La Grande served notice Friday that, at least for now, it is the team to beat in the Greater Oregon League softball race

The Tigers rallied in each game against Baker to sweep the Bulldogs 3-2 and 8-4 at the Baker Sports Complex. The results left La Grande 4-0 in the GOL and 15-1 overall. Baker fell to 1-3 in the GOL and 4-9 overall.

In the opener, Baker forged a 1-0 lead in the first inning and made it stand up until the top of the sixth.

Baker scored its run when Andrea Wilson doubled and advanced to third and home on a pair of wild pitches.

La Grande tied the game in the sixth when Shelby Hasse singled and eventually scored on a ground out by Paige Aldred.

Baker regained a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on Wilson’s RBI single to center. Hasse, La Grande’s center fielder, made a diving attempt to catch the ball. When the ball rolled away counrtesy runner Aubree Shepherd scored the go-ahead run.

The Bulldogs attempted to add another run when Tara Talbott singled to right, but Jenny Denney gunned Wilson down at the plate to end the inning.

Singles by Rhandi Shaw and Denney, and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh. Winning pitcher Boo Christman then lined a two-run single to left for a 3-2 La Grande lead.

Christman set down the Bulldogs 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning. Christman allowed three hits, and struck out six.

Baker pitcher Mackenzie Srack scattered nine hits, throwing shutout ball through the first five innings.

Talbott was Baker’s offense in the second game. The senior slugged her fifth and sixth home runs of the season, and added a double and two RBIs.

Talbott’s homers gave Baker a 2-0 lead through five innings. Then the bottom dropped out on the Bulldogs in the sixth when La Grande scored seven runs.

Christman’s two-run double was the big blow.

Baker answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a two-run double by Tori Brown, but that was all the closer the Bulldogs would get.

Brown threw 5-plus innings, taking the loss. She allowed six hits, walked two and struck out four.

Christman threw a seven-hitter for La Grande. She walked two and struck out seven.

Baker travels to Ontario Friday.

First game

La Grande 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 – 3

Baker 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 – 2

Christman and Tracy. Srack and Joseph. WP andndash; Christman. LP andndash; Srack (1-4).

La Grande hits andndash; Tracy, Shaw 2, Denney 2, Christman 3, Hasse. Baker hits andndash; Wilson 2, Talbott.

La Grande RBI andndash; Christman 2, Aldred. Baker RBI andndash; Wilson.

2B andndash; Tracy, Wilson.

Second game

La Grande 0 0 0 0 0 7 1 – 8

Baker 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 – 4

Christman and Tracy. Brown, McCauley (6), Srack (7) and Joseph. WP andndash; Christman. LP andndash; Brown (2-2).

La Grande hits andndash; Hasse, C. Brown 2, Tracy 2, Christman 2, Aldred, S. Brown. Baker hits andndash; Talbott 3, T. Brown 2, Johnson, Vela.

L aGrande RBI andndash; Hasse, C. Brown, Tracy, Christman 2, Aldred, S. Brown. Baker RBI andndash; Talbott 2, T. Brown 2.

2B andndash; C. Brown, Christman, Talbott, T. Brown. HR andndash; Talbott 2 (6).