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Sports La Grande rolls over weekend competition
La Grande rolls over weekend competition
 SLIP N SLIDE: A Union County base runner slides under the Baker County tag during Union County’s 14-10 victory over Baker County Sunday in the District 3 Little League baseball tournament. Observer photo/BARRETT HENDERSON The only thing that came close to beating La Grande’s 9-10 year old all-stars Saturday and Sunday was the weather. Clear skies and warm temperatures were the perfect background for the opening days of pool play in the District 3 tournament, which will continue through Wednesday. La Grande has to be the favorite after outscoring its first two opponents, 47-1.“We’re just playing excellent baseball right now,” La Grande manager Kraig Jacobs said. “We’re hitting the ball. The pitchers are staying under control. Our guys are running really smart on the bases. “We have a really experienced team, especially the kids returning from the state team last year. Having that tournament knowledge is huge.” La Grande defeated Union County Saturday and followed with a 16-1 victory over Milton-Freewater Sunday. Strategic base running fueled Sunday’s easy victory. La Grande advanced around the bases with several big hits and some wild pitches. Wallowa Valley fell in its opening game Saturday to Pendleton, 13-3. But, Wallowa seemed to shake off its jitters and took an early 4-2 lead over Harney County Sunday. However, Harney County would rally, scoring three runs in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings. In the end Wallowa Valley would fall, 11-7. “Our kids fought hard today,” Wallowa Valley manager Greg Bales said. “Our nerves are getting the best of us out there. The Wallowa county boys are just a little nervous. “I’m proud of how we got started today. We just seem to make mistakes and at this level you make two or three and you’ll lose. Tomorrow we’ll bring all of our big pitchers out and go at Pilot Rock hard.” Union County bounced back after its opening loss to La Grande with a 14-10 win over Baker County. Union County held off Baker and seems poised to advance to the tournament semifinals as the Red Pool’s second-place team. Union County used a six-run third inning to jump out to an 8-5 lead after three innings. Union County will play Milton-Freewater today at 11:30 a.m. Wallowa Valley plays in today’s morning game at 9 against Pilot Rock. La Grande plays in the final game of pool play at 4:30 p.m. today against Baker County. “Of course you always love to look to the future,” Jacobs said. “But we’re going to play every game one game at a time. That’s what I stress to the kids. At this point we’re sitting in the driver’s seat. We just need to keep our heads screwed on straight. “Baker hits the ball well. We scouted them a little bit and they come out swinging pretty hard. So, I’m expecting a little more action in the field for us. I think that is great because our kids need to see some action to stay on their toes.”
La Grande 2 0 Union County 1 1 Baker County 1 1 Milton-Freewater 0 2
Blue Pool W L Pendleton 2 0 Pilot Rock 1 1 Harney County 1 1 Wallowa Valley 0 2
Pilot Rock def. Harney County, 12-10 Baker County def. Milton-Freewater, 14-4 Pendleton def. Wallowa Valley, 13-3 La Grande def. Union County Sunday’s games Union County def. Baker County, 14-10 Pendleton def. Pilot Rock, 12-2 Harney County def. Wallowa Valley, 11-7 La Grande def. Milton-Freewater, 16-1 Today’s games Wallowa Valley vs. Pilot Rock, 9 a.m. Milton-Freewater vs. Union County, 11:30 a.m. Pendleton vs. Harney County, 2 p.m. Baker County vs. La Grande, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday’s games Semifinals Red No. 1 vs. Blue No. 2, 11:30 a.m. Blue No. 1 vs. Red No. 2, 2 p.m.
Wednesday’s game Championship game, 2 p.m. |
