Lowry and Churchill County are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2023, but likely not for long. The Buckaroos will face off against the Greenwave at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Lowry is coming into the contest hot, having won their last eight games.
Lowry is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They came out on top against Fernley by a score of 5-2.
Makinley Hislop
| 05/08/25 vs Fernley | 8 |
| 04/25/25 @ Dayton | 9 |
| 04/24/25 @ Dayton | 13 |
| 04/19/25 vs Churchill County | 11 |
| 04/18/25 vs Churchill County | 9 |
Makinley Hislop made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: 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 kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in six consecutive games.
North Valleys typically has all the answers at home, but on Thursday Churchill County proved too difficult a challenge. They walked away with a 6-2 win over the Panthers. The victory was familiar territory for the Greenwave, who have now won five matchups in a row.
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. Taraylynn Vershum was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs.
Lowry's win was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 26-6. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Churchill County, their record now sits at 19-10.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lowry hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .387. However, it's not like Churchill County struggles in that department as they've averaged .368. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Lowry's way against Churchill County in their previous meeting back in April, as Lowry made off with a 12-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Buckaroos since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
