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10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 CONTACT US FOLLOW US facebook.com/ DailyAstorianSports Gary Henley | Sports Reporter ghenley@dailyastorian.com COLLEGE WORLD SERIES FINALS Beavers bite back, force Game 3 Oregon State wins 5-3; Razorbacks crying over foul UP NEXT: CWS FINALS GAME 3 • Arkansas Razorbacks (1-1) vs Oregon State Beavers (1-1) • Today, 3:30 p.m. TV: ESPN2 By ERIC OLSON Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. — Oregon State hadn’t been able to catch a break in the College World Series finals. And then the ninth inning happened Wednesday night. Three Arkansas fielders watched a foul ball drop between them with two outs. If one of them catches the ball, the Razorbacks would have locked up the national championship. No one did. Cadyn Grenier singled in the tying run, and Trevor Larnach followed with a two-run homer into the right- field bullpen to give the Beavers the lead in a 5-3 win that forced a third and deciding third game on Thursday night. “As soon as you see the ball drop, you know you have another life,” Gre- nier said. “I needed to refocus and make the most of that extra life we got. That’s a gift.” AP Photo/Nati Harnik Oregon State’s Cadyn Grenier, center left, and Adley Rutschman (35) celebrate with teammates after Trevor Larnach hit a two-run home run against Arkansas that scored Grenier during the ninth inning of Wednesday’s Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball fi- nals in Omaha, Neb. Arkansas (48-20) turned back the Beavers (54-12-1) when they threat- ened in the sixth and eighth innings, and they were in position to do the same in the ninth if not for the bun- gled foul ball. Zach Clayton, who pinch ran for Zak Taylor after a walk leading off the ninth, was on third when Grenier came up to bat with the entire stadium on its feet. On a 1-1 pitch from Matt Cro- nin (2-2), Grenier popped the ball high behind first base and toward the stands. There was plenty of room to make the catch, and second baseman Carson Shaddy, first baseman Jared Gates and right fielder Eric Cole con- verged. No one took charge and the ball hit the ground. “I was running and didn’t hear any- body call it, and I overran it,” Shaddy said. While the ball was in the air, Gre- nier said, he hoped it would flare off into the stands. “I knew I hit it decently deep so it wasn’t going to be a routine pop foul catch,” he said. “It wasn’t. It landed in a spot between three guys, and it worked to our advantage.” Cronin took a moment to compose himself, wiping his brow and adjust- ing his hat. His next pitch was way high and, after a foul ball, Grenier sent a drive into left field to score Clayton. Mariners beat Orioles 8-7 in 11 innings SPORTS IN BRIEF George decides to become free agent By DAVID GINSBURG Associated Press BALTIMORE — The Seattle Mariners have made a habit this year of mounting comebacks, win- ning by one run and prevailing in extra innings. They combined all three of those traits in a rousing, dra- ma-filled matchup with the Balti- more Orioles. Denard Span hit a tiebreak- ing sacrifice fly in the 11th inning after Kyle Seager delivered a two- run homer in the ninth, and the Mariners pulled out an 8-7 victory Wednesday night. Playing without injured Nel- son Cruz for a second straight game, Seattle got a home run from Ryon Healy and collected 14 hits while improving its record in extra innings to 7-0. It was the Mariners’ major league-leading 25th one-run vic- tory, and it marked the 16th come- back win in which they have taken the lead in the seventh inning or later. In this one, Seattle gave up a deflating three-run homer to Chris Davis in the eighth inning before rallying. “We’ve had some great wins this year. We’ve done a lot of this at home,” manager Scott Servais said. “To do this on the road, after giving up the big home run in the eighth inning, it’s how we’re wired. We play all 27 outs, guys don’t quit. They figure out and find a way.” The Mariners came to town having lost six of seven. Now, after winning three straight over the lowly Orioles, they can complete the first four-game road sweep of Baltimore in franchise history. SCOREBOARD LOCAL SPORTS SCHEDULE TODAY Junior state baseball — Knappa at Clatskanie, 5 p.m. SATURDAY Baseball — Warrenton Alumni day, noon BASEBALL Game 1 Warrenton 7, Neah-Kah-Nie 0 NeahKahNie 000 000 0—0 0 5 Warrenton 010 105 x—7 8 1 Wagner and Derek; Jackson and Mor- row. W: Jackson. L: Wagner. RBI: War, Falls, Knight, Caldwell, Little. 