Baker softball wins a pair

Shepherd’s hit gave Baker a 5-4 win in Game 2 of the twinbill at the Baker Sports Complex. Baker hammered 20 hits in Game 1 to win 18-8.

The sweep moves Baker ahead of Mac-Hi into second place in the GOL with a 4-4 record. Mac-Hi dropped to 3-5.

“These were two big wins for us; two big games,” said Baker coach Al McCauley. “If we end up tied with Mac-Hi in the standings we now have the tie-breaker with them.”

With Game 2 tied at 4-4, Mac-Hi intentionally walked Brown to lead off the bottom of the seventh. (Brown was 4-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs in the first game. She was intentionally walked four times in the nightcap.)

McCauley opted to have Jessi Stephens swing away rather than sacrifice Brown to second.

“I didn’t want to take the bat out of Jessi’s hands,” McCauley said. “I was hoping we’d get to a situational count, and we did.”

Stephens singled to move Brown to second. Mackenzie Srack then sacrificed both runners up a base with a bunt to third base. Then, after Morgan Johnson flew out, Becca Joseph walked to load the bases with two outs.

Shepherd then worked the count full before fouling off the first 3-2 pitch. She then slapped a liner to the outfield as Brown crossed the plate.

Shepherd kept running and then stopped at second base. After a quick leap in the air she sprinted toward the Baker dugout where she was mobbed by her teammates.

“Aubree stepped in and got the job done,” McCauley said. “I’m really proud of her.”

Baker had built a 4-0 lead after five innings. Run-scoring hits by Shepherd and Sierra Howerton in the second, and Johnson and Joseph in the third gave the Bulldogs their lead.

Mac-Hi tied the game on a sacrifice fly and Stephanie Baker’s three-run homer in the sixth off Baker starter DJ McCauley.

“DJ was cruising along with a one-hitter going into the sixth,” Coach McCauley said.

“Both DJ and Becca said the home run pitch was up and out. I’d like to ask the batter,” the Baker coach said, smiling.

In Game 1, Baker banged out 20 hits, 10 for extra bases.

Brown led the way with two doubles, two homers and six RBIs. Laura Wilson was 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, Stephens had three hits including a solo homer and three RBIs, McCauley had three hits, including two doubles and four RBIs, and Howerton had two hits and two RBIs.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the first, Stephens evened the score with a two-run single.

Brown’s two-run double and RBI singles by Wilson and McCauley gave Baker a 6-2 edge in the second.

Then, leading 6-4 in the fourth, Brown added a two-run homer, Wilson a two-run double and McCauley an RBI double to build Baker’s advantage to 11-4.

Mac-Hi cut the deficit to 11-7 in the top of the fifth before Baker again answered. McCauley started things with another RBI double. Brown then added her second two-run homer. Stephens followed with her solo shot.

Howerton’s two-run single started the Baker sixth. McCauley’s RBI groundout ended the game by 10-run rule with one out in the inning.

“The girls hit the ball well in the first game, and gave Tori a lot of run support,” Coach McCauley said.

Brown picked up the win in the circle.

Baker travels to Fruitland, Idaho, for a non-league doubleheader Thursday. The Bulldogs then travel to La Grande for a GOL twinbill Saturday.

First game

Mac-Hi    2    0    0    2    3    1    —    8

Baker    2    4    0    5    4    3    —    18

Garcia, Baker (6) and Sams. Brown, McCauley (6) and Joseph. WP – Brown. LP – Garcia.

Mac-Hi hits – Cortez, Baker 2, Hall, Garcia 2, Harrington. Baker hits – Wilson 4, Brown 4, Stephens 3, Freese 2, McCauley 3, Srack, Howerton 2, Joseph.

Mac-Hi RBI – Baker, Garcia, Harrington. Baker RBI – Wilson 3, Brown 6, Stephens 3, McCauley 4, Howerton 2.

2B – Cortez, Baker 2, Garcia, Harrington, Wilson, Brown 2, McCauley 2, Joseph. HR – Brown 2, Stephens.

Second game

Mac-Hi    0    0    0    0    0    4    0    —    4

Baker     0    2    2    0    0    0    1    —    5

Erm and Sams. McCauley and Joseph. WP – McCauley. LP – Erm.

Mac-Hi hits – Roeder 2, Odman, Baker, Garcia, Hall. Baker hits – McCauley 2, Joseph 2, Shepherd 2, Howerton, Johnson, Wilson 2, Stephens.

Mac-Hi RBI – Cortez, Baker 3. Baker RBI – Joseph, Shepherd 2, Howerton, Johnson.

2B – McCauley 2, Joseph, Howerton. HR – Baker.