Braves poised to make stretch run for post-season

The La Conner High baseball team, its compass still pointed to the top of NW2B standings, veered off course briefly last week to test non-league waters.

Now the Braves, after setbacks at Lynden Christian and Friday Harbor — both larger enrollment schools — are poised to lift anchor and rejoin the league title race.

La Conner and Concrete were in a virtual dead heat for the league’s top spot when the Braves’ schedule took them out of the loop for successive trips Monday and Tuesday to face the high-powered Lynx and Wolverines.

La Conner coach Jeremiah LeSourd can only hope his club’s forthcoming stretch run provides the same kind of smooth sailing the Braves enjoyed while reeling off five wins in six starts earlier this month.

It was a rocky landing that awaited La Conner at Lynden Christian, however, as the Lynx posted a 15-1 triumph that in many ways wasn’t as lopsided as the final score indicates.

The Braves mounted several threats, but ran themselves out of potential big innings.

“Offensively, we were able to get on base,” LeSourd noted afterward, “but we had multiple base-running mistakes that stopped any chance for rallies.”

Ben Harper, Logan James, and Matt Semrau continued their torrid hitting of late by lining base hits off Lynx hurlers.

The issue for La Conner was in the field, where the normally slick-fielding Braves had trouble making plays.

“We came out flat defensively, and our pitchers struggled as a result,” LeSourd lamented.

While the result was similar, the execution was better for La Conner the next day at Friday Harbor.

The Wolverines scored four times in both the second and fourth frames to break open what had been a close contest.

“We played a lot better at Friday Harbor,” LeSourd confirmed. “We were able to put pressure on them in pretty much every inning.”

That was the case from the get-go. La Conner took an early 2-0 lead by plating twice in the top of the first.

And this time the Braves supported their mound staff with solid defense.

Friday Harbor’s four-run outburst in the fourth stanza, though, was too much for La Conner to overcome, despite a two-hit day by Sean Hulbert and an RBI double from James Hulbert.

“They took control of the game with those four runs in the fourth,” LeSourd said of Friday Harbor.

La Conner was scheduled Monday at Lummi, and today, Wednesday, the Braves are set to hit the road for another non-league matchup, this time at Lakewood.

La Conner and Concrete wrap up the week with a Friday afternoon junior varsity pairing.

The dates for La Conner fans to circle on their calendars are May 5 and 6, when the Braves close out regular season play against league rivals Orcas and Darrington.

La Conner entertains Orcas next Monday and then travels to Darrington on Tuesday for the second of two key NW2B dates.