Observer staff

UNION — The Union/Cove softball team opened its season with an 11-1 victory over Echo/Stanfield Friday.

The Lady Cats jumped on the Cougars with two runs in the first inning before adding another in the second.

But Union/Cove really blew the game open with a four-run third inning that made it a 7-0 lead.

“It was a good game for us,” Union/Cove head coach Paul Phillips said.

Observer staff 

ECHO — The Enterprise and Wallowa golf teams competed at the Echo Invitational Friday to kick off the 2013 season. Both the Enterprise and Wallowa boys golf teams finished with teams scores of 404, while the Enterprise girls shot a 420.

Pierce Millar had the low score of any local competitor, carding an 86 for the Wallowa boys team. Alex Coutant shot a 97, followed by Karl Wellens with a 105, and Christopher Warnock with a 116. 

For Enterprise, Cody Hopkins shot a team-best 90, while teammate Jerrod Snook carded a 93. Dakota Jenkins came in with a 108, while Cody Irish shot a 113. Christian Ruckdashel shot a 123. For the Lady Outlaws, Stephanie George had a team-best 103, followed by Carsen Sajonia with a 104 and Jill Morton with a 105. Hayley Riggs carded a 108 and McKenna Miller shot a 109.

THE DALLES — The La Grande boys golf team opened the season with a sixth-place finish in The Dalles Friday. The Tigers finished with a team score of 396.

Daniel Seymour was La Grande's lowest scorer, shooting a 90. Jake Girard carded a 97, while Andrew Branen finished with a 104. James Laurence shot a 105 and Josh Jenkins finished with a 111.

"We have never played very well down there," LHS head coach Ron Evans said about The Dalles. "The greens are fast and big, and they are just hard to get used to."

The Tigers will be back in action on Thursday when they compete in Hermiston. 

 by Brad Mosher/The Observer

The La Grande pack of Lady Tigers handed Ontario’s Tigers a 4-1 loss Friday at the Eastern Oregon University tennis courts.

Kata Sebastian-Azola rallied to win the first singles match in three sets over Ontario’s Megan Sokulik. The La Grande senior lost the first set, 7-6, then came back with 6-4 and 6-0 wins.

Ashley Orton grabbed a two-set (6-3, 6-4) win over Ontario’s Kaite Phelps in second singles, while La Grande’s Katie Aldrich needed three sets to give the local Tigers a 3-0 sweep of singles Friday. 

After dropping the first set (3-6), she rebounded with 6-4 and 6-2 wins.

La Grande beats visiting Weiser, 11-1

 by Casey Kellas/The Observer

The La Grande baseball team kicked off the 2013 campaign with an 11-1 victory over visiting Weiser Friday at Optimist Field.

The Tigers rode a strong performance by starting pitcher Kaleb White, who pitched five innings, while striking out seven and allowing just four hits.

“That was a real good opener,” LHS head coach Mark Lanman said. 

“Kids hit the ball well. We did a good job of getting hits with runners in scoring position. And Kaleb pitched real well. I’m real happy.” 

Observer staff

PENDLETON — The La Grande softball team opened the season against the Pendleton Bucks on Thursday, but the Lady Tigers came out on the wrong end of a 9-2 decision.

LHS took an early lead with a run in the top of the first, but things came undone for the Lady Tigers in the second inning, when the Bucks went off and scored seven runs.

Pendleton added another run in the fifth inning, before La Grande crossed home plate for the second time in the top of the seventh.

BAKER CITY — When the coaches from Joseph, Cove, Pine Eagle, Wallowa, Imbler and Powder Valley got together recently, they decided on the all-league team.

They had a question to answer.

Who would be the player of the year for a 1A league that seems to perpetually put teams in the state tournament?

Ali Abrego was the choice this year.