Expect few runs when North Marion collides with La Grande

North Marion is the only team in Oregon to have beaten top-ranked Astoria this season, winning 4-3 on March 15. The Huskies are also the same team that lost to Estacada on April 14, the Rangers’ first Capital Conference win in 45 games. So, just about anything is possible from North Marion when the Huskies start their Class 4A playoff run Tuesday against La Grande, right? Actually, no. North Marion (20-6) is quite predictable. The Huskies are going to lead with their pitching, and odds are, their games will be close. Twelve times they have been involved in one-run games. And in four games, one run was all that was scored, as in a 1-0 final. “With metal bats, that’s amazing,” North Marion coach Randy Brack said. One of those 1-0 games ranks among the greatest pitching performances in Oregon this spring. North Marion senior Joe Piercey struck out 21 and gave up one hit in an 11-inning, 1-0 win over Cascade on March 31. The Huskies of Aurora may need something similar from the left-handed Piercey, who is 8-2 with 133 strikeouts this season, against La Grande. The Tigers will counter with Zach Nice, a hard-throwing right-hander who has signed with the University of Portland. “It’s a game that could last for infinity,” Brack said. North Marion’s pitching runs deep. Senior Jordan Hopper, the Huskies’ No. 2 starter, is 6-0 this season. A left-handed junior, Adam Hayden, is 6-1. The team’s collective earned run average is 1.61. About that pitching: North Marion needs it because the offense is lacking. Only one player batted better than .300 this season. “With our pitching, I think we could go pretty deep in the playoffs, but we have to figure out ways to score some runs,” Brack said. “Sometimes in the playoffs, all you need to do is score one or two, if we keep up the good pitching.”

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