Zane Morgan was tired of waiting for the longest game of the season to end.

So he ended it.

On senior night at the Baker Sports Complex, Morgan, one of the Bulldogs playing their last home league game, hit a walkoff home run to left field in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Baker/Powder Valley baseball team a 15-14 win over La Grande in a marathon nightcap of a doubleheader on Friday, May 2, that ended around 11 p.m.

Morgan’s leadoff homer on a 3-1 pitch from La Grande’s Aaden Bonanno was a dramatic conclusion to a game that had major implications in the Greater Oregon League playoff race.

After winning the first game 6-4, La Grande was poised to take second place outright at 5-3, after the teams split their first league doubleheader in La Grande on April 9.

But Morgan’s heroics kept the teams tied at 4-4 in league play. Pendleton is first at 8-0, and Ontario fourth at 0-8.

Both La Grande and Baker have two remaining league doubleheaders against Pendleton and Ontario.

Morgan said he got the pitch he was looking for — a fastball in the middle of the plate.

He said he thought the ball might clear the fence because when he made contact he didn’t feel even the slightest tingle in his fingers, a sign that he struck the ball purely.

But he didn’t watch the ball’s trajectory as he ran toward first.

He knew the truth not from sight but from sound.

“When everybody started going crazy, that’s when I knew,” Morgan said. “It was an awesome feeling.”

Morgan said the come-from-behind win, after the disappointing loss in the first game, should pay dividends for the Bulldogs as they conclude the regular season and prepare for the playoffs.

“We definitely showed some grit and perseverance in that second game, and I think that will help us in later games,” he said.

Morgan’s coach, Tim Smith, agreed.

“We just kept answering the call,” he said. “I told the kids this was a time for them to celebrate not just a win but they way they responded mentally. That was a lot of pressure. That was a game that will come back to benefit us when the playoffs come around. I was proud of them. I thought they showed a lot of grit.”

Smith said he was happy that Morgan had the game-winning hit.

“Couldn’t happen to a better kid,” Smith said. “He works hard.”

Smith, who has coached the Bulldogs for 12 years, said Morgan’s walkoff home run was a unique culmination of a game in his coaching career.

The teams combined for 32 hits — 17 for La Grande, 15 for Baker — in Friday’s nightcap.

Baker scored in each of the first five innings and had leads of 11-7 and 12-9 before La Grande rallied with four runs in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of two passed balls, to take the lead at 13-12.

But Baker rallied in the bottom of the seventh thanks largely to Clay Stevens’ aggressive baserunning.

After leading off with a walk, Stevens advanced to second on a passed ball and then was sent to third when the umpire called a La Grande infielder for faking a tag at second.

Stevens scored the tying run by drawing a throw from the catcher and racing home.

La Grande regained the lead in the top of the eighth on Landon Hood’s RBI single.

But Baker, down to its last three outs, responded again.

Aldo Duran led off with a walk, and Jaxon Logsdon was hit by a pitch. Both advanced a base on a passed ball.

Ethan Fletcher drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in Duran for the tying run.

After a scoreless ninth inning, La Grande loaded the bases with one out. Andy Richards, Baker’s fourth pitcher, came in and got the final two outs to preserve the tie and set up Morgan’s walkoff blast.

Logsdon, Duran and Sage Joseph each had three hits for Baker. Stevens drove in three runs and Duran two.

First game

The Bulldogs’ last-inning rally fell just short against La Grande in the first game of the doubleheader.

Trailing 6-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, Baker put runners on first and second on Sage Joseph’s leadoff infield single and a La Grande error on John Garcia’s grounder.

That chased Tigers’ starting pitcher Bryce Pennington. He was relieved by Marshall Begin.

Logsdon greeted Begin by lacing a pitch to center field, scoring both runners after a passed ball advanced them to second and third.

Jake McClaughry hit a high fly to center, but with the wind blowing in the ball held up for the first out.

Begin then got the final two outs to clinch La Grande’s 6-4 win.

Baker had other scoring chances earlier but couldn’t convert, including loading the bases with no outs in the first.

After La Grande scored two runs in the second, both with two outs, Baker tied it with a pair of runs in the third, including Clay Stevens’ sacrifice fly.

Joseph, Logsdon, Jake McClaughry and John Garcia each had two hits for Baker.