The Lowry High School softball team lines up for the National Anthem.
The first step in the hopes of a return to the state tournament has been completed for the Lowry High School softball team.
The Buckaroos won their first regular-season title for the first time since 2021, with a three-game sweep of Churchill County.
The two rivals entered the weekend tied for first in the Northern 3A East.
Lowry won the series opener 2-0 on Friday and swept the final two contests on Saturday 14-10 and 12-2 to improve to 22-6 overall and 12-1 in league play.
Three of those losses are to top teams in three different states (La Grande, Ore.; Tolleson, Ariz.; and Doral Red Rock, Las Vegas).
Lowry's Crisslyn Rodriguez awaits her at bat in the on-deck circle.
Lowry 2, Churchill County 0
Depending on the day, the field at Jim Billingsley Complex, can remind you of afternoon at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
The opener on Friday was a pitchers dream, with colder than usual temperatures and a stiff wind blowing in.
That provided to be a pitchers dream and Lowry freshman Makinley Hislop took full advantage.
She struck out nine and only allowed a sixth-inning single in the win in the circle.
Lowry plated the only run it needed in the third inning, with an RBI-single from Dana Micone to score Maite Bengochea, who singled with two outs.
Micone also provided the other run with a solo home run in the sixth. The senior, who transferred from Dayton, had two of the five hits and both RBIs.
The Lowry High School softball dugout looks on during game one of Saturday's doubleheader with Churchill County.
Lowry 14, Churchill County 10
As it is with Wrigley Field, the wind shifted and temperatures were about 20 degrees warmer and the ball was flying out in the opener on Saturday.
The Greenwave struck for three runs in the opening frame, as the teams combined for 14 runs in the first three innings.
Trailing 3-0, Adalyn Entwistle led off the bottom of the first inning with an inside-the park-homerun, as Churchill County brought the entire defense near the plate. She drove the ball to the fence for the homer.
A Micone single tied the game at 3-3 in the second inning, when Hislop helped herself out with a three-run homer in the frame to give Lowry a 6-3 lead.
The Greenwave got into the long ball act, with a two-run shot in the third inning. However, the Buckaroos opened up the game in the bottom of the third, starting with a leadoff double from Fallon Fowler and Lowry increased the lead to 9-5.
Lowry added five runs in the sixth inning to go in front 14-6 but had to hold off a furious Churchill County rally in the seventh for the win.
Hislop collected the win in the complete-game effort, allowing 10 runs (six earned) on nine hits. She struck out 11.
Lowry pounded out 16 hits, including a 4-for-5 performance from Entwistle. Bengochea added three hits and three runs scored and Crisslyn Rodriguez, Micone and Hislop each added two hits. Hislop had a team-high five RBI.
Lowry's Natalya Guizar makes a running catch near the fence in game one on Saturday.
Lowry 12,Churchill County 2
Lowry finished the series in impressive fashion, as Bengochea threw just 45 pitches in the five-inning win. The freshman struck out just one batter but the defense did the rest.
The hit parade continued, as Bengochea, Hislop, Rodriguez and Liliana Aguilar each had three. For Rodriguez and Aguilar, it was their final home game as seniors. Isabel Upton collected two hits.
Lowry 9, Elko 4
Lowry completed a three-game sweep of Elko on Wednesday, April 16, to close out the series. Eight different players had a hit, with Micone going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
The freshman dup of Hislop and Bengochea split time in the circle, with Hislop earning the victory.
Damonte Ranch 10, Lowry 7
The busy week started on Monday, April 14, in Reno at Damonte Ranch High School. The Buckaroos built a 6-3 advantage after three innings but the Mustangs scored six times in the fourth to earn the win.
Entwistle, Hislop, Rodriguez and Aguilar had two hits apiece.
Lowry closes the regular season at Dayton on Thursday at 3 p.m. and Friday at 11 a.m.
The Northern 3A Regional Championships take place May 8-10 at Hug High School in Reno.
With the top seed from the East Division, Lowry receives a bye into the second round.