runs in the top of the second inning on just two hits. The Spartans added five runs in the fifth inning.
Justin Horton, Montes, Hinshaw, Hemp and Fettic each had a hit. Lowry used four pitchers on the day, striking out seven baters, while allowing seven walks. Schmittel started and suffered the loss.
Lowry turned the tables on Spring Creek in the doubleheader opener on Friday, as Montes allowed just three hits in five innings to earn the win.
The freshman allowed one run (none earned) on one hit. He struck out six and walked one. Horton threw the final inning, allowing two hits, with one strikeout.
The Buckaroos used a single by Horton and a double by Fettic to take a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Lowry added six runs in the fourth inning, as Brendan Robinson, Montes and Hemp started the frame with singles. Zach Fernandez added a two-RBI double to make it four consecutive hits.
After two outs were recorded, the rally resumed as Horton reached base on catcher’s interference. That was followed by singles by Fettic, Kaden Boyles and Robinson’s second hit of the inning.
The Buckaroos added to the blowout with eight runs in the sixth inning, including doubles by Montes, Schmittel and Hinshaw.
Lowry pounded out 19 hits, including three each from Fettic and Boyles. Fernandez, Schmittel, Horton, Robinson, Montes and Hemp. Fernandez added four RBI and Schmittel and Boyles each drove in a pair of runs.
Lowry out-hit Spring Creek 8-6 in the series finale but had trouble getting runs across the plate in the 8-3 loss. The Buckaroos left the bases loaded in the first inning and saw a double-play in the second end another rally.
Spring Creek led 5-0 after four innings of play, when Lowry got on the board in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Hemp. The Spartans answered with three runs in the sixth inning to lead 8-1.
The Buckaroos rallied in the seventh inning, as Montes, Robinson and Fernandez had consecutive singles. Hemp then reached base on an error, but the rally quickly fizzled from there. Montes and Robinson each had two hits.
Hinshaw suffered the loss as he had the start on the mound. He allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits in 1.1 innings of work. Fettic threw the rest of the game, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits. He struck out six and walked three.
Lowry traveled to Fallon for a non-league on Tuesday and results were not available at press time. Lowry hosts the 3A East Regional Championships this weekend and play Elko on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
