Revenge is sweet. The McQueen Lancers found that out the hard way Thursday. A year ago, McQueen took two of three games from Spanish Springs to win the final High Desert League series of the spring season. That bounced Spanish Springs out of the HDL’s No. 2 playoff seed and left the Cougars traveling in the first round of the postseason where they lost.

McQueen came into this week’s final conference series against Spanish Springs once again looking to knock the Cougars out of the second slot. The MHS squad needed a series sweep to accomplish that and after it came from behind Wednesday, to pick up a 16-14 win, thanks to a walk-off grand slam, it looked like the northwest Reno school might be on its way to doing just that.

However, Spanish Springs made sure that was not meant to be. The Cougars scored in every inning Thursday and rolled to a 12-2, five-inning home win over the Lancers to clinch the title of HDL runner-up and a home playoff game Tuesday in the first round of the Northern 4A regional playoffs.

“I think we have developed a friendly rivalry with Spanish Springs,” McQueen coach Brian Nelson said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach (Mike) Bosco and Coach (Ben) Hofmann and our kids seem to like their kids a little better than others. But we knew when the season started that if we wanted to do something special, we had to go through Reno and Spanish Springs.”

McQueen got a run in the top of the first after Will Frazier doubled and scored, but it could not build any momentum. The Lancers’ defense never really gave it a chance. McQueen, which committed six errors, allowed Spanish Springs to score a trio of unearned runs in the bottom of the first. The hosts never relinquished the lead.

Jake Bray singled to open the Spanish Springs first and he went to second after an errant throw to first sailed up the right-field line. McQueen retired the next two Cougars, but SSHS cleanup hitter Humberto Espinoza reached on a second Lancers error that saw Bray score to knot the game at 1-1.

Espinoza stole second and Davis Murphy walked. Brandon Mathis singled to right field to score Espinoza and Taylor Freshman hit a groundball to third base that went for another error, which plated Murphy and capped the scoring on the first frame.

Spanish Springs upped its edge to 4-1 in the second when Anthony Vierra reached on yet another McQueen error. He raced home when Bray bashed a double off the fence.

“When we got here today, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Bosco said. “I really thought it was big for us to score like that early. We scored in every inning. There’s kind of a sigh of relief to get this win and know we’ve got a home playoff game. It’s something we’ve wanted for a long time.”

The Lancers tried to hang around. With one out, Chris Stocker drilled a 1-1 pitch out of the yard to right-center field for a solo homer. Unfortunately for McQueen fans, the 4-2 margin was as close as the contest would get.

Spanish Springs starting pitcher Alex Vetter shut down the guests from there and the Cougars scored eight unanswered runs over the next three innings en route to posting the 10-run mercy-rule triumph.

Vetter, who has now won five straight starts, was much sharper Thursday than in his outing five days earlier — a win over Reed. Last Saturday, he struck out 10 Reed hitters, but also walked four and hit four. Thursday against McQueen he racked up just three strikeouts, but he did not issue a walk or hit a Lancer.

“I had much better control and I let them put it in play so my defense could do its job. I didn’t need 10 strikeouts,” Vetter said. “It feels great. Coming into the year I wanted to be a first-team all-league pitcher. Of course I’ll think of that, but we’re going to the playoffs and that’s our main goal and focus right now.”

Leading 4-2, Spanish Springs blew the game open with four runs in the bottom of inning three. Oates and Espinoza singled ahead of a McQueen error that allowed Murphy to reach safely. The miscue saw Oates cross the plate. Mathis followed and was hit by a pitch in the face, forcing him to leave the game, but loading the bases. Freshman walked to force in Espinoza. Vierra lined a deep fly ball that went for a sacrifice fly and Tim Epker, who came in for Mathis, scored on a passed ball.

In the fourth, Justin Agliolo singled and Oates crushed a shot over the right-field wall for a two-run dinger. Springs Springs tacked on an unearned run in the fifth, pushing the gap to double digits and ending the conference clash.

“Yesterday was a tough loss,” Oates said. “Obviously, that’s a bad way to lose. Even on the bus ride back it stung. But we know what kind of a team we are. We were very confident we could come back today and get this game.”

Oates, Bray and Espinoza all had two hits to pace the Cougars’ 11-hit attack.

Spanish Springs (24-5, 13-4) and McQueen (17-11, 11-6) wrap up their three-game series and the regular season with a tilt today at Aces Ballpark in Reno. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.