As good as La Grande's softball team was the last two seasons, the Tigers were overshadowed by their Greater Oregon League rival, Pendleton.
Of La Grande's nine losses in 2023 and 2024, seven came against the Buckaroos, including 14-0 and 13-6 losses in the 4A quarterfinals.
So even though the Tigers have been laying waste to their competition so far this season, outscoring foes 206-62 in a 17-0 start, they know their true measure will come against reigning state champion Pendleton (13-0).
The teams meet for the first time this season in a Friday doubleheader at Pendleton. The Buckaroos and Tigers – ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the OSAAtoday 4A coaches poll -- are tied for first place in the GOL at 4-0.
“Hopefully, we get past the mental part right now,” said Tigers coach Walt Anderson, whose team will play host to the Buckaroos in a doubleheader May 16. “Even if we split the series with them 2-2, that's still good for us. I never underestimate them.”
La Grande, which was undone by three errors in last year's playoff loss to Pendleton, knows it can't afford any big mistakes.
“They're kind of like us. They can hit the ball, we can hit the ball,” Anderson said. “It's going to come down to errors, the mental error.”
The Tigers returned all but two starters from a team that finished 19-4 last season. That includes two four-year varsity players in pitcher Carlee Strand and catcher Marti Anderson, who have signed with Southern Oregon and College of Idaho, respectively.
Like last year, La Grande is battering opposing pitchers. The Tigers are averaging 12.1 runs per game, up from 10.9 last season. They have been held in check only twice, in beating Crook County 3-2 and Lewiston (Idaho) 2-1.
“We hit the ball last year, but we're more consistent hitting the ball this year,” Anderson said. “Defensively, we didn't start out very well, but we've cleaned it up since spring break. That's made a difference.
“Last year's team was more sound defensively than this year's team. But this year's team is making a really good adjustment in the second half.”
Marti Anderson has been a force in the No. 3 slot, hitting .500 and leading the team with seven homers and 32 RBIs. Senior left fielder Paige Allen, back with the team after missing her junior season to focus on wrestling (she has signed to wrestle at Eastern Oregon), is batting a team-high .542 with five homers and 27 RBIs.
Junior third baseman Cassidy Hogge is hitting .479 with one homer and 16 RBIs in the leadoff spot. Junior shortstop Maddie Seavert (.491, two homers, 19 RBIs, 27 runs), junior center fielder Peyton Daggett (.439, three homers, 22 RBIs), junior second baseman Joselynn Dodds (.425) and Strand (.392, two homers, 13 RBIs) also are producing at the plate.
Strand has been excellent in the circle. In 56 innings, she has allowed 27 hits, struck out 85 and walked 19. She has an ERA of 1.13.
La Grande won its only state titles in 2018 and 2019, under coaches Kirk Travis and Woody Wright, respectively. The Tigers made the semifinals in 2022, losing to eventual champion Cascade 5-3, before falling in the quarterfinals the last two years.
La Grande has the pieces to get back on top this season. The Tigers wouldn't mind waiting until the final to run into Pendleton again.
“We've just got to stay away from each other, get in opposite ends of the bracket,” Walt Anderson said. “But we have no control over that. You've just got to win. We've beaten them before.”
Notes:
Unranked Glencoe knocked off 6A No. 1 Jesuit 7-6 at home on April 17, the Crimson Tide's fourth win in a row. Ally Meyer went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Irene VanDyke had a double and triple. The victory came three days after Glencoe topped No. 3 Sunset 4-0. … Gresham junior Maddy Sagapolutele hit four home runs in three wins last week, giving her seven for the season. She hit two against Forest Grove and one each against Aloha and Clackamas. … No. 7 McMinnville topped No. 6 Roseburg 10-4 in a 6A nonleague game April 17. Kaylee Dinger had a home run and four RBIs for the host Grizzlies, who also got two hits each from Ariel Glynn, Dakota Mitsche and Natalie Fernandez. Roseburg committed five errors. …
Undefeated Ridgeview, ranked No. 1 in 5A, picked up three wins last week behind sophomore pitcher Brezlyn Hagemeister. She struck out 41 in three games and went 6 for 9 with a double, home run and seven RBIs. She fanned 18 in a 10-9 win over Caldera. … Ashlynn Komp and Ava Freeman hit solo homers and Sophia Bloyd drove in a run as No. 5 Scappoose won at No. 6 Astoria 3-2 in 11 innings in a 4A Cowapa League game April 17. Komp and Freeman went deep in the seventh for a 2-0 lead. Scappoose's Saige Casey was three outs away from a perfect game but gave up two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Bloyd plated the go-ahead run in the 11th on a fielder's choice. Casey finished with a four-hitter, striking out 14. …
Junior shortstop Cassidy Crabtree helped 4A No. 4 Cascade remain unbeaten with four wins last week. She went 12 for 17, stole six bases and scored 11 runs. … Marshfield senior Tatum Montiel hit three homers and drove in eight runs to lead a 16-8 win over Junction City on April 18. She also recorded nine strikeouts in the circle. For the season, the two-time 4A volleyball co-player of the year has six homers, 27 RBIs and a 1.459 OPS. … Scio, ranked No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 3A coaches poll, gained the inside track in Special District 3 by beating No. 3 Dayton 2-1 on April 15 and No. 4 Willamina 7-5 on April 16. In the road win over Dayton, senior Myleigh Cooper went 3 for 3, including the go-ahead home run, and struck out 12 in seven innings. The Loggers defeated visiting Willamina as Cooper, Macy Johnson and Cam Dalke each drove in two runs and Cooper pitched a two-hitter with nine strikeouts. …
Junior Kami Vance drove in seven runs, including a grand slam, to lead 3A Lakeview past 2A/1A No. 4 Grant Union/Prairie City 10-9 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday. … No. 3 North Douglas took sole possession of first place in 2A/1A Special District 5 with a 2-1 road win over co-No. 10 Oakland on April 18. Senior lefty Brooklyn Cyr pitched a one-hitter with eight strikeouts, two walks and a hit batter and went 3 for 3, scoring both of the Warriors' runs.
jerryu@osaa.org
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