Bulldogs lose twinbill at LG

By GERRY STEELE

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Baker suffered through Friday the 13th a week late Friday at La Grande.

The Bulldogs dropped a Greater Oregon League baseball doubleheader to the Tigers 4-3 and 9-1.

The sweep drops Baker’s GOL record to 2-4.

“It was one of those days that any time we hit the ball hard it was right at them,” said Baker coach Dan Blankenship.

“It was unfortunate, but sometimes that’s the way it works.”

Blankenship said the Bulldogs also didn’t get the benefit of some umpire’s calls.

“We had some very, very unfortunate calls go against us,” he said. “We had about three calls that killed us. Again, it was unfortunate, but it happened.”

The Baker coach said the Bulldogs also didn’t take advantage of situations when they could have changed the outcome.

“One inning we had the bases loaded and lined out. A couple of other innings we had guys on second or third and lined out. It was one of those days that we were so close. We just didn’t quite finish.”

In the first game, Baker took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

Mason Cline walked and advanced on a single by Sam Averett. Cline then scored on a groundout by Dillon Blankenship.

The Bulldogs maintained their lead until the fourth when La Grande tied the game. The Tigers then took a 2-1 lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth.

Baker answered with two runs in the sixth.

Colten Richards walked and scored on a double by Braden Phillips. Phillips later scored on a single by Kody Younger.

La Grande then score two runs in the bottom of the seventh to gain the win. The Tigers used a sacrifice fly and a two-out RBI single to score the runs.

Younger and Darren Dolby each had two hits for Baker.

Nate Baeth was the losing pitcher.

In Game 2, Baker scored its lone run in the first.

Blankenship doubled and stole third. He scored on a Richards RBI single.

Baker maanged just three hits in the game.

Younger was the losing pitcher.

“We’re on the verge of being a very good team,” Blankenship said. “We just have to keep working at it.”

Baker travels to Burns Tuesday for a single nonleague game. The Bulldogs then visit Ontario Saturday for another GOL doubleheader.

First game

Baker          1
   0
   0
   0   0
   2
   0 — 3

La Grande  0
   0
   0
   1   1
   0
   2 — 4

     Averett, Baeth (6) and Cline. LP —Baeth.

     Baker hits —Averett, Cline, Richards, Phillips, Younger 2, Dolby 2. Baker RBI —Phillips.

     2B —Phillips.

Second game

Baker          1
   0
   0
   0   0
   0
   0 — 1

La Grande  2
   0
   1
   3   0
   3
   x — 9

     Younger, Custer (3), Blankenship (6) and Cline. LP —Younger.

      Baker hits —Blankenship, Richards, Dolby. Baker RBI —Richards.

      2B —Blankenship.