Albrecht sacrifices for Tiger victory

La Grande sends DeSales back to Washington with 3-2 loss after late rally

Hayden Albrecht came through again for the La Grande baseball team. 

With the Tigers tied 2-2 with visiting DeSales (Washington) Tuesday, Albrecht hit the game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning to score Erik Jacobs and lift LHS to the non-league victory, 3-2.

“After the Baker game, I’ve been in that situation now three times, it’s just cool nerves,” Albrecht said. 

“They were throwing a bunch of curve balls, and coach told me to wait for a strike.”

The first three innings of the game went scoreless before DeSales broke the game open in the fourth. 

The Irish took advantage of erratic pitching by starter Seth Madsen, who had worked out of a bases-loaded jam the inning before.

Logan Hoeft led the inning off with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Hoeft came in to score later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Adam Eskil. Then Cody Josifek came home to score on a passed ball to make it 2-0.

Tigers struggle early

The Tigers, meanwhile, struggled with leaving runners on base, stranding runners in four of the first five innings.

“We couldn’t’ buy a hit,” coach Mark Lanman said of his teams struggles over the first five innings. “They just didn’t have the mind set. We gotta improve the approach with runners on.”

The Tigers were finally able to break through in the sixth. Garett Avila drew a base on balls and eventually made his way to third on a ball in the dirt and a wild pitch.

A Brandon Hively RBI double got LHS on the board. Hively then tied the game when he scored on a wild pitch and the Tigers were right back in it.

Jacobs led the bottom of the seventh off with a walk and took second base on a wild pitch. 

A Logan Lankford bunt advanced Jacobs to third, setting up another situation for Albrecht to end things.

Albrecht failed to get a squeeze down during the at-bat before driving a 3-2 pitch to left-center field, bringing Jacobs in to score and win it for La Grande.

“I was excited. I wouldn’t say I was happy I didn’t get that squeeze down, but I’m glad I got to swing the bat again,” Albrecht said.

Four hurlers combine for win

Kaleb White was credited with the win after working a scoreless seventh. Madsen went four innings, struck out three and allowed two hits. Albrecht worked one inning, while Avila pitched the sixth and struck out three.

With the win La Grande improves to 13-8 overall with a week left in the regular season. 

The Tigers travel to play a doubleheader with Baker Friday before traveling to Washington to play DeSales again Tuesday. 

LHS is the No. 2-ranked 4A team in the latest OSAA rankings. 

Ontario is No. 1 and Scappoose is third, just a few points behind the Tigers. Sisters and South Umpqua round out the top five in the poll.