Offense carries La Grande into title tilt

PINT SIZED PUNISHING: La Grande’s Ryan Adams launches a pitch during a 9-10 year old All-Star game Tuesday. Observer photo/PAUL HARDER

The championship game duo has easily stood out from the eight-team tournament field.

La Grande has scored 81 runs and allowed five runs in its four tournament games. Pendleton tallied 80 runs and gave up 16  runs during the distric tournament.

“We just keep hitting the ball well,” La Grande manager Kraig Jacobs said. “We are doing that well consistently each game. We just keep swinging the bat and the balls are dropping.

“The kids are really doing their job out there. The thing is it’s not just one individual. Every kid goes out and plays baseball each day.”

Tuesday La Grande scored early and often against Pilot Rock, notching 10 runs in the opening inning. It’s hard to highlight one player in an inning that was filled with 10 runs on nine hits, but Zack Jacobs left a lasting memory with the predominately La Grande crowd.

With two runners on base, Jacobs struck a line drive to right field and the ball rolled all the way to the corner of the wall. Jacobs rounded every base en route to a three-run inside-the-park home run.

La Grande’s Jake Workinger followed up his solid day on the mound from Monday with a strong batting showcase Tuesday. He went 4 for 4 with three doubles.

Elias Siltanen started on the mound for La Grande and retired five of his six batters with four strikeouts.

Manager Kraig Jacobs elected to replace Siltanen with Trent Shafer after only one and two-thirds of an inning pitched so Siltanen could be used with Workinger in Wednesday’s final.

“It’s a coach’s dream to have those two guys available,” Kraig Jacobs said. “To have two kids that can come in and throw fastballs consistently and keep them in your rotation is good to know.

“We’ll have both of them available for tomorrow, and we’re pretty excited about that. Pendleton is traditionally a very strong team. They hit the ball well. They have kids that can take it deep. We’re going to just have to deepen up a bit and not let the balls get behind us.”

Pendleton cruised past Baker County in the second semifinal game. Pendleton jumped to an 8-3 lead after three innings and took a 10-run lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning.

But Baker County scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning, forcing another inning to be played.

Pendleton would score three runs to take an 11-run lead, but Baker again scored just enough to force another inning to be played.

That’s when things got out of hand in a hurry. Baker County lost control on the mound, behind the plate and in the field and surrendered 15 runs in the top of the sixth inning.

When the inning came to an end Pendleton had 31 runs in the game and had reached 80 runs in the tournament.

“It feels great to be in the championship game,” Pendleton Manager Jim Malcolm said. “Our kids have played hard, and they deserve to be there.

“La Grande is a tough team. We know they have eight returners from last year’s squad. Up and down their lineup their guys can hit the ball. We got to be ready to go.”

Pendleton has had home runs from Caden Smith in two games and Johnny Malcolm in the tournament. Pendleton has thrown five pitchers during their four games.

“It feels really good to be in the championships,”

La Grande’s Zack Jacobs said. “I thought I did pretty well at the plate today besides one time when I swung at a pitch that was over my eyes.

“We watched Pendleton play a few times. They have some good pitchers that played last year. All I can say really is … We’ll beat them.”

Red Pool     

            W        L

Pendleton                 3          0

Pilot Rock                2          1

Harney County         1          2

Wallowa Valley         0          3

Blue Pool   

             W        L

La Grande                3          0

Baker County           1          2

Milton-Freewater             1             2

Union County           1          2

Saturday’s games

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

Monday’s games

Pilot Rock def. Wallowa Valley, 12-11

Milton-Freewater def. Union County

Pendleton def. Harney County, 24-4

La Grande def. Baker County, 11-1

Tuesday’s games

Semifinals

La Grande def. Pilot Rock, 23-3

Pendleton def. Baker County, 31-7

Today’s game

Championship game

Pendleton (4-0) vs. La Grande (4-0), 2 p.m.