Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 11, 2016)
SPORTS THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016 7A Titans score two wins over Astoria By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian The Astoria Ford Junior State baseball team went look- ing for some competition over the weekend … and found it. The West Salem Titans — featuring players who helped win a Class 6A Greater Valley Conference championship last spring — swept a pair of games in Astoria Friday and Saturday, 10-6 and 4-1. Still, the Titans had work hard for both wins. West Salem had to come from behind twice to win Fri- day’s game at Aiken Field, as the teams hooked up for an exciting, well-played nine-inning thriller. The Fishermen scored a run in their irst at-bat, a sacri- ice ly by Fritz Fremstad that brought in Kyle Strange. West Salem answered with three runs in the top of the sec- ond, before Astoria Ford rallied to tie in the third. Strange was hit by a pitch, Fremstad doubled to right, and both scored on a single by Ole Englund. The Fishermen retook the lead on a sharp double down the left ield line by Fremstad in the bottom of the fourth, allow- ing Tristan Wallace and Strange to sprint home for a 5-3 lead. The Titans fought right back with two runs in the ifth, then scored a run in the top of the seventh for a 6-5 lead. Astoria Ford wasted lit- tle time in tying the game in the bottom half of the seventh, as Cade O’Brien had a leadoff single, took second on a wild pitch, and scored on Trey Hage- man’s single to center. Hageman was left stranded, however, as the Titans retired Gary Henley/The Daily Astorian Kyle Strange approaches third base on his way to another run Friday, as he scored three times in Astoria Ford’s loss to West Salem. SCOREBOARD SPORTS SCHEDULE Gary Henley/The Daily Astorian Astoria Ford’s Tyler Lyngstad takes a look at third after fielding a ground ball in Friday’s game against West Salem. the next three in order to send the game to extra innings. Strange had a one-out dou- ble in the eighth for the Fisher- men, but was stranded and the game went to the ninth. And West Salem took con- trol in the top of the inning. Jaden Perez was hit by a pitch to lead off, Brenton Reddy sin- gled to center and Blake Buch- heit walked to load the bases with no outs. Ross McConnell followed with a two-run double to left, then one out later scored on a single by Grant Thies. A sacri- ice ly scored another run for a four-run lead. The Fishermen still man- aged to make it interesting in the bottom of the ninth, as Hageman, Jasyn Gohl and Wal- lace all drew walks to load the bases with two outs, which brought Strange to the plate representing the tying run, but he was thrown out in a close play at irst to end the game. The second game of Fri- day’s doubleheader was rained out, with the Titans leading 7-0 in the third inning when the game was called. About 13 hours later, the teams met Saturday morning at CMH Field, where Astoria Ford grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the irst. O’Brien drew a lead- off walk, stole second and advanced to third on an error, then scored on a wild pitch. That, however, would be Astoria Ford’s only run of the day, as West Salem starter Logan Chuhlansteff went the distance on the mound, allow- ing only three hits with eight strikeouts. Tyler Lyngstad and Gohl had inield singles in the fourth, and Hageman had a two-out single in the sixth. TODAY Junior State Baseball — Warrenton at Seaside (2), 4 p.m. THURSDAY-SATURDAY Junior State Baseball — North Coast Tournament at Seaside, TBA Englund was equally tough for the Fishermen, as he held the Titans — who were playing with many of the same players who took part in the 6A quarter- inals — scoreless through ive innings. After a pitching change, West Salem inally jumped on the scoreboard with three runs in the sixth, scoring on a wild pitch, an RBI single from Perez and a dou- ble to left by Logan Johnson. McConnell capped the scor- ing with an RBI single in the seventh to score Reddy. Chuhlansteff, a 6-foot-3 junior, retired 10 of the inal 11 batters he faced. “I was real happy with how we played,” said Astoria Ford coach Dave Gasser. “We had four ninth-graders starting in Saturday’s game, and we’re still up 1-0 through ive. Ole threw a great game.” But, “we only have so much pitching to work with,” he said. “We’re just going out and doing the best we can.” Astoria Ford returns to action Thursday, in a three- day tournament at Seaside. The Fishermen open against Grant Union, 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Broadway Field. Five-time NBA champ Tim Duncan retires The Associated Press SAN ANTONIO — Tim Duncan spent nearly two decades as the quiet storm in the middle of the San Antonio Spurs franchise, putting the team on his broad shoulders and carry- ing it to heights unseen in mod- ern American sports. With Duncan as the focal point, the Spurs won ive championships, made the play- offs in all 19 of his seasons and cemented themselves as one of the most successful franchises in all of sports. And now, the tireless and reluctant superstar is inally calling it a career. The 40-year- old Duncan announced his retirement on Monday, mark- ing the end of an era for the Spurs and the NBA. “The greatest power for- ward ever,” the Los Angeles Clippers’ Jamal Crawford said Monday, as the tributes to Dun- can’s career began coming. Few would dare argue. Duncan was the No. 1 over- all pick in 1997 and teamed with coach Gregg Popovich, point guard Tony Parker and shooting guard Manu Ginobili to turn the Spurs from a solid franchise that could never quite get over the hump into one of the league’s superpowers. The unassuming Duncan won two MVP awards and was one of just four players to be named NBA Finals MVP at least three times. He was a 15-time All-Star, a member of the All-NBA irst team 10 times and is one of only three players — joining Kareem Abdul-Jab- bar and Robert Parrish — to win at least 1,000 games in his career. He is ifth on the NBA’s career list in blocks, sixth in rebounds and 14th in scoring. “The constant staple of their franchise,” Cleveland’s LeBron James said earlier this year. Duncan was never one for big endorsement deals or look- at-me press conferences, which is why he was often overshad- owed in the public eye by more outsized personalities like the James and Kobe Bryant, who also retired this year after 20 seasons, all with the Los Ange- les Lakers. But he leaves this game as one of the league’s true giants, perhaps the best power forward to ever play and one who left as indelible a mark on his franchise as any player to come before him. AP Photo/Gregory Bull German gymnast Oksana Chusovitina performs during the artistic gymnastics women’s vault final at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Chusovitina will compete at her sev- enth Olympics when she goes to Rio de Janeiro, becom- ing the oldest Olympic female gymnast in history at age 41. At 41, Chusovitina prepares for seventh McLaughlin, 16, earns spot to Rio Olympics Olympic Games By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer EUGENE — Fast fact: Teenager Syd- ney McLaughlin can juggle on a unicycle. That’s nothing compared to this: The 16-year-old is headed to Rio as the young- est to make the U.S. Olympic track team since 1972. And to think, the 400-meter hurdles phenom had a panic attack before the start of the trials. She thought the stage might be a tad too big for her. It wasn’t. McLaughlin, a soon-to-be senior at Union Catholic in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, inished third on Sunday, behind winner Dalilah Muhammad and Ashley Spencer. “Sometimes, I just forget that I’m 16,” McLaughlin said. “There’s not as much expectation. You know, I don’t get paid for this. I’m here just for fun.” Once she got to work, she certainly had a ball. She planned to celebrate by going out for dinner. On her menu — a cheese- burger, maybe some sweet potato fries, and possibly topped off with a slice of cheesecake. “I want be like her when I grow up,” said the 23-year-old Spencer. “At 16 years AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez Sydney McLaughlin reacts to her third-place finish in the finals of the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Sunday, in Eugene. old, I wasn’t doing anything. I was run- ning track, but it was like, meh? She’s an Olympian.” It has always taken a bit of coaxing to get McLaughlin to the starting line — both as a kid, when her father bribed her with a chocolate bar with almonds to keep her running at 6, and just before the trials. But her high school coach, Mike McCabe, has a counseling degree that he put to good use. He told her it was only nerves and everyone gets them. “I think it was more self-doubt,” he explained. “It was the big stage, ‘I don’t know if I can do this, I don’t know if I belong here.’ “We shared with her that everybody has this. It’s not just her because she’s so young. The elites have it, and they’ve been doing it for years.” The pep talk hit the mark. Although, the world and American junior record holder isn’t exactly used to trailing like this. She inished in a world junior-record time of 54.15 seconds, which was still 1.27 behind Muhammad. She also was able to hold off fourth-place inisher Kori Carter. “She’s a beast,” Carter said. “She’s the truth. I was in every single heat with her and she carries herself like a pro. I know she’s going to represent the U.S. amazingly.” Cano, Lind homer to help Mariners hold off Royals By ANDREW HAMMOND Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Seattle Mariners desper- ately wanted to go into the All-Star break with a winning record. Robinson Cano and Adam Lind homered in a ive-run seventh inning and the Mari- ners held off the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Sunday. Cano’s two-run shot to deep right ield for his 21st home run of the season extended the Mariners’ lead to 5-0. Lind hit a three-run shot, his 13th, a few batters later. “A lot of good at-bats,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “Guys were grinding. Deinitely want to go to the break above .500. It was an important game for us today.” The Mariners (45-44) head into the break above .500 for the second time since 2010, after going 51-44 in 2014. The Royals scored ive runs over the inal three innings, pull- ing within three on Alex Gor- don’s homer leading off the ninth. Mike Montgomery (3-3) pitched 6 1/3 strong innings, giving up one run and ive hits, in his irst start of the season. Dillion Gee (3-3) struggled early and picked up the loss for the Royals, giving up three runs and ive hits in 3 2/3 innings. One of the key moments in Gee’s rough outing occurred in the irst inning where an errant throw on a double play oppor- tunity eventually led to Seat- tle’s irst score. “I kinda got caught in between when I came up to take a look at second,” Gee said. “It was right when the umpire was kinda like, making his way into position and I tried to slow up a little bit and it sailed on me. Just a costly mistake” By NESHA STARCEVIC AP Sports Writer BERGISCH-GLAD- BACH, Germany — In the retro-looking gym that serves as the talent-honing center for Germany’s potential Olym- pian gymnasts, girls aged six and seven in leotards execute their somersaults and back lips under watchful trainers. From a distance, it is dif- icult to distinguish Oksana Chusovitina from the kids. However, she has a son who is about three times the age of the young aspiring gymnasts. Only when she approaches, do features on her small frame reveal differences: The mus- cles hardened by years of top- level competition, and the lines around the face tell of experience. Chusovitina will compete at her seventh Olympics when she goes to Rio de Janeiro, becoming the oldest Olympic female gymnast in history at age 41. “I am feeling good,” she said, speaking German in an interview with The Associated Press. “On the podium, every- one is the same whether you are 40 or 16. You have to go out and do your routine and your jumps. “But it’s a pity there are no points for age,” she added, breaking into an easy smile. Chusovitina, back repre- senting her native Uzbeki- stan, is an anachronism in an age when gymnasts enter major competitions at 16, and most are teenagers. A legal limit was imposed to prevent ever younger girls coming to competitions. Her dedication and love of the sport keep her going, she said. “I have no pain, no prob- lems. The toughest for me is to wait until the next training,” Chusovitina said. As the Olympics approach, she trains two, three hours a day, or as she puts it, “not so much.” About 1.50-meters (ive- feet) tall and weighing about 43 kilograms (95 pounds), Chuso- vitina looks very it. She cannot really pinpoint the reason for her competitive longevity. “I don’t know how I stay it, I think you have to ask my mother,” she said, suggesting good genes. “I love this sport, I love training, I am always eager to train,” Chusovitina said. Chusovitina’s best chance for a medal in Rio is the vault, in which she won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games, then competing for Germany. She has 10 medals in the vault at world championships, plus one in the loor. But she is reluctant to speak about a podium inish in Rio. “I don’t want to talk about the podium or the medals. I irst want to prepare in the time before the games, ly to Brazil, and be healthy,” she said. Speaking of which, Chuso- vitina said she was not wor- ried about the Zika virus even though some top male golfers, notably, have pulled out of the Olympics because of fears of getting infected. “I am not lying to Brazil to get pregnant,” she said, laugh- ing loudly.
