Lady Braves split tough two-game slate

Bowled over by non-league power Lynden Christian, La Conner avoided landing in the gutter last week by having secured a two-game split courtesy a key win at Friday Harbor.

La Conner struck down the Lady Wolverines 13-3 Tuesday afternoon, taking some of the sting out of its one-hit, 8-0 shutout loss Wednesday to Lynden Christian.

The youthful Lady Braves emerged from the up-and-down week with a solid 11-3 overall mark, but perhaps more important having also gained new insight into the art of winning consistently.

Primarily in the form of staying focused, regardless of the game situation.

“As a young team,” La Conner head coach Peg Seeling emphasized afterward, “we have moments of great play and then seem to lose focus and commit too many errors.

“It just goes to show,” she added, “that there’s always room for improvement.”

It would’ve been hard to improve upon La Conner’s effort at Friday Harbor.

The Lady Braves backed winning hurler Olivia Hedlund with 13 hits, four by Emma Christianson, whose safeties included a double and a triple.

Christianson plated three times and drove in another six La Conner base runners.

Hedlund, now 7-3 with a stellar 2.76 earned run average, helped her cause with a double, single, and two RBIs.

Ashley Watkins and Elizabeth Tripp each lined a double and a single for the victors.

Madi Cavanaugh, Nakesha Edwards, and Nakiya Edwards rounded out the La Conner hit parade with singles.

Lauren Reynolds finished with the unusual stat line of having been hit twice and walked once in three trips to the plate.

Hedlund cruised through five frames, after which the game was called due to the 10-run mercy rule.

The sophomore righthander scattered four hits, none of which went for extra bases, and issued just two free passes. She fanned a pair of Friday Harbor batters and induced seven groundouts on the infield.

Hedlund served up another eight groundouts against Lynden Christian, but took a hard-luck loss when the Lady Braves committed a season-high eight miscues behind her.

The La Conner attack, so potent at Friday Harbor, could muster only one base hit against the Lady Lynx.

Christianson averted a no-hitter by delivering a triple. Unfortunately for La Conner, she was left stranded at third.

Despite being one-hit by Lynden Christian, La Conner is still hitting at a robust .351 clip going into this week’s action, highlighted by a Friday home date with Concrete, starting at 4 p.m.

The Lady Braves host Orcas May 5, then visit Darrington May 6, with 3 p.m. starts scheduled both days.