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.

THE DALLES — The La Grande girls golf team hit the links for the first time in 2013 at The Dalles Invitational Tuesday.

Despite windy conditions throughout the day, the Lady Tigers managed a second-place finish among the 10-school, seven-team tournament.

LHS finished with a team score of 482, while Pendleton won with a 410.

La Grande’s Breanna Partney scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds in the Lady Tigers’ 53-43 loss to Mazama in the 4A title game Friday in Corvallis. CASEY KELLAS/The Observer

Mazama closes game on 14-4 run as La Grande comes up short of championship

by CASEY KELLAS / The Observer 

CORVALLIS — The Lady Tigers came up just short of bringing home La Grande’s first girls team title, falling to Mazama 53-43 Friday night in the 4A state championship game at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis.

The game was tied at 39-all with five minutes left, but after La Grande’s Breanna Partney fouled out, the Vikings went on a 14-4 run to close the game and win the championship.

“We played a good ballgame, put ourselves in a position to win it, things just didn’t go our way down the stretch,” LHS head coach Doug Girdner said. 

Eastern Oregon pitcher Lily Smith winds up for a pitch during the second game of Friday’s doubleheader with Southern Oregon University at Peggy Anderson Field. The visiting Raiders swept the Mountaineers in EOU’s home opener with 8-0 and 5-3 wins. BRAD MOSHER/The Observer

by BRAD MOSHER / The Observer

The Eastern Oregon University softball team opened its home season Friday and Saturday with four losses, but that wasn’t what really concerned coach Aaron Jackson.

It was the team being able to take advantage of the opportunities it gets. That is what Jackson said he was looking for moments after watching his team drop a 13-1 decision in five innings to the Oregon Institute of Technology’s “Hustlin’ Owls” Saturday evening.