10A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017
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Gary Henley | Sports Reporter
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Athletes of the Week
(FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 8-13)
DARIAN
HAGEMAN
Astoria
MASON
HOVER
Knappa
DALE
TAKALO
Knappa
Krissy Barendse-Goodman/For The Daily Astorian
he Northwest League title is always a given for the Knappa baseball pro-
T
gram. And the Loggers formally clinched this year’s title with “our best
pitching performance of the year,” said coach Jeff Miller, after a 9-2 win at Ver-
hree” was the magic number for the Astoria junior last week. In her
‘T
third year of high school track, Hageman won three events in the Cow-
apa League championship meet in St. Helens Friday and Saturday. She cleared
nonia May 9. Takalo pitched four-and-a-third innings, and Hoover fi nished, as
the two combined on a four-hitter, with 13 strikeouts and two walks. Three
days later, Knappa swept Vernonia 13-3 and 14-3 in a doubleheader at CMH
Field. Takalo was 5-for-7 at the plate with a double, and Hoover was 4-for-6
with a double in both games. The bad news for the rest of the Northwest
League — both Hoover and Takalo are juniors for the No. 2-ranked Loggers.
a season-best 10-6 in the pole vault, jumped 17-2 in the long jump and 37-3½
in the triple jump. Hageman tied for the title in the high jump, clearing 5-2
along with Valley Catholic’s Kate MacNaughton. Hageman’s victories helped
Astoria to its third straight Cowapa League title. The Lady Fishermen now
have their sights set on their third straight state title this week. An Astoria
state championship would be the fi rst time that a 4A team has won three in a
row since Henley won three straight in 2007, ’08 and ’09. Summit has won 10
straight championships at the 5A level.
EASTERN
CONFERENCE FINALS
Logger girls win
one and lose one
The Daily Astorian
FOREST GROVE —
One year after a disappoint-
ing, season-ending loss to
Neah-Kah-Nie in a North-
west League playoff, the
Knappa softball team evened
the score Wednesday.
Competing in the league
playoffs at Pacifi c University,
the Lady Loggers opened
with an 8-4 win over
Neah-Kah-Nie in
Game 1, end-
ing the Pirates’
season.
But Knap-
pa’s
season
came to a close
just hours later,
as Gaston scored a
10-7, loser-out victory
over the Loggers to earn the
Northwest League’s No. 2
seed. Knappa fi nishes the
season 8-17 overall.
In Wednesday’s opening
win over the Pirates, Neah-
Kah-Nie scored three runs
in the top of the fi rst, but
Knappa answered with four
runs in its fi rst at-bat.
Jaden Miethe drew a lead-
off walk, and Alisha Murphy
and Paris Vanderburg fol-
lowed with singles.
The Pirates committed an
error on a grounder by Kait-
lyn Truax, scoring Miethe;
Madelynn Weaver reached
on another error that score
Murphy; and a bases-loaded
walk to Laciee Hendrickson
scored Vanderburg.
The Loggers tacked on
two runs in the second and
two in the fi fth.
Knappa had just fi ve hits,
but took advantage of 11
walks.
Weaver allowed six hits,
with six strikeouts and three
walks.
Truax had a double for her
only hit, and drove in four
runs. Vanderburg had one hit
and walked three times.
TODAY
Softball — 4A Regional Play-
in: Astoria at North Bend, 4 p.m.;
Lewis & Clark Playoff: Clatskanie
vs. Warrenton (at St. Helens), 4
p.m.
Track — 3A/2A/1A OSAA State
Meet, Eugene, TBA
FRIDAY
Baseball — 4A Regional Play-
in: Gladstone at Astoria, 5 p.m.
Track — 6A-1A OSAA State
Meet, Eugene, TBA
SATURDAY
Track — 6A/5A/4A OSAA State
Meet, Eugene, TBA
SOFTBALL
Game 1
Knappa 8, Neah-Kah-Nie 4
By KYLE HIGHTOWER
Associated Press
Gaston 10, Knappa 7
It was Gaston that built
an early lead in the second
game, as the Greyhounds
scored eight runs in
the bottom of the
second for a 9-3
advantage after
three innings.
Gaston still
led 10-5 going
into the top of
the seventh, when
the Loggers staged a
brief rally.
Truax led off with a solo
home run, and Weaver fol-
lowed with a single, took sec-
ond on an error and advanced
to third on a passed ball. She
scored on a grounder by
Hendrickson, but that would
be Knappa’s last run, as Gas-
ton pitcher Charity Hall
struck out the fi nal batter to
preserve the win.
Weaver gave up 11
hits in the loss, while Hall
allowed eight hits with four
strikeouts.
“Gaston hit the ball
well, and had that one good
inning,” said Knappa coach
James Nichols. “Otherwise,
we played right with them.
“We’ve got a lot com-
ing back next year,” he said.
“Madelynn and K.K. (Truax)
both return, and Paris has
really come on and hit the
ball well the last couple
weeks. Knappa softball has a
bright future.”
SCOREBOARD
PREP SCHEDULE
LeBron, Love
help Cavs rout
Celtics 117-104
Neah-Kah-Nie 300 100 0—4 6 3
Knappa
420 020 x—8 5 2
WP: Madelynn Weaver (6 K’s, 3
walks). LP: Hannah Grider (3 K’s,
7 walks). RBI: NKN, Lilly, Nelson;
Kna, Truax 4, Hendrickson, Van-
derburg, Weaver, McCall. 2B: Kna,
Truax. HBP: NKN, Grider; Kna,
Murphy. LOB: Neah-Kah-Nie 6,
Knappa 10.
Game 2
Gaston 10, Knappa 7
Knappa
120 020 2—7 8 3
Gaston
081 001 x—10 11 4
WP: Charity Hall (4 K’s, 2 walks).
LP: Madelynn Weaver (0 K’s, 2
walks). RBI: Kna, Truax 2, Hen-
drickson 2, Murphy, Weaver; Gst,
Heisler 2, Bassel 2, Clark 2, Hall,
Jordan, Moore, Zawadney. 3B:
Gst, Hall, Watkins. HR: Kna, Tru-
ax. LOB: Knappa 7, Gaston 4.
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Christian Bergman throws to an Oakland Athlet-
ics batter during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday in Seattle.
Bergman has best career start
in Mariners’ 4-0 win over A’s
By DAIMON EKLUND
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Christian Bergman had the
best start of his career right when the Seattle
Mariners needed it.
Bergman pitched into the eighth inning
Wednesday night, holding the Oakland Ath-
letics to two hits with a career-high nine
strikeouts in Seattle’s 4-0 win.
It was the fi rst time in his career Berg-
man (1-1) had reached the eighth inning in a
start, and his strikeout total tied James Paxton
for the most in a game by a Mariners pitcher
this year. He held Oakland without a hit until
the fi fth and earned his fi rst win since May 5,
2016, when he was a member of the Rock-
ies. It was his fi rst win as a starter since Sept.
21, 2014.
After the game, Bergman said the strike-
outs, more than anything, made him realize
this was a special night.
“If I strike out fi ve or six in a game it feels
like 10. It’s not something I normally do,”
Bergman said. “It felt like a lot tonight. It was
a good night.”
UP NEXT: MARINERS
• Chicago White Sox (17-21)
at Seattle Mariners (19-22)
• Today, 7:10 p.m. TV: CSCh, RTNW
Bergman’s start gave the Mariners’ bullpen
a much-needed rest. Seattle has already used
nine starters this season, tied for the league
high, and the bullpen has been taxed recently.
“We talked before the game what we
needed to do to give our bullpen a breather,”
Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “I think
it was only the second time our starters got us
into the eighth inning. It’s been a while.”
Bergman, who was making his 17th start
in 58 career appearances, joined the Mariners
when he was selected from Triple-A Tacoma
on May 7. He gave up seven hits and three
runs over fi ve innings in his previous start at
Toronto on Friday. He quickly showed this
time out would be different, retiring the fi rst
six batters of the game with three strikeouts.
He walked just two, one of them coming in
the eighth to the fi nal batter he faced.
BOSTON — So much for the
Cavaliers being rusty.
LeBron James embarrassed
every defender Boston threw
at him and Cleveland picked
up where it left off following
a long layoff, rolling to a 117-
104 victory Wednesday night in
Game 1 of the Eastern Confer-
ence fi nals.
James had 38 points, nine
rebounds and seven assists.
Kevin Love added a playoff
career-high 32 points and had 12
rebounds to help the Cavaliers
improve to 9-0 in the fi rst three
rounds of the playoffs. They
opened 10-0 last season en route
to their fi rst NBA title.
“It was our two bigs that set
the tone — Kev and Double-T
(Tristan Thompson), they were
phenomenal,” James said. “I saw
it in Kev this morning. I knew
what type of game he was going
to have. So he came through for
us.”
But there’s no denying it has
started with James, who has
scored at least 35 points in fi ve
straight games.
Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue
said James’ effi ciency continues
to make things easier for every-
one on both ends.
“He’s playing at a high level.
And that’s the reason why we’re
riding him so much,” Lue said.
“When LeBron’s playing at that
level other guys just have to be
solid and we have a good chance
to win.”
Game 2 is Friday night in
Boston.
Early rash of injuries causing daily headaches for Seattle
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
SEATTLE — In Robin-
son Cano, Felix Hernandez
and James Paxton, the Seattle
Mariners might have more star
power on the disabled list than
on the active roster.
Seattle has been slammed
with injuries through the fi rst
six weeks of the season, leav-
ing a club expected to contend
in the American League des-
perately trying hang around
.500 in the hope of getting close
to full health near midseason.
Seattle has not played
a game all season with the
starting lineup and rotation it
expected when spring training
began in February, instead end-
ing up in a constant scramble
just to fi nd 25 players.
“I don’t know if there is
any rationalization behind it.
We’ve gotten bit by the bug,”
Seattle manager Scott Servais
said.
“I’ve never gone through
anything like this, ever,” Ser-
vais added.
The injuries have created a
dizzying whirlwind of activity
in the front offi ce. Seattle has
made 69 transactions on the
40-man roster since the start
of the regular season. From
May 9 through Wednesday, the
Mariners were forced to make
16 roster moves, most of them
to a depleted staff that used 24
pitchers in the fi rst 40 games.
For general manager Jerry
Dipoto, it’s been a daily chore
trying to piece together the
roster.
“It’s a challenge for
the players,” Dipoto said.
“Through absolute neces-
sity, we’ve thrown a lot of
new faces on a lot of different
days, and we don’t have much
choice.”
It’s not so much the quan-
tity of injuries — although it’s
becoming a signifi cant total —
but the quality of the players
that have gone down.
Four of Seattle’s fi ve pro-
jected opening day rotation
members are on the DL, and
only Paxton (forearm strain)
has a chance of being back
around June 1. Hernandez
(shoulder infl ammation) likely
won’t return until mid-June,
Drew Smyly (fl exor strain)
has yet to throw a regular-sea-
son pitch and Hisashi Iwakuma
(shoulder infl ammation) could
be out until July.