Jade Damien lined four singles and scored three times, Kat Edwards went three-for-five and drove in three runs, Aaliyah Gonzalez added a double and a single and three RBIs, and the La Conner Braves made a seven-run first inning outburst stand up for a 15-10 NW2B/1B softball win at Darrington on April 30.
With the win, La Conner secured a two-game series split with the Loggers and closed last week’s action with a 2-4 league mark.
But that’s not all.
The Braves completed perhaps the busiest part of their schedule — playing four games in as many days — by splitting a non-conference road doubleheader with the Tonasket Tigers on Friday.
La Conner, which had started the week with a 10-4 home setback to Darrington on April 28, rebounded from a 16-7 loss in its twin bill opener at Tonasket with a 13-3 victory over the Tigers in the nightcap.
In the win over the Tigers, La Conner followed a script that had worked at Darrington — putting together one big inning. At Tonasket, that was the fifth frame, when coach Loran James’ charges erupted for six runs.
Edwards and Damien again led the way for La Conner. Edwards recorded a trio of hits and three RBIs and Damien laced two singles. Yami Ocampo Contreras and Gonzalez chipped in two safeties apiece and Angie Pena delivered a single and drove in two runs.
The key triumph, though, was the league win at Darrington, allowing the Braves to avoid being swept ahead of this week’s NW2B/1B home-and-away matchups with Friday Harbor.
Baseball
The La Conner baseball team likewise split two league contests with Darrington last week.
The Braves (4-10 overall, 3-6 in NW2B/1B play) defeated Darrington 4-2 at home on April 28, then dropped a tough 4-3 decision April 30 on the Loggers’ diamond.
Braves pitchers Nolan Elde and Angus Poprycz combined to fan nine Darrington hitters and check the Loggers on three hits — two by middle infielder Grady Stuvland — in La Conner’s tidy two-run win.
La Conner coach Preston Stewart praised Elde and Poprycz for attacking the strike zone and being able to put Logger hitters away with breaking stuff.
Kaleb Otis paced the Braves offense with a double, a triple and two runs scored. Landon Stevens contributed a single and a run scored for La Conner, which managed seven hits against Darrington hurlers.
Elde, Poprycz, Austin McClure and Emmitt Alvord each lined a single for the victors. Christian Shipley drew a sixth inning walk, eventually moved to third after a wild pitch, and scored a Braves insurance run on a balk.
In the two teams’ April 30 rematch, Jayce Lenker and Nam Nguyen were the difference makers for Darrington. Lenker ripped two singles and drove in a pair of runs. Nguyen finished with a single and a double.
La Conner’s softball and baseball teams were scheduled to wrap up regular season play this week opposite Friday Harbor with home games Monday and away contests Wednesday, all starting at 4 p.m.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