2B: War, Breitmeyer. HBP: War, Jackson. LOB: Neah-Kah-Nie 6, Warrenton 5. Game 2 Warrenton 12, Neah-Kah-Nie 2 NeahKahNie 020 00—2 3 3 Warrenton 452 1x—12 7 1 K.Pieper, Loza (1), A.Pieper (3) and Montes; Little and Morrow. W: Little. L: K.Pieper. RBI: War, Breitmeyer 3, Knight 2, Little. 2B: War, Caldwell, Knight, Jack- son. 3B: War, Breitmeyer. HBP: NKN, K.Pieper; War, Kapua 2, Morrow 2, Knight. LOB: Neah-Kah-Nie 3, Warren- ton 5. DP: Neah-Kah-Nie. Grenier pumped his fist as he ran to first and punched the air twice more when he rounded the base. Larnach’s 19th homer of the sea- son ramped up the celebration in the Beavers’ dugout. Kevin Abel (7-1), who pitched the eighth, gave way to closer Jake Mulholland in the ninth. The game ended when Mulholland fielded Casey Martin’s comebacker and threw to second to start a double play. “You’ve got to move on,” said Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn, whose team had been 44-0 when lead- ing after eight innings. “You can’t take it back. It’s over. Get your head up and start getting your mind right because it’s going to be tomorrow before you know it and we need to come out here and give ourselves a chance.” The Beavers have been the hot- test hitting team throughout the CWS but struggled to convert chances in the finals until they caught their huge break in the ninth inning. They had runners on first and third with none out in the sixth when Kyle Nobach popped up a bunt that pitcher Kole Ramage caught. Ramage then threw back to third to double off Gre- nier, and a groundout ended the inning. Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Alec Herrera slides home safe for Warrenton. Warrenton takes two from Neah-Kah-Nie The Daily Astorian W ARRENTON — Four games in two days was a bit too much for the Neah-Kah- Nie summer baseball team — espe- cially when all four games were in Clatsop County, against league cham- pions from bigger schools. One day after a doubleheader loss at Astoria (9-1, 9-2), the Pirates found themselves outmatched Wednesday against a Warrenton team that was also fresh off a league championship in the spring. The Warriors handed Neah-Kah- Nie’s summer team (Hixson Trucking) two more losses, 7-0 and 12-2. In two days and 26 innings of baseball, the Pirates struck out 36 times. Warrenton pitcher Devin Jackson threw a no-hitter in Game 1, and Aus- tin Little only had to work five innings in Game 2, as the Warriors ended the game via the 10-run mercy rule. “It’s always a little more exciting when somebody throws a no-hitter,” said Warrenton coach Lennie Wolfe. “And with credit to Devin, he came back from a break yesterday, and threw a bullpen (session) this morning, just to prepare himself a little more.” Jackson walked five, but struck out 13. Still, the Warriors led just 2-0 through five innings, and had help in scoring the two runs, as blunders in the field by the Pirates allowed runners to score from third base in the second and LEFT: Devin Jackson sends a pitch to the plate for the Warriors. RIGHT: Kale’o Kapua lays down a bunt trying to drive in a runner at third. fourth innings. “Our baserunning was horrendous in Game 1, and we were real fortunate just to have those first two runs,” Wolfe said. The Warriors found themselves in rundowns in both games, but ended up scoring both times, as Neah-Kah- Nie committed a total of eight errors, after making seven errors in the losses to Astoria. At the plate, the Pirates struck out a combined 18 times against the Fisher- men, and struck out 18 more times in 12 innings vs. the Warriors. Warrenton had eight hits in the opener, which included three hits apiece for Gabe Breitmeyer and Dal- ton Knight. Ethan Caldwell had an RBI single late in Game 1, then added a double in Game 2, for his first career hits. Breitmeyer added another three hits, including a triple, in Game 2, to go with three RBIs. Knight had a double and drove in two runs in the nightcap, while three Neah-Kah-Nie pitchers combined to hit five batters and walk four. Little tossed a three-hitter, with five strikeouts and a walk. Warrenton hosts its annual Alumni Day at noon Saturday. Players must have either played or coached baseball at Warrenton to participate in the game. Suggested donations of $10-$20 per player will be accepted after the game to help the Warrenton junior state baseball program. Following the alumni game, the Warriors will stage their second annual home run derby, sponsored by Warren- ton Fultano’s/Bubba’s. Entry fee is $10 for seven balls. Monday at CMH Field