The Baker/Powder Valley softball team had a tough start to the Greater Oregon League season as the unbeaten La Grande Tigers traveled to the Baker Sports Complex for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 2.

La Grande won the first game, 16-1, and shut out the Bulldogs 15-0 in the second.

“La Grande is a very good team,” Baker coach Sonny Gulick said. “They are efficient and consistent in the circle and at the plate.”

Despite the losses, Gulick said there were positives.

“We did make some steps in the right direction, both games were closer than the final score indicates,” he said. “In game one the error bug cost us a couple of times. We had our chances to get out of the innings with one run or less, in the fifth we had to get out of trouble to continue the game but just couldn’t execute.”

At the plate, Colbi Bachman doubled down the left field line in the first inning, but she was stranded.

Baker threatened again in the fourth, loading the bases, but Kellee Dixon’s RBI single to score Lily Wilson accounted for Baker’s only run on a warm, sunny afternoon.

“In game two we just couldn’t get anything started against Tiger pitcher Carlee Strand, she has good velocity and we struggled to adjust,” Gulick said.

Unlike in game one, when Baker committed six errors, the Bulldogs played stellar defense behind Reagan Ritter in the second game, and the Bulldogs trailed just 1-0 starting the fourth inning.

“Reagan Ritter pitched very well and did a great job keeping their batters off balance at the plate,” Gulick said. “In the fourth La Grande made some adjustments and the ball found some holes in our defense. They didn’t hit the ball very hard but just managed to get the ball to go where we weren’t.”

Baker had only one error in the second game.

Raegan Gulick had five strikeouts in 4.1 innings in the first game.

Bachman relieved Gulick in the first game and Ritter in the second.

Baker/Powder Valley dropped to 3-7 overall, 0-2 in league play. La Grande is 7-0, 2-0.

The Bulldogs will continue their schedule with a nonleague game against Nyssa on Tuesday, April 9 at 5 p.m., and then travel to Pendleton on Friday, April 12, to play a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.