Churchill County and Lowry are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2023, but likely not for long. The Greenwave will challenge the Buckaroos at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Churchill County sitting on five straight victories and Lowry on eight.
Churchill County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They walked away with a 6-2 win over North Valleys.
Janessa Bettencourt
| 05/08/25 @ North Valleys | 11 |
| 05/08/25 vs Elko | 9 |
| 04/26/25 vs Spring Creek | 11 |
| 04/25/25 vs Spring Creek | 9 |
| 04/19/25 @ Lowry | 1 |
| + 16 more games |
Janessa Bettencourt spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on seven hits and racked up 11 Ks. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.1 strikeouts per game.
On the hitting side, Sutton Yost was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one double and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Taraylynn Vershum, who went 2-for-4 with two runs.
Meanwhile, Lowry faced Fernley in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Buckaroos came out on top against the Vaqueros by a score of 5-2.
Makinley Hislop made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Hislop wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Maite Bengochea, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Lowry was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in six consecutive matches.
Lowry's victory was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 26-6. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.2 runs over those games. As for Churchill County, their victory bumped their record up to 19-10.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Churchill County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .440. However, it's not like Lowry struggles in that department as they've averaged .452. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Churchill County suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Lowry in their previous meeting back in April. Can the Greenwave avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
