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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2015)
SPORTS FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Sports shorts NFL commissioner to hear Brady suspension appeal FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday night he will personally hear the suspen- sion appeal of Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady, who challenged the league’s punishment for his role in XVLQJGHÀDWHG footballs during the AFC championship game. The NFL Players Asso- FLDWLRQ¿OHGWKHH[SHFWHG appeal about an hour before a 5 p.m. deadline on Thursday, asking for a neutral arbitrator to hear the case. NFL spokesman *UHJ$LHOORFRQ¿UPHG DERXWVL[KRXUVODWHUWKDWWKH commissioner had rejected the request. “Commissioner Goodell will hear the appeal of Tom Brady’s suspension in accordance with the process agreed upon with the NFL Players Association in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement,” he said. WAR ON 84 0XUSK\%XFNV¿UPO\RQZLQQLQJOLQH Tweak makes big impact for defending champs plishments are often overshadowed by an RIIHQVHWKDWFKXUQVRXWDFODVVL¿FDWLRQKLJK 9.8 runs a game (12.5 in CRC play). But PENDLETON — Just prior to the start 3HQGOHWRQ NQRZV IURP UHFHQW H[SHULHQFH of league play, Pendleton pitching coach how quickly a seemingly never-ending Rod Hillmick noticed something off about source of runs can dry up in the face of postseason pitching. pitcher Kiersten Murphy’s delivery. The defending 5A state champions The right-handed junior had a habit of setting up on the edge of the pitching entered the 2014 postseason putting up rubber, causing her to over-stride and 8.6 runs a game, but after brushing off Corvallis 10-0 in the opening disrupting her entire motion. URXQG ZRQ WKHLU QH[W WKUHH “In pitching, everything goes games by a combined score off of power line and line of of 9-4. Starting pitcher Hailey IRUFH´VDLG+LOOPLFNH[SODLQLQJ Hermiston Kline, now a freshman at Blue that all it took to get Murphy Bulldogs Mountain Community College, back in line was centering her (7-17, 1-10) didn’t allow more than two runs stance on the rubber. “Getting in any game and out-dueled your foot where it’s supposed Putnam’s Sarah Abramson to be on the rubber is huge for Pendleton 2-1 for the Buckaroos’ second mechanics and hitting spots. Buckaroos championship in three seasons. “We’ve worked on all kinds (17-7-11-0) After emerging from an of stuff, but that was the main H[WHQGHG SUHVHDVRQ GHUE\ WR thing.” • Today, 4:30 p.m. That one seemingly minor • at Steve Cary Field replace Kline in the circle, 0XUSK\LV¿OOLQJKHUVKRHVTXLWH change has made all the differ- nicely. ence for Murphy, and just may Entering today’s game at Steve Cary be the key to another deep run for the Field, Murphy is 8-0 in league play while Buckaroos in the state playoffs. Despite what has turned into a dominant posting a 1.54 earned run average and .197 Columbia River Conference campaign for opponent’s batting average. In 50 innings Staff photo by Kathy Aney 0XUSK\ ZKLFK ¿QLVKHV WRGD\ ZKHQ WKH Pendleton pitcher Kiersten Murphy winds up for a pitch last week at Steve Cary Field against Hermiston. Bucks host rival Hermiston, her accom- See MURPHY/2B By MATT ENTRUP East Oregonian Hall of Famer Bobby Bell gets degree at age of 74 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Bell is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played in two Super Bowls and won a national championship at the University of FACES Minnesota. He says none of those accom- plishments compared to Thursday. The 74-year-old Bell Bell participated in graduation ceremonies at his alma mater after getting his degree 56 years after he left the school. Bell was a two-time All-American as an offen- sive lineman and defensive end for the Golden Gophers. But he left school before ¿QLVKLQJKLVHGXFDWLRQZKHQ he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963. +H¿QDOO\UHHQUROOHG last summer and picked up the last 13 credits he needed to get his degree in recreation, park and leisure studies through the College of Education and Human Development. . “I get my Vitamin D year round, which is nice. I get to be tan all year, which is also nice. But I’m somebody who loves changes.” — Michael Phelps Olympic champion on decision to move his training from Baltimore to Tempe, Arizona. Phelps made the de- cision in part because his longtime coach Bob Bowman was hired to coach the Arizona State men’s and women’s swimming teams. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1993 — Prairie Bayou, ridden by Mike Smith, rebounds from a second- SODFH¿QLVKLQWKH.HQWXFN\ 'HUE\ WR EHFRPH WKH ¿UVW gelding to win the Preakness in 79 years. 