Baker needed an extra inning, but the Bulldogs salvaged a split in a league-opening doubleheader against La Grande, winning the second game 11-10 on John Garcia’s two-out walkoff RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday, April 2 at the Baker Sports Complex.

The win ended a five-game losing streak and avoided an 0-2 start in the Greater Oregon League schedule.

Baker had to rally from a 10-6 deficit prior to Garcia’s game-winner.

La Grande scored five runs in the top of the sixth to turn a 6-5 Baker lead into a 10-6 Tiger advantage.

In the bottom of the sixth, Aldo Duran doubled to score Cole Richards and Talon Gyllenberg, who both walked. Jaxon Logsdon was hit by a pitch, and Zane Morgan and Ethan Fletcher each followed with an RBI single, and Baker tied the score at 10.

Neither team scored in the seventh inning.

After La Grande went scoreless in the top of the eighth, after an out to start the bottom of the inning, Duran singled to right field. He advanced to second when Logsdon was hit by another pitch, and to third on a passed ball. After a second out, Garcia hit a ground ball to left field to bring home Duran with the winning run.

Logan Crawford, who relieved starter Will O’Connell on the mound, had three strikeouts in 3.2 innings and earned the win.

“I thought we got good pitching in the second game from Will O’Connell, but the key was the relief pitching by Logan Crawford,” Baker coach Tim Smith said. “Really came in and held them at bay, we gave up some runs but kept it within reach and our bats just didn’t quit.

“The last half of the second game we showed a determination to win, and did what it took to get it,” he said. “I thought in the first game it was a scenario where pitchers pitched well enough but defense didn’t make it work.”

Baker led 1-0 after two innings. La Grande took a 3-1 lead in the top of the fourth, but the Bulldogs answered with five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Morgan and Duran each had a double. Morgan, Fletcher, John Garcia, Gyllenberg and O’Connell all scored in the inning.

First game: La Grande 8, Baker 6

Baker led 4-2 after three innings, but the Tigers rallied with four runs in the fifth to take the lead for good.

Baker rallied with a pair of runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 7-6, but La Grande added an insurance run in the seventh.

Smith said La Grande might have pulled away earlier in the game but for a play in the fourth inning when the Tigers had the bases loaded with one out. Pitcher Jake McClaughry fielded a ball, threw to Logsdon at home, who stepped on the plate for the first out and then threw to first for the double play.

“Big play,” Smith said.

“I thought that overall that La Grande swung the bat really well, as did Ethan Fletcher, and Cole Richards had several hits as well,” Smith said. “Those guys swung well for us, got those key hits, and the bottom of our batting order did a great job in both games. They gave us a boost, got us on base a few times, and our leadoff guys stepped in and did a good job.”

Baker’s home doubleheader against Parma, Idaho, scheduled for Friday, April 5 was postponed due to inclement weather. The Bulldogs are scheduled to play host to Nyssa/Adrian Tuesday, April 9 for a single game starting at 5 p.m.