Baker, La Grande divide GOL twinbill

Baker and La Grande battled to a split in a Greater Oregon League softball doubleheader Friday afternoon at the Baker Sports Complex.

But the twinbill proved to be more costly to the Bulldogs than a single game.

Coach Al McCauley was ejected from Game 1 with two outs in the top of the seventh inning.

Baker won that game 7-3, but lost McCauley for the second game, and for the first game of Friday’s twinbill at Ontario.

“The way the rule reads I’ll have to sit out the first game at Ontario,” McCauley said Sunday. “The way the rule says there is the ejection day and a suspension day. And, I have to take a sportsmanship class in the next seven days.”

McCauley was tossed after disputing a call at second base. On the play a La Grande base runner went into the bag standing up, preventing Baker from completing an attempt at a double play.

The umpire then questioned McCauley about whether he was questioning a judgment call. The ump then restricted McCauley to the dugout (a common practice in high school baseball and softball in similar situations). On his way to the dugout McCauley made a comment about the decision — again no voices were raised — and he was ejected.

“That was the first time I’ve been ejected in almost 20 years of coaching,” McCauley said.

“It is what it is, and we’ll move on.”

The incident also caused Baker to have to shuffle coaches for Game 2. Volunteer assistant coach Dan Srack had been helping McCauley while Jim Howerton coached the JV games. Following the ejection, Srack took over on the JV field and Howerton moved to the varsity dugout.

Baker couldn’t seem to find its rhythm in that game, losing 5-2.

“From where I was outside the park, we just didn’t get some breaks,” McCauley said. “We hit the ball, but right at some people.”

In the opener, Baker took a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning on Tori Brown’s three-run home run to left.

The Bulldogs added three more runs in the second, thanks, in part, to RBI singles by D.J. McCauley and Jessi Stephens.

Stephens added another RBI hit in the fourth.

Brown pitched the complete-game win, striking out nine and walking three.

In Game 2, Baker managed just three hits. Mackenzie Srack took the loss in the circle.

Baker (2-2 in the GOL) travels to Ontario Friday.

First game

La Grande    0    0    1    1    0    1          0 — 3

Baker    3    3    0    1    0    0          x — 7

Walker and Tracy. T. Brown and Joseph. WP – T. Brown. LP – Walker.

La Grande hits – Tracy 2, Aldred, B. Elliott, Hasse, Brown, Walker. Baker hits – Howerton, T. Brown 3, Johnson, Wilson, McCauley, Stephens, Joseph.

La Grande RBI – Tracy, Bell. Baker RBI – T. Brown 3, McCauley, Stephens 2.

2B – Aldred, T. Brown, Wilson. HR – T. Brown.

Second game

La Grande    0    0    3    0    1    0          1 — 5

Baker    0    0    1    1    0    0          0 — 2

Walker and Tracy. Srack, Brown (7) and Joseph. WP – Walker. LP – Srack.

La Grande hits – Hasse 3, B. Elliott 2, Brown, Aldred, Walker, Tracy. Baker hits – Wilson, T. Brown, Joseph.

La Grande RBI – B. Elliott, Brown, Aldred 2, Tracy. Baker RBI – none.

2B – Hasse, B. Elliott, Tracy, T. Brown.