2004 — With one breath- taking surge, Smarty Jones posts a record 11½-length victory in the Preakness. Rock Hard Ten, in his fourth VWDUW ¿QLVKHV VWURQJ IRU second ahead of Eddington. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS WAR ON 84 STANFIELD Masked man leading Bucks late charge $OH[2¶5RXUNHEDFN from injury in time for Pendleton postseason push By ERIK SKOPIL East Oregonian Sam Barbee photo Stanfi eld teammates greet Dylan Grogan (center) after the sophomore hit a walk-off single to beat the McLoughlin Pioneers 6-5 Thursday in Stanfi eld. *URJDQZDONVRII0DF+L Tigers finish regular season unbeaten at home By SAM BARBEE EO Media Group %HIRUH 6WDQ¿HOG KRVWHG Mac-Hi Thursday, a solitary ¿JXUH VWRRG LQ IURQW RI WKH GXJRXW ZLWK ÀRZHUV ,W ZDV Steven Allan, the lone senior RQ WKH 6WDQ¿HOG EDVHEDOO team. His last regular season game sent him home smiling when Dylan Grogan drove in Tony Flores with one out in the bottom of the seventh to Stanfi eld 6 Mac-Hi 5 give the Tigers a 6-5 come- from-behind, walk-off win. 6WDQ¿HOG(2/ KDVQRZZRQVL[RIVHYHQDQG has already clinched the 3A Eastern Oregon League title. Mac-Hi (5-17, 0-10) has lost IRXU RI ¿YH +XQWHU %DUQHV got the win on the hill, tossing LQQLQJV DOORZLQJ ¿YH earned on ten hits, walked and struck out one. Mac-Hi pounded out 12 hits, but left ten men stranded. Klay Jenson led the way offen- sively, going 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs scored and two steals. “It means a lot,” Allan said RI D ZLQ LQ KLV ¿QDO UHJXODU season home game, but he was quick to look ahead. “Hopefully we can get a state playoff game at home.” Allan was a celebrity Thursday night. He played seven positions — catcher, VHFRQG EDVH VKRUWVWRS ¿UVW base, third base, left and ULJKW ¿HOG ² DQG HDFK WLPH he moved, the public address announcer let the crowd know. See STANFIELD/2B PENDLETON — When the incoming pitch GLGQ¶W EUHDN$OH[ 2¶5RXUNH NQHZ KH ZDV LQ trouble. The head high fastball from Vallivue’s Tyler Laird collided just there — with his head — and with it dropped the Pendleton senior to the EDWWHU¶VER[GLUW The subsequent moments are fuzzy. But, once his hands came away from his face doused in red, his mind raced. “My teammates were crowding around PH DQG , WKLQN WKH ¿UVW WKLQJ , DVNHG ZDV µ,V my nose crooked’?” he remembered from the incident at the Boise tournament on March 26. It turned out it was. That wasn’t where the damage ended, either. Along with the broken nasal bridge and caved in left cavity, his left eye VRFNHWDQGRUELWDOÀRRUZHUHIUDFWXUHGDVZHOO The recovery time was estimated at a PLQLPXPRIVL[ZHHNVRULQRWKHUZRUGVWKH season’s remainder. ³, IXOO\ H[SHFWHG QRW WR KDYH KLP DOO \HDU when the injury happened and with the prog- See O’ROURKE/2B Hermiston Bulldogs (11-11, 4-7) Pendleton Buckaroos (10-14, 6-5) • Friday, 4:30 p.m. • at Bob White Field MLB %RVWRQUDOOLHVLQWKHQLQWKWRGRZQ0DULQHUV By TIM BOOTH Associated Press SEATTLE — Brock Holt doubled and scored the go ahead run on Rickie Weeks’ error with one out in the ninth inning, Shane Victorino KLWKLV¿UVWKRPH run of the season and the Boston 5HG6R[EHDWWKH Boston Seattle Mariners 2-1 on Thursday night for their IRXUWKZLQLQ¿YH games. Holt lined Seattle the second pitch of the ninth from Seattle closer Fernando Rodney (1-2) into left-center and was easily safe at second when Weeks’ throw sailed 2 1 for Holt to score anyway. But Weeks closed his glove too soon and everyone was safe on the error. Matt Barnes (2-0) allowed two hits in the eighth but escaped without giving up the lead. Koji Uehara pitched the ninth for his eighth save. While Holt got Boston’s ninth-inning rally started, the Red 6R[ ZHUH LQ SRVLWLRQ EHFDXVH RI 9LFWRULQR %RVWRQ¶V ULJKW ¿HOGHU homered in the fourth off Seattle starter Roenis Elias and made a AP Photo/Ted S. Warren tremendous running catch on the Seattle Mariners’ Chris Taylor is out on a double play at fi rst base warning track in the seventh to start after Boston Red Sox fi rst baseman Mike Napoli (12) made the catch and Taylor couldn’t get back to the base in time after Justin a double play and likely save a run. :LWK &KULV 7D\ORU RQ ¿UVW Ruggiano fl ew out to right fi eld in the seventh inning of a baseball and running on the play, Justin game, Thursday in Seattle. Ruggiano hit a drive deep to right over Robinson Cano’s head. Holt Sandoval was hit by a pitch. that Victorino was able to reach ZDV VDFUL¿FHG WR WKLUG E\ ;DQGHU Mookie Betts followed with a over his head and catch just before Bogaerts and pinch-hitter Pablo À\EDOOWKDWZDVOLNHO\GHHSHQRXJK See MARINERS/2B