Lowry walks off against Sparks, loses to Wooster
With weather conditions made for December or January, the Lowry High School baseball team made its home debut last week with two games against 3A West foes.
Lowry scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday, March 8, to beat Sparks 9-8 in walk-off fashion.
The Buckaroos were back home on Friday and lost 22-6 to Wooster. Lowry is 2-4-1 on the season and 1-1 in Northern 3A play.
Lowry 9,
Sparks 8
Both clubs scored a run in the first inning, with Lowry tying the game in the bottom of the first, as freshman Txema Bengochea led off with a double and scored on a wild pitch.
The Buckaroos grabbed a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second, as Bengochea drove in ReiCyan Grau and Zak Growcock, who both walked to get on base.
The advantage grew to 4-1 in the third inning, as Erick Bergenheier led off with a walk and after a Kasyn Garner single, Bergenheier scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Valencia.
The Railroaders got two runs back in the fourth inning to close the gap to 4-3, when the Buckaroos answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Kayd Garner led off the frame by getting hit by a pitch and he scored on Bergenheier’s double to left field. Bergenheier gave Lowry a 6-3 lead when he scored on an error.
Lowry’s lead disappeared in the top of the sixth inning, as Sparks retook the lead at 8-6 with five runs. The Buckaroos left a runner on base in the bottom of the sixth inning.
After striking out the side in the top of the seventh inning, Lowry looked to rally in the bottom of the seventh and did just that.
Following a strikeout to open the frame, Kasyn Garner began the rally with a triple and he scored moments later on a passed ball to close the gap to 8-7.
After another strikeout for the second out, Grau walked to keep the game going and Brandon Cardenas followed with a single.
Cardenas later advanced to put runners at second and third base. With two outs, Anthony Guzman hit a ground ball that was misplayed by the Sparks second baseman.
Grau scored on the play and after misplaying the ball, the second baseman overthrew the ball to third base that got away, allowing Cardenas to score the winning run.
Kayd Garner picked up the win in three innings of relief, including striking out the side in the seventh inning.
The sophomore struck out four and walked two. Valencia started and received a no decision in four innings of work. He allowed three runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked four.
Bengochea was 3-for-4 on the day with a pair of RBIs. Kasyn Garner had two hits and Bergenheier, Cardenas and Guzman each had a hit.
Wooster 22,
Lowry 6
In more windy and cool conditions on Friday, Wooster jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the second inning. Lowry cut that deficit in half in the bottom of the second inning, as Bergenheier and Grau reached base on walks and later scored on an error off the bat of Guzman.
The Colts stretched the advantage to 9-2 in the third inning and added 10 runs in the fourth to go in front 19-2.
The Buckaroos kept the game going, plating four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 19-6.
Kayd Garner drove in a pair of runs and Valencia added an RBI-triple and later scored on an error. Wooster added three runs in the fifth inning to close out the game.
Valencia picked three of Lowry’s six hits and Kayd Garner, Bengochea and Valencia had one hit apiece. Angus Boyles suffered the loss in 3.1 innings of work and Growcock finished the final 1.2 innings.
In a schedule change, Lowry will host North Valleys on Friday at 3 p.m. and will travel to Hug on Saturday for a 11 a.m. first pitch.
The Buckaroos are scheduled to play Truckee at North Valleys High School on Friday, March 24, at 3 p.m.
Lowry is set to travel to South Tahoe on Saturday, March 25, but that game may move as well.