The Baker/Powder Valley baseball team won one of four games during its annual spring break trip to Phoenix, Arizona, while dealing with a teamwide illness, 100-degree weather and an injury to a key player.

After losses to Idaho Falls, Idaho, on March 24, and to Colorado Academy and Denver Christian on March 25, the Bulldogs routed the Dawson School, of Lafayette, Colorado, 11-1 on March 27.

Baker is 2-3 on the season.

“I thought the kids battled hard all week,” Baker coach Tim Smith said.

The combination of sickness and scorching temperatures, along with playing their first three games in a 22-hour period, was challenging, Smith said.

“It was really hard on them physically, and that affected them a little mentally,” he said.

The Bulldogs also had to deal with an injury to junior Will O’Connell, who pitches and plays first base.

McDonnell was hit by a ball while sliding into home plate during the game against Colorado Academy on March 25. Smith said McConnell was taken to a hospital to have a wound to his cheek, just below his eye, treated.

“That kind of took the wind out of us,” Smith said.

O’Connell was slated to be the starting pitcher in the third game.

Overall, Smith said Baker gave up too many walks and committed too many errors.

At the plate, he said the Bulldogs were “a little stagnant” in the first three games.

“We didn’t hit the ball really well until the last game,” he said.

Baker 11, Dawson 11

Dawson led 1-0 after the first inning, but the Bulldogs dominated from there.

Baker scored eight runs in the bottom of the second.

Clay Stevens and Talon Gyllenberg drew walks to open the inning, and both advanced on a wild pitch. Stevens then tied the score by scoring on another wild pitch.

After John Garcia and Andy Richards walked, Jaxon Logsdon drew a bases loaded walk to score Gyllenberg.

Aldo Duran, who was running for Garcia, scored when Zane Morgan was hit by a pitch.

Jake McClaughry then singled — Baker’s first hit in the inning — to score Logsdon and Richards.

Morgan scored on a balk, and Ethan Fletcher followed with a double to left filed to score McClaughry and boost Baker’s lead to 7-1. Fletcher later scored on a passed ball.

Baker added two more runs in the third when Sage Joseph walked and later scored on a wild pitch and Morgan singled to score Logsdon, who had also singled.

The Bulldogs added another run in the fourth when Logan Crawford, who opened the inning with a walk, scored on Joseph’s bases loaded walk.

The game ended in the fifth inning when McClaughry, pitching in relief, struck out the side.

Stevens started on the mound and went two innings, allowing only one hit and striking out two. Crawford pitched the third and fourth innings, giving up two hits and no runs, and recording two strikeouts.

Denver Christian 11, Baker/Powder Valley 1

Logsdon went 2 for 3, and McClaughry drove in the Bulldogs’ only run in the five-inning loss.

Denver Christian pitcher Mason Reilly struck out eight and allowed five hits.

Colorado Academy 6, Baker/Powder Valley 4

Baker led 4-3 after five innings, but Colorado Academy rallied with three runs in the sixth, and the Bulldogs couldn’t answer in the bottom of the sixth. The game ended after six innings.

O’Connell, Gyllenberg and Logsdon all had RBIs, but the Bulldogs had just four hits, none for extra bases.

Logsdon started on the mound and struck out 12 batters in five innings.

Idaho Falls 13, Baker/Powder Valley 0

Three Idaho Falls pitchers scattered four hits, two by Richards and one each from Logsdon and McClaughry.

Up next

Baker returns to the field Tuesday, April 1, at John Day with a 4 p.m. game against Grant Union.

Baker is slated to make its home debut on Thursday, April 3, at 4 p.m. against Vale at the Baker Sports Complex, followed by a home game Friday, April 4, at 2 p.m. against Melba, Idaho.

The Greater Oregon League schedule starts April 8 with a doubleheader at La Grande starting at 2 p.m.

Smith said he’s glad the Bulldogs have three single games before starting league play. Single games put less pressure on pitchers than doubleheaders.

He expects O’Connell to return within a few weeks, potentially before the second league doubleheader against Pendleton on April 18.