SPORTS
A8 — THE OBSERVER
SOFTBALL
Continued from Page A7
coming from the two
seniors, who also combined
to drive in 87 runs.
Kinzy Bowen’s 12th was
a two-run shot in the third
inning on Tuesday, May 31,
that tied the Tigers’ semi-
fi nal showdown against
Cascade at 3-all. The Cou-
gars, though, scored two
runs late to earn a 5-3 win
and a matchup against
Marist in the Class 4A title
game June 4.
Led by the col-
lege-bound athletes, the
Tigers rebounded nicely
from a 1-4 start to reach the
state semifi nals. Three of
those losses were to Idaho
schools (including to the
5A state runner-up) and a
fourth was to Hermiston.
“The idea behind that,
going to Idaho, is to let
us know where we are at,
where we’re competing,”
Bowen said. “I don’t want
to go over there and play
less caliber (teams). I want
the best right off the bat. It
helps with the RPI and the
Colley (rankings). It makes
a big diff erence.”
Prior to the loss May
31, the only other setbacks
for La Grande, which con-
cluded with a record of
18-8, were two losses to
CARBAUGH
Continued from Page A7
students, staff and commu-
nity of support are always
there backing their teams.
One of my favorite things
to do is mingle between
the softball and baseball
fi elds when both teams are
playing and listen to the
chatter of fans and parents
packing Pioneer Park to
support their teams. There
truly is a special sports
environment in Union
County, one that I will not
soon forget.
This job, which was
my fi rst in the journalism
fi eld out of college, taught
me many valuable les-
“It was nice to have
a good season.”
— Cody Bowen,
LHS softball head coach
5A’s top seed Pendleton,
and to Ontario, which the
Tigers beat last week in the
4A quarterfi nals.
In classifi cation, La
Grande fi nished with a
record of 15-2, and out-
scored its 4A opposition by
a combined total of 194-34.
“They just started
working better together,
communicating and under-
standing the game as a team
instead of as an individual,”
coach Bowen said.
He said errors played
a part in the team not
making it to the champion-
ship game, adding that he
felt the team beat itself on
May 31.
“This game is 90%
mental, and if our heads
aren’t in the game, we’re
not going to win. It comes
down to whoever shows up.
We didn’t,” he said.
Even with the season
ending short, Bowen said
he was proud of the team’s
play all season, and he
was thrilled to have a reg-
ular season after two years
of play being impacted by
COVID-19.
“It was nice to have a
good season,” he said.
sons — working alongside
Dick Mason also helped
in that regard. More so, I
have grown as a person in
meeting new people every
day and pushing myself
outside of my comfort zone
to create the best possible
stories for this community’s
paper. I hope to have cov-
ered the local teams to the
best of my abilities within
the scope of time and
resources available to me.
As I transition into a dif-
ferent role within the sports
media fi eld, I know that this
little community in Eastern
Oregon will always have a
special place in my heart.
█
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022
BASEBALL
Continued from Page A7
Hidden Valley, meanwhile, enters
on a 13-game winning streak and, like
La Grande, has thrown shutouts in 15
contests.
“I feel like our team has really
come together, is playing well, and
I feel like we were a legitimate con-
tender to be in the fi nal game,”
McKinley said. “It’s not a huge sur-
prise to me that that’s the matchup on
Saturday (June 4).”
There are parallels between this
La Grande team and the team that
won a state title in 2017. Pitching was
the calling card of the last champion-
ship team, as the Tigers had the top
pitching staff in the state at the 4A
level. That team was powered by the
likes of GT Blackman, Brad Bell, Jon
Gonzalez and Zack Jacobs, to name
a few, and allowed just 70 runs — an
ERA of 1.54 — on the way to a 23-3
mark and the championship.
This team is led on the mound by
Devin Bell and a group who just a few
years ago were playing for a spot in
the Little League World Series — Sam
Isabella Crowley/The Observer
Pitcher Devin Bell and catcher Cole
Jorgensen speak to coach Parker McKinley
during La Grande’s 8-0 victory over
Philomath at Pioneer Park on Tuesday, May
31, 2022. The Tigers advanced to the OSAA
Class 4A fi nals where they will play Hidden
Valley at Volcanoes Stadium on June 4.
Tsiatsos, Jace Schow, Logan Williams
and Jarett Armstrong among them —
and has posted a team ERA of 0.87.
The June 4 championship matchup
will see La Grande aim for its third
championship on the diamond. LHS
won the crown in 2007 and 2017, and
was second in 2018 and 2021 (though
last year’s championship game was not
sanctioned by the OSAA due to the
pandemic).
The Tigers were also the No. 4 seed
when they won the 2017 champion-
ship, yet hosted the semifi nals due to
their opponent (Astoria in 2017, Phi-
lomath this spring) upsetting the top
seed in the quarterfi nals (Hidden
Valley and Banks, respectively).
Hidden Valley is playing in the
championship for the third time, and
aiming for its fi rst title in an OSAA
championship game. The team’s other
appearance was a loss in 2012 to
Ontario.
The Mustangs, the No. 2 seed,
enter with an off ensive and defen-
sive prowess similar to La Grande.
Through 29 games, Hidden Valley
has scored 312 runs and given up just
43. Hill, Nate Vidlak, Daniel Iwamizu
and Nolan Kennedy are among the
returning players for the Mustangs in
search of a repeat.
“Them with Vidlak and Hill on the
mound are as good as anybody at any
level,” McKinley said.
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Davis Carbaugh covered news and
sports for The Observer.
grh.org/careers
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