Polk County Itemizer-Observer • April 8, 2015 11A
Polk County Sports
Swing: Seniors expect title run
Continued from Page 10A
Among the improve-
ments, his backhand is
more consistent. It was also
a moment that helped
Cable focus on staying posi-
tive during matches and not
letting one bad shot turn
into a lost game.
“I need to stay consis-
tent,” Cable said.
But Cable isn’t the only
player with state aspirations
this season.
No. 2 singles player
Edoardo Sanna looks to join
Cable in his pursuit of state.
Sanna is a senior exchange
student from Italy who ar-
rived in July.
“I know that he loves ten-
nis and his exact first words
after his first competition
were, ‘this is fun,’” Youngren
said.
Sanna defeated Dallas’
Michael Friesen 6-0, 6-0 on
Thursday, the first of what
he hopes is numerous vic-
tories this spring.
“I have to take things step
by step,” Sanna said. “My
top goal is to win state.”
For Sanna, this season is
about more than just play-
ing tennis. It’s a chance to
learn about a new culture.
“I love this place,” Sanna
said. “I get along with every-
one. I love them. I’ve been
here since July and have
been waiting for tennis sea-
son since I got here. I love
the connection with people.
I love playing such a good
sport, a pure sport, without
any violence. I think it’s very
healthy.”
Their biggest advantage
will be getting the chance to
push each other to their
limits, Youngren said. She
also has a secret weapon to
help Cable and Sanna.
“Them having the oppor-
SPORTS BRIEFS
DHS track chowder feed on April 20
DALLAS — The Dallas High School track and field team will hold
a chowder feed and silent auction on April 20. The event begins at
6 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.
Cost is $10 and includes clam chowder, bread and a shrimp
salad. All proceeds will support the Dallas track and field program.
Donations are being accepted for the silent auction. If you would
like to donate items, contact Michelle Nelson, 503-881-0594.
Dallas Mat Club begins fundraiser
DALLAS — The Dallas Mat Club is selling Al’s Nursery hanging
flower baskets for its annual fundraiser. Through the end of April,
10-inch baskets will be sold for $20 and 12-inch baskets for $30. All
proceeds support youth and middle school wrestling programs in
Dallas.
Baskets will be delivered in time for Mother’s Day.
For more information: kerriann@live.com or contact a Dallas
Mat Club or a LaCreole Middle School wrestler.
Wolves’ pitchers earn weekly honor
MONMOUTH — Western
Oregon seniors Jourdan
Williams and Jesse Pratt
earned Great Northwest
Athletic Conference’s soft-
ball and baseball Pitchers of
the Week on Monday.
Williams held league-lead-
ing Saint Martin’s to a single
run during a 6-1 WOU victory
Williams
Pratt
on Saturday. Williams held
the Saints to seven hits. She also led the Wolves at the plate, batting
.462 during the team’s four games last week.
Pratt also threw a complete game, a 10-0 shutout win against
Central Washington on Friday. Pratt retired the first 10 batters he
faced and gave up just a single hit. He struck out eight batters in
the seven-inning game.
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Central senior Edoardo Sanna talks with Dallas’ Michael Friesen prior to their match
on Thursday at Central. Sanna won 6-0, 6-0, but Central dropped the match 5-3.
tunity to play each other
and hit against (Central ten-
nis alumni) Alejandro
Echeverri, who is volunteer-
ing this year, will keep them
at the top of their games,”
Youngren said.
The Panthers, who lost to
the Dragons 5-3, look to
build depth to go along
with Cable and Sanna.
Youngren is happy with the
progress she’s seeing from
her team.
“The guys played with
more confidence this week
than before spring break,”
she said. “That helped
them anticipate where the
ball was going and get set
up better. Spring break
and a week of rain is cost-
ing us valuable practice
time. It's early, and we
kept up with our competi-
tors well on the courts last
night. There were really no
blow outs.”
Up Next
• Central’s boys tennis
team hosts Lebanon
Thursday at 4 p.m before
playing at South Albany
on Monday. The Panthers
then host Silverton Tues-
day at 4 p.m.
Central returns to the
court to host Lebanon
Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
PREP TENNIS ROUNDUP
Dragons earn pair of wins
Dallas sees depth throughout its lineup
Itemizer-Observer staff report
DALLAS — Thanks to
some strong performances
up and down its lineup, the
Dallas
girls ten-
nis squad
earned a
pair of
w i n s
against
Wo o d -
burn and
Central.
Brewen
T h e
Dragons
opened
the week
with a 7-1
defeat
ove r t h e
Bulldogs
on April 1.
Marissa
S. Poston
Brewen,
Savanna Poston, Lynn
Gumpinger and Alison Hir-
shi swept singles play.
The doubles teams of
Abigail Garber and Amelia
Poston, Megan Floyd and
Megan Ronco, and Molly
Ingram and Morgan Bate-
man also earned victories
for the Dragons, who began
the match on March 31, be-
fore being delayed by
weather.
Against the Panthers, the
team’s lone defeat came
when Hirshi fell to Patience
Teague 6-2, 6-3 in the No. 4
singles spot.
The Dragons play at Cor-
vallis Thursday at 4 p.m.
DA L L A S B OYS D O W N
CENTRAL: Dallas’ boys tennis
team earned its first victory of
the season, defeating Central
5-3 on
Thur sday.
Ryan Bibler
earned a
singles
p o i n t ,
while the
doubles
pairs of
J o s i a h
Gillette
Bibler
and Ca-
meron Gumpinger, Josh Dud-
ley and Randy Mullins, Caed-
mon Blair and Cole Oace, and
Honnario Calipano and Eli
Koons earned victories for Dal-
las against
the Pan-
thers. The
Dragons
ope-ned
t h e we e k
by falling
to Wo o d -
burn 5-3 on
Gumpinger March 31.
The Bull-
dogs swept the singles match-
es, while the doubles teams of
Dudley and Mullins, Blair and
Bibler, and Koons and Cali-
pano earned points for Dallas.
The Dragons played at South
Albany Tuesday after press
time. Dallas hosts Corvallis
Thursday at 4 p.m.
CENTRAL GIRLS FALL TO
DALLAS: The Central girls
tennis squad dropped a 7-1
match to Dallas on Thursday.
“Dallas had better technique
than we did and were much
more consistent,” Panthers
coach Dave Eble said. Pa-
tience Teague earned the
team’s lone point in the No. 4
singles match. “Patience
moved the ball around very
well and really made her op-
ponent work. This match was
more one-sided than the
Rivarly
• Dallas and Central’s
boys and girls tennis
teams faced each other
for the first time as Mid-
Willamette Conference
foes on Thursday after-
noon.
• The Dragons won
both contests.
• Dallas’ girls team plays
at Corvallis on Thursday.
The boys squad hosts
Corvallis, while Central’s
girls team plays at
Lebanon.
• Start time is 4 p.m. for
all matches.
score indicated.” Eble was also
pleased with No. 3 singles
player Andrea Garibay and
the doubles team of Camille
Bliss and Kylie Smith. “Andrea
played well and very consis-
tently,” Eble said. “Camille gets
a hustle award. She was all
over the court and returned
many balls I didn’t think she
would be able to get.” Central
plays at Lebanon Thursday at
4 p.m.
You’re Out!
LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer
Western Oregon pitcher Alyson Boytz prepares to throw
against Western Washington on Thursday afternoon.
Perfect: WOU
hits final stretch
Continued from Page 10A
Western Oregon entered
the week in second place in
the conference standings be-
hind Saint Martin’s (8-2
GNAC).
Boytz said, while this sea-
son may be more difficult
than they anticipated, she’s
ready to take her game to the
next level. That includes
more than refining her
pitches. She need to trust
her teammates to make
plays to help her out.
“I just try and get ground
balls hit to my teammates,”
Boytz said. “I want to get as
many strikeouts as I can and
remember I have my de-
fense there to back me up.”
As the Wolves begin the
final month of the regular
season, Boytz hopes the
turning point for the team
leads to more wins.
More importantly, Boytz
looks for her teammates to
continue to show the belief
that they can play with the
best teams in the conference
and beyond.
“We have to eliminate
those little errors and know
that we’re better than that,”
Boytz said. “When we do
make those mistakes, we
have to shake it off quickly.”
PREP BASEBALL ROUNDUP
Rech throws no-hitter
Riddell hits a pair of home runs against Woodburn
LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer
Tanner Earhart tags a runner out on second and looks to
complete a double play against Lebanon on Wednesday
afternoon. The Dragons defeated Lebanon 10-0 before
dropping the series finale 6-3 on Friday. Dallas entered
the week with a 2-1 record in league play.
Itemizer-Observer staff report
INDEPENDENCE —
Central pitcher Chris Rech
threw a no-hitter, and the
Panthers’
baseball
t e a m
s w e p t
Wo o d -
burn to
open Mid-
Willame-
tte Con-
Rech
ference
play. Cen-
tral opened the series with a
6-0 win on March 31. Wes
Riddell earned the win on
the mound.
Rech would be up next
on Thursday, where he
threw his no-hitter. Riddell
hit a home run and a dou-
ble, while Luke McBeth,
Luis Amador and Ruben
Martinez also recorded
doubles during the 8-0 vic-
tory.
Central won the final
game of the series 13-0 on
Thursday.
Riddell hit his second
home run of the series,
while the Panthers scored
seven runs in the bottom of
the fourth.
The Panthers (5-1 overall,
3-0 MWC) play at Silverton
Wednesday (today) before
hosting the Silver Foxes Fri-
day at 4:30 p.m.
DALLAS WINS TWO OF
THREE: The Dallas baseball
team finished its three-game
series with Lebanon, defeating
the Warriors 10-1 on April 1
before falling 6-3 on Friday.
Pitcher Logan Hatley threw a
complete game, giving up just
two hits on Wednesday’s
game. Dallas (4-4 overall, 2-1
Mid-Willamette Conference),
which was scheduled to host
Woodburn Tuesday after press
time, plays the Bulldogs on the
road on Wednesday (today)
before hosting Woodburn on
Friday. First pitch is at 4:30
p.m. for all games.
PIRATES THROW NO-HIT-
TER: Pitchers Keenan Bailey
and David Silver combined to
throw a no-hitter against
Crow, as the Pirates baseball
team cruised to a 13-0 win on
Thursday.
B a i l e y
threw se-
ven strike-
outs in four
innings.
Hunter
Johnson
went two
for two
Silver
w i t h fi v e
RBIs at the plate, including hit-
ting a grand slam in the first
inning. Perrydale opened the
week losing a nonleague
thriller to St. Paul 6-5 on March
31. It was the Pirates’ (5-1 over-
all) first loss of the season. Per-
rydale was scheduled to open
league play at Country Chris-
tian Tuesday after press time.
The Pirates host Western Men-
nonite Thursday at 4:30 p.m.