MILTON-FREEWATER Wallowa Valleys two Little League All-Star softball teams completed their action in the District 3 tournament on Independence Day, each team sustaining a second loss and elimination.

The 11- and 12-year-old team coached by Gary Gassett fell to Grant County on July 4, 15-5, a game ended by the 10-run rule. WV, home team in the match, surrendered six runs to Grant County in the first inning, but came back with four runs in the bottom of the first to get the game close again.

Thereafter, however, Grant County began piling it on at the plate with little answer from the home team in its own at-bats.

The tourneys highlight for WV was a 14-11 victory over La Grande on Sunday, July 3. Sarah Aschenbrenner had a clutch,  two-out, game-tying hit in the sixth inning, and pitcher Brooke Meyers turned in six strong innings before giving way in the seventh to closer Darby Gassett.

The 11/12 team went 1-2 in the tourney, which the WV girls opened with a Saturday loss to Baker.

The 9- and 10-year-old WV girls also went 1-2 for the tourney, losing to Triangle and Pendleton in their first and third games, and, like the 11- and 12-year-olds from Wallowa Valley, produced their most effective effort Sunday, in  their second game of the tournament. That day the 9/10 team 10-runned Baker in a runaway win.