<I>The Eagle/David Heldreth</I><BR>Megan Nash backs up LaShawnda Gill as she goes to tag a Baker player sliding into second base last Friday

JOHN DAY – The Grant Union High School softball team had a rough weekend.

The Prospectors dropped four straight games, losing 6-1 and 10-0 to Baker on Friday, March 21, and 8-1 and 9-3 to La Grande on Saturday, March 22. La Grande and Baker are both 4A teams, and Grant Union is a 3A team.

The Prospectors kept the first game against Baker close, but the Bulldogs pulled away in the second.

Baker forced an early finish to the second game. The game finished due to the mercy rule after Grant Union was unable to score in the fifth inning.

The Prospectors managed to get their bats going against La Grande on Saturday, something they had problems with against Baker.

Grant Union’s Taylor Croghan got a rare day off during the Prospectors second game against La Grande on Friday. She had pitched five complete games, including three in two days, before getting a rest. Although she may not have been pitching in the Friday game, a Croghan was. Taylor’s sister Shannon, a freshman, took the mound for Grant Union.

Although the Prospectors lost to La Grande, junior LaShawnda Gill said the team has improved. La Grande won 8-2 and 7-0 last year.

“We played them better than we did last year,” Gill said. “We’ve played them for the last three years. It’s good to prepare for league. Playing tough teams like that makes us better for league.”

Gill and the Prospectors will begin their league play in their next game following spring break. They will face off against the Elgin-Imbler Huskies in Elgin April 5.