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Bulldogs, La Grande split GOL doubleheader
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Baker drops second game, the 2nd-ranked Bulldogs’ first loss of the season Baker probably had its worst day of the season on the baseball diamond Friday. The Bulldogs didn’t look like the Class 4A second-ranked team at times while splitting a Greater Oregon League doubleheader with La Grande at the Baker Sports Complex. Baker rallied in Game 1 to earn a 5-4 decision. But the Bulldogs’ luck ran out in the second game, a 9-4 La Grande win. The loss was Baker’s first in a dozen games this season. “We just didn’t play Baker baseball, particularly in the second game,” Coach Dan Blankenship said. “It was a great team effort in the first game. Our pitchers threw pretty well and we hit the ball pretty well late, got some clutch hits. “Then in the second game, our pitchers didn’t pitch well, we didn’t hit the ball well. It wasn’t our day. “The bottom line is we did not deserve to win the second game the way we swung the bats,” Blankenship said. “We didn’t swing with confidence.” Baker had 16 fly ball outs in Game 2. And Bulldog hurlers issued eight walks.“Sixteen fly ball outs and eight walks. Makes me sick to my stomach,” Blankenship said. Despite the offensive and pitching problems, the Bulldogs only trailed 2-1 after three innings of Game 2. Matt Gorrell’s solo home run accounted for Baker’s run. Then La Grande scored seven runs in the fourth through sixth innings to put the game away. Gorrell finished the game with three hits and three RBIs. Coleman Lay was the losing pitcher. Game 1 wasn’t as close early as it might have been. Baker trailed 4-1 after four innings. The Bulldogs’ only hit during that stretch was Derek Blankenship’s RBI double in the first inning. Baker knotted the game at 4-4 in the fifth. With two outs, Stephen Talbot doubled to right. Talbot then scored when La Grande misplayed Blankenship’s grounder. Dekker Smith then tied the game with a long home run to right field. Baker scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth. Gorrell doubled and was run for by Jesse Brown. Lay then bunted the ball to third, and La Grande failed to make a play. One out later Justin Durflinger laid down a safety squeeze bunt that scored Brown with the winning run. Blankenship pitched a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two batters, for the save. Will Barr earned the win, coming on in relief of Ty Everson in the fourth inning. “Our pitchers threw pretty well getting us to Derek in seventh,” Coach Blankenship said. Baker (11-1 overall and 3-1 in the GOL) travels to Ontario Friday for another league twinbill.
La Grande 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 — 4 Baker 1 0 0 0 3 1 x — 5 Nice and Arnoldus. Everson, Barr (4), Blankenship (7) and Gorrell. WP – Barr. LP – Nice. S – Blankenship. La Grande hits – Miller 2, Lankford, Jacobs, Nice, Humphrey 2, Lanman, Arnoldus. Baker hits – Blankenship, Talbot, Smith, Gorrell, Lay. La Grande RBI – Miller, Nice, Humphrey. Baker RBI – Blankenship, Smith 2, Durflinger. 2B – Blankenship, Talbot, Gorrell. HR – Smith.
La Grande 1 0 1 2 3 2 0 — 9 Baker 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 — 4 Miller, Mattes (6) and Arnoldus. Lay, Durflinger (4), Gorrell (5) and Gorrell, Richards (5). WP – Miller. LP – Lay. La Grande hits – Jacobs, Nice 4, Mills, Humphrey, Arnoldus 2, Lankford 2, Miller 2, Lanman. Baker hits – Gorrell 3, Blankenship, Richards, Everson, Talbot. La Grande RBI – Nice, Mills 2, Lankford 3, Miller, Lanman. Baker RBI – Gorrell 3, Richards. 2B – Nice 2, Arnoldus 2, Miller, Gorrell, Blankenship, Richards, Talbot. HR – Lankford. |
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