Rich Rautenstrauch/Chieftain Wallowa Cougars pitcher Noah Allen started the second game of the doubleheader with Baker/Powder Valley (JV2) last Friday at the Kirk Jones Memorial Field.

The Wallowa Cougars baseball team went on a roller-coaster ride last week at Kirk Jones Memorial Field. The team ten-runned the Weston/Griswold JV team on Wednesday, April 8, 15-4, and then on Friday were ten-runned themselves — twice — 2-22 and 5-15, playing against the Baker/Powder Valley (JV2) team. All three contests were non-league games.

Playing against Weston/Griswold the score was tied 4-4 going into the bottom of the fifth inning when Wallowa rallied, scoring 11. Robert Delancey started the rally with a big double and the rest of the team batted around. Josh Rummell later hit a three-run homer capping off the fifth-inning scoring.

Micheal Pendarvis pitched the first two innings for Wallowa, keeping the score even. Noah Allen relieved Pendarvis and shut the Weston team out for the remainder of the game.

In Friday’s doubleheader the Cougar boys learned something about the strength of the Baker baseball program.

Wallowa coach Thomas Wenke said, “Baker has a phenomenal program. The guy who hit three home runs on us could play on any varsity roster, but the Baker team is so loaded he plays JV. We reverted back to walking players and we had too many errors. In the first game we were down 11 by the second inning.”

Josh Rummell started on the mound for Wallowa, encountered a big rally by the big Baker bats, and was relieved by freshman Daniel DeLancey, who pitched decently during his stint. Gareth Murray finished out the game at pitcher. Noah Allen started the second game and kept it close for a little while but eventually was treated like Rummell was in the first game.

Wallowa hit better in the second game but it was nowhere near enough. Wenke said the Baker pitching was as good as any the Wallowa kids saw this year.

The Cougars’ season continues with three road games this week. The Cougars were to travel to La Grande on Tuesday, April 14, and then head to Grant Union for a doubleheader, a league match-up.