Lowry hasn't had much luck against North Valleys recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Buckaroos will square off against the Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Lowry is coming into the match hot, having won their last three games.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Lowry and Fernley meet (five straight games heading into this one) and that held true again two weeks ago. The Buckaroos walked away with a 6-1 victory over the Vaqueros.
Matthew Casalez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on eight hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
Erick Valencia
| 03/29/25 @ Fernley | 3 |
| 03/28/25 @ Fernley | 3 |
| 03/20/25 vs Elko | 2 |
| 03/15/25 @ Hug | 2 |
| 03/15/25 @ Hug | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Erick Valencia, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Lowry is 5-1 when Valencia posts two or more runs, but 4-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Michael Heikkila, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask North Valleys). They blew past Hug 18-5 on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Carlos Cordova and Zach Clarke were a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Cordova pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Clarke pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. At the plate, Cordova went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Clarke went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That triple was Cordova's first of the season.
In other batting news, Caden Birch was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing five bases while going 2-for-5. Those five stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Evan Birch, who scored two runs while going 3-for-5.
North Valleys kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Lowry pushed their record up to 9-7 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for North Valleys, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 12-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Lowry has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like North Valleys struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
