>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

ADRIAN — Baseball is a game of inches, and Union missed a milestone by that same margin.

The Bobcats (13-3 overall) continued their hitting binge, pounding Adrian, 13-1 and 15-0 Tuesday.

However, it was pitching that made the difference.

One foot forward.

That’s taking a step in the right direction, and EOU track and field did just that Saturday as hosts of the Mountaineer Invitational.

Peter Fry and Kirk Miller performed “extremely well” in the triple jump, said EOU coach Ben Welch. Fry jumped 46-feet, 2.5 inches — a personal record good enough to meet the provisional mark for the NAIA national meet. Miller jumped 45 feet, 5.25 inches — not bad considering it was his fourth event of the day.

MICKEY D: Imbler sophomore Dalton McDaniel sets and heaves the javelin. - Observer photos/BRUCE MASON

Medals. Trophies. The Cove Comet kindly helping out all the way from Gresham. Just a good day on a warm day at Union High.

Good day? Great for Elgin.

Huskies coach Chad Peck & Co. walked away as the championship girls team (106.5 points), propelled by four first- place finishes from Jess McClune.

MASTERFUL MCCLUNE: Jess McClune won four events Friday at the Union Pepsi Invitational. - Observer file photo

Welcome to the world of Jess McClune.

Four events, four victories, lots of athletes left in her asphalt-running wake. And as a result, this Elgin senior left the Pepsi Invitational at Union High as Girls Top Athlete.

UNION — Union continued to surge like a giant wave Friday.

The Lady Cats cruised past Adrian 11-1 and 12-0.

“The girls are doing what needs to be done,” Union head coach Steve Robertson said. “We weren’t as patient at the plate today, but that’s going to happen sometimes when you’re trying to be aggressive.”

Another game, another home run for Travis Ludwig and G.D. Clark.

The Elgin bombers led  the  way in a doublheader sweep at Pine Eagle, 14-5, 14-1.

Clark blasted a two-run homer in the first, then followed with a grand slam in the third, finishing with 7 RBIs.

BROWN OUT: LHS third baseman Sidney Brown collects a single in Game 1 against Baker Friday. La Grande fell in both games to its Greater Oregon League rival. - The Observer/PAUL HARDER

That’s the question left to be pondered by the La Grande softball team after being swept by Baker Friday.

The Tigers, 1-7 overall, left 15 base runners stranded in scoring position between the two games.

Make no mistake, La Grande can hit the ball.

Sometimes life truly is a giant circle. Traipsing through a  William Diddle-designed golf course built in 1948, a 3-year-old Cody Goodan had no idea where his circle would begin or take him.

Goodan tagged along with his parents and grandparents along the nine-hole 3,273-yard terrain weekend after weekend.

“That’s just what the family did,” Goodan said. “We lived out at the golf course.”

PENDLETON — What if your job was on the line every day?

For members of the La Grande boys golf team that’s the realization.

The Tigers cruised down I-84 to Ontario and two members of the team made their first varsity start Wednesday — Jason Montgomery and Brad Garinger.

RUN-AWAY TUCK: La Grande wrestler John Tuck followed up his state championship with a world championship in Reno, Nev., Saturday. - Observer file photo

It’s a common phrase in the world of sports that most people try to leave out of the high school sports world.

But let’s run with it anyway.

After John Tuck delivered a championship performance at the Oregon High School State Wrestling tournament, the junior returned to Reno for an encore.