1A STATE: Kowis’ home run lifts Lake Mead to opening-round win

With a runner on base and a 3-2 count in the third inning Thursday, Lake Mead’s Spencer Kowis guessed he was about to see a fastball.

He was right.

Kowis belted a homer over the wall in left-center to help lift the Eagles to a 6-3 victory over Virginia City in the first round of the Class 1A state tournament at Arbor View.

With the win, Lake Mead (20-8) advanced to play Indian Springs (19-6) in today’s 1 p.m. winners’ bracket game.

“It was just a fastball right down the middle,” said Kowis, whose only other home run this season was an inside-the-park shot. “I knew I had to do it for the team.”

Indeed, the blast helped squelch a rally by the Muckers, who scored two runs in the top of the inning to tie the score at 3.

“It definitely gave us a lot of momentum,” Eagles coach Doug Johnson said.

Lake Mead was first to seize momentum, as back-to-back triples by Josh Bratton and D.J. Johnson helped give the Eagles a 3-0 first-inning lead.

But the Muckers took advantage of several Lake Mead miscues to get back in the game with a run in the second and two more in the third.

Bratton came around to score the go-ahead run for the Eagles in the bottom of the inning after a leadoff triple, and Drew Erickson followed by drawing a walk.

That set up Kowis’ big hit, which made it 6-3.

Both pitchers settled down to go the distance, with most of Virginia City’s remaining threats coming as the result of Eagles errors.

“I didn’t think our intensity was where it needed to be,” said Doug Johnson, whose squad committed six errors. “But if you’re going to (earn a championship), you’ve got to win the close ones.”

Bratton and Kowis each went 2-for-3 to lead Lake Mead.

 

Indian Springs 5, Carlin 0 — Nick Vandever tossed a three-hitter, striking out 12, to lead the Thunderbirds past the Railroaders (21-8).

Derek Oliver’s two-run triple in the top of the second gave Indian Springs a 4-0 lead, and Vandever got out of a jam in the bottom of the inning to keep his team out front.

The Railroaders, who never threatened after the second, will face Virginia City in a 10 a.m. elimination game today.