La Grande rallies past North Bend

Brad Horning called Tuesday's playoff game against La Grande the best high school game he's ever seen. Unfortunately for him and his North Bend team, it didn't end in victory.

“It was a state playoff game with a lot of emotion,” said Horning, whose Bulldogs fell 5-4 in the second round of the OSAA Class 4A baseball playoffs. “It was an amazing game. They just did a little more than we did.”

There were three ties and four lead changes by the end of the game. The sixth-ranked Tigers of the Greater Oregon League went into the bottom of the seventh trailing 4-3 and tied it with an RBI double by Richie Carmicheal off Bryce Weidman. La Grande then loaded the bases with one out and appeared on the way to the second round after a ground ball glanced off third baseman Andrew Slack. Shortstop Luke Clark saved the day for a moment, however, by digging out the loose ball and making a frantic throw home just in time to get the force out.

“It was something else,” Horning said of the play.

La Grande won the game on the next at-bat - a walk-off single to right by Jacob Johnson.

The Bulldogs, who took third in the Far West League, ended their season at 15-11.

North Bend tied the game at 1-1 in the third on Alex Clark's RBI double, then tied it again in the fifth with an RBI single by Slack, scoring Luke Clark. The Bulldogs went ahead 3-2 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly hit by Steve Walton, who brought home Thomas Patrick. La Grande tied it in the bottom half but gave up the lead in the seventh when Travis Hudson (1-0) walked in Walton with the bases loaded. Walton had two RBIs on the day.

Neal Vaught pitched three strong innings for North Bend but didn't factor in the decision. He was lifted for Weidman in the fourth.

The Bulldogs had a pair of bad breaks go against them, including a would-be RBI double by Vaught in the fourth. Vaught laced a line drive into the outfield that took an unlucky bounce over the fence for a ground-rule double. Patrick was running from first on the pitch but had to hold up at third. He was left stranded.

With two on in the next inning, North Bend catcher Ethan Ottemiller smashed a deep fly ball to left that Horning said would have probably been a home run anywhere else. The wind kept the ball in play, however, and the left fielder gloved it at the warning track.

“They had a lot of fight in them - there's still fight in them,” Horning said of his players. “We didn't make any mistakes, La Grande won it.”

The Bulldogs had six hits spread out against five Tigers pitchers. Vaught went 2-for-3 on the day, and Alex Clark 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Bruins win

Brookings-Harbor held off a Cottage Grove comeback to beat the Lions 7-6 in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs Tuesday.

The Bruins led 7-1 before Cottage Grove scored three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh.

Brookings-Harbor coach Pat Berkowitz pulled ace Tyler Parke, who allowed just one run in the first five innings, and put in Adam Ehlers in the sixth, but Ehlers struggled and Berkowitz put Parke back in to save the game. The junior induced a potential game-ending double play grounder that turned into just that when Cottage Grove's runner overslid second base, violating an Oregon prep rule and resulting in an automatic double play.

Chase Bansemer provided the big hits for the Bruins, who had just seven hits in the game.

The sophomore hit his first high school home run, a three-run blast, in the fourth inning and followed that with a two-run triple in the fifth.

“What a game for the young man,” Berkowitz said.

Parke, who improved to 16-0 on the season, also had two hits for the Bruins and Derek Nelson had a double.

Brookings-Harbor visits Henley in the third round Friday. The Hornets finished a perfect 15-0 in league play and are 25-2 for the season after beating Seaside 12-4 Tuesday.

“It's a daunting task,” said Berkowitz of facing the Hornets, who eliminated the Bruins in the second round last year.

Braves ousted

Reedsport scored two quick runs on Grant Union and then saw the Prospectors blow the game open Tuesday in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs.

Grant Union scored nine runs in the bottom of the first and kept Reedsport off the scoreboard the rest of the game on the way to an 18-2 victory.

Justin Fulps drove in both runs for the Braves with a first-inning single. Ryan Smith went 2-for-3 and scored one of Reedsport's runs and Jason Fishel also had two hits for the Braves.

Lancers lose

Astoria pitchers Matt Brause and Nick Bredleau combined on a no-hitter as the Fishermen eliminated South Umpqua 9-0.

The loss ended the distinguished coaching career of South Umpqua's John O'Malley.

Glide gets win

Travis Olson had two triples as Glide beat Creswell 9-1 to reach the quarterfinals and a Friday matchup with Valley Catholic.

SOFTBALL

Braves fall

Dayton pitcher Dani Putnam threw a no-hitter as the Pirates blanked visiting Reedsport 10-0 in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs Tuesday.

Dayton scored in five of the six innings, including three runs in the sixth to end the game early.

Breann Arguello was 4-for-4, with two doubles, three runs and two RBIs. Putnam struck out seven batters and walked one.

The Braves finished their season 13-13.

Lancers advance

South Umpqua got a three-hit shutout from Kaila Johnson and advanced to the Class 4A quarterfinals.

The Far West League champions meet Yamhill-Carlton on Friday.

Trojans eliminated

Douglas lost 4-3 to Central in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs. The Panthers won despite getting just five hits off Douglas ace Katy King.