Haffar
Bushnell’s Abbott Haffar took a perfect game into the seventh inning Saturday, settling for a 5-1 victory over Eastern Oregon in the opening game of a doubleheader in LaGrande, Ore.
The Beacons also won the nightcap, 6-4, but split the four-game series when Eastern Oregon swept Sunday’s twinbill, 8-2 and 16-13.
Haffar, a senior right-hander, was the conference “pitcher of the week” after tossing seven scoreless innings. Haffar (2-4) has a 2-0 conference record with a 0.60 ERA.
Once again, the hitting hero for the Beacons was Jeff Fripp, who slugged two home runs, including a grand slam in the 16-13 slugfest.
At 8-22, the first-year Beacons have felt their share of growing pains. But now they’re 6-2 in league play and fighting for one of four playoff spots with half of their league games remaining.
“We were scrappy and fought hard all weekend,” assistant coach Jamie Womack said. “We’re a lot of fun to watch now, that’s for sure. It’s been cool to watch this process – the team camaraderie is what will help set them apart. We tell them that many years from now, they won’t remember your batting average or how many home runs you hit, but you’re going to remember what you went through with your friends,” he said.
This weekend is huge for Bushnell, as it plays host to the College of Idaho, which is also 6-2 in conference play and is tied for second place with the Beacons.
Friday’s doubleheader is scheduled for 2 and 5 p.m., while Saturday’s games are slated for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
“The wins and losses are sometimes out of your control, but the effort is there,” Womack said.
“We’re seeing a lot of personal successes and team success. We’re fighting to make the postseason so hopefully we can keep up the good work,” he said.
