Baseball dropped back-to-back league games Friday

Growing pains aren't easy, but the La Conner High School baseball team's coaching staff takes solace knowing the youthful Braves are getting stronger.

Last week's NW2B/1B action at Darrington and at home against league leading Mount Vernon Christian are examples.

Both games ended in the loss column, but the Braves played on equal terms save for one bad inning in each outing.

Darrington rode a 13-run second frame to an 18-7 triumph on Thursday. MVC also parlayed a big second inning – the Hurricanes plated 11 times in the stanza – into a 21-9 victory.

With the twin losses, La Conner fell to 1-5 and 0-4 in league contests.

"It was a tough week, but our depth is improving," Braves coach Jeremiah LeSourd told the Weekly News Sunday.

He cited strong games at the plate at Darrington from C.J. Edwards, Brogan Masonholder and Kaleb Otis.

Edwards ripped a two-run double. Masonholder delivered two base hits and drove in three runs. Otis batted in two runs on a double and a single.

And, Hadden Zimmerman lined his first base hit.

Against Mount Vernon Christian, La Conner settled down after its rocky second inning. Lefthander Logan Burks pitched well in relief and Ivory Damien made his mound debut, which LeSourd said lengthens the Braves pitching rotation going into the second half of the season.

Offensively, Damien and Otis contributed RBI singles.

La Conner was coming off a 13-0 non-league setback at Granite Falls last Tuesday. In that game, starting catcher Kenai Zimmerman took his first turn on the hill.

The Braves played at Friday Harbor yesterday and then play the Wolverines at home 4 p.m. Friday. They visit Orcas Saturday. All are league games.

The high school softball team has the same schedule.