Bulldogs rout Burns 9-1, end Hilanders’ 10-game winning streak

Baker/Powder Valley/Pine Eagle turned an earlier loss into a statement win at the Baker Sports Complex, beating Burns 9-1 on Wednesday, May 20, and ending the Hilanders’ 10-game winning streak. Eight days after Burns had shut out the Bulldogs 6-0, Baker came out swinging in Baker City and quickly made the rematch one-sided.

The Bulldogs set the tone early, building a 7-1 lead after two innings and never letting Burns settle in. Raegan Gulick controlled the game in the circle, and Baker’s bats stayed active from the start, which kept the Class 3A opponent from turning the game into another tight late-inning battle. Burns had gone more than a month without a loss before arriving in Baker County, making the final margin even more notable.

The result showed more than revenge. It extended Baker/Powder Valley’s home winning streak to six games, pushed the Bulldogs to 8-6, and marked their seventh victory by eight runs or more this season, according to MaxPreps. For a team that had already clinched the Greater Oregon League title and was waiting for its Class 4A playoff assignment for May 26, the Burns game offered a sharp late-season benchmark against a respected program.

Baker entered the stretch with momentum already building. The Bulldogs had nearly knocked off unbeaten Vale on May 5 before falling 8-7, then split a doubleheader at La Grande on May 8 and beat Nyssa 14-11 on May 19. The Burns win, coming one day after that 14-11 escape, suggested the Bulldogs were not just surviving their final tune-up games, but sharpening for the postseason with a lineup that can score in bunches and a pitching staff that can keep a strong opponent off balance.

For Baker County softball, the 9-1 rout carried real weight: it was a clean answer to an earlier defeat, a home-field showcase in Baker City, and a reminder that Baker/Powder Valley/Pine Eagle can handle a Class 3A power with authority when playoff pressure starts to rise.