Pirates plunder La Conner's State title hopes

For awhile Saturday, the La Conner Braves seemed firmly anchored to a State Final Four berth in Centralia.

But then the Braves fell prey to Pirates.

The Adna Pirates, that is.

Adna scored six runs with two out in the third inning — part of a decisive seven-run rally — that turned a 7-3 deficit into a 10-7 lead en route to an 11-8 Regional semifinal win in Anacortes that ousted La Conner from post-season play.

“Adna is a solid hitting team,” Braves’ coach Jeremiah LeSourd lamented afterward. “They were able to put the ball in play and find some holes, and we weren’t able to execute in the late going.”

Early on, however, La Conner was in complete control.

The Braves answered an unearned Adna tally in the top of the first with three markers of their own in the home half.

Cameron Hansen led off with an infield single, stole second, and moved to third on an errant throw.

Wil James then delivered Hansen with a hard grounder to short.

A ribbie single by La Conner starting pitcher Max Miller plated Wil James, while Logan James — aboard after getting hit by a pitch — would score moments later on a passed ball, giving the Braves a 3-1 lead.

Adna tied the count 3-3 in the second on a pair of singles and a two-run Wes Wilson double.

La Conner responded with a four-spot in the bottom of the second, the key hit being a bases-loaded Logan James single that drove in two runs.

A third run would score on the play via an Adna miscue, allowing James to take third.

Miller helped his cause with another RBI single, bringing in James, to put La Conner on top 7-3.

Adna trailed 7-4 with two down in the third when the roof caved in for La Conner.

Adna strung together a walk, a hit batsman, and five base knocks — one of which was of the infield variety and two others shallow loopers — to go in front for good.

Wil James kept Adna from seizing a four-run edge by ending the frame with a putout at the plate.

“That was where Adna took control of the game,” said LeSourd, whose club continued to battle.

The Braves inched closer with a run in the fifth when Sean Hulbert scored Hudson Zavala with a perfectly executed squeeze bunt.

But Adna got the run back in the top of the sixth.

Pirate hurler Spencer Burdick, who went four-for-four at the dish, led off with a single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly — tagging after a great grab in center by Sean Hulbert.

Wil James once again stopped the damage, flinging a strike to third baseman James Hulbert that nabbed Wilson on a steal attempt.

La Conner, though, went hitless the rest of the way.

Miller led the Braves’ attack with a pair of safeties and two RBIs. He also induced an inning ending double play grounder in the top of the first.

Hansen legged out two singles for La Conner, as well.

In addition to his two-run single, Logan James — in a true statistical oddity — took first three times after being hit by pitches.

Zavala rounded out the La Conner offense with a leadoff single in the fifth.

With the loss, La Conner closed out the 2014 campaign with a 12-11 mark. That despite having played a brutal non-conference schedule.

“We had a successful year,” LeSourd said Sunday. “We ended up being co-League champions and Bi-District champs. And our seniors played in their fourth straight State Tournament.”

That group, said LeSourd, combined to win three NW2B titles, two Bi-District crowns, and placed third at State their freshman year.

“Ben (Harper), Hudson (Zavala), Sean (Hulbert), and Wil (James) were great leaders for our underclassmen and kept them focused all year,” LeSourd stressed.