Less than a week after Reed stormed back to come from behind against McQueen, the Lancers returned the favor in the teams' High Desert League baseball opener Thursday.

The Raiders led 9-7 heading into the final inning, but with the heart of McQueen's lineup coming up, the lead was far from safe.

The Lancers loaded the bases thanks to a hit batsman, a Nate Platt bloop single to shallow right field and an Anthony Stolo walk.

Taylor Valentine was brought on in relief to close the door, but he needed to get past Phil Sacks, who had homered twice in the game already. Valentine stayed away from Sacks, and walked in a run, making it 9-8 with one out.

Ethan Wilson made Valentine pay, going opposite field and barely clearing the short porch in right field for a grand slam.

Chris Stocker followed and dropped a bomb to right-center field for a solo homer and a 13-9 McQueen lead.

"We're proud of our guys. We actually battled today. We didn't give up," Reed coach Nick Royle said. "When they scored, we answered back except for one inning. Like we told them, it's a learning process. That's the unfortunate thing, it may take a couple weeks. For us, things are changing."

The Raiders were able to battle back earlier in the game.

After the Lancers claimed a 5-3 edge with a 3-run fifth inning, Reed rallied for six runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Chris Hawthorne got things going in a fifth inning that saw the Blue and Gold bat through the order and then some.

Hawthorne struck out, but was able to get to first on a dropped third strike. Hawthorne then got picked off at first, but the throw got away at first base and he was able to advance into scoring position to set up Ryan Butler's RBI single.

After a strikeout, two straight walks loaded the bases for Sam Petrie, who roped an RBI single to left field, tying the game at 5-5.

Roberto Velazquez's double to the gap in left field, plated two runs, but Petrie was thrown out at the plate. However, the throw from catcher to third to nab Velazquez went into the outfield, allowing him to score.

Three batters later, Hawthorne capped the rally with an RBI double to right field, but that was the last time Reed would cross home safely.

In the sixth, Sacks cut the deficit in half with a 2-run towering home run, making the scoreboard read 9-7.

Sean Atkins took the win for his relief work in the sixth and seventh innings.

Reed will try to rebound in a twin bill at the northwest Reno school Saturday. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m.

"Saturday we've got to get one. If we get two, that would be great, but we definitely need to one to stay in the hunt," Royle said. "To go 0-3 in the first series, that's going to be pretty tough."

•At Reno, Spanish Springs and Reno traded 3-run homers, but it was the Cougars' lone error that cost them a chance to knock off last year's Sierra League champs.

With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth frame, Griffin Kirsch led off the inning with a double. On his steal attempt of third base, an errant throw from catcher allowed him to score what proved to be the game-winning run.

Tyler Eaton took the hard-luck loss, allowing all four runs in six innings of work.

Zach Sanford's 2 1-3 innings of scoreless relief was good enough to earn him the victory on the mound for the Huskies.

The Cougars got on the board first thanks to a Brandon Mathis 3-run shot in the top of the second inning, but Reno answered back in the bottom half of the third, tying it on Shawn Walters' own 3-run blast with two outs.

Spanish Springs hosts the league doubleheader Saturday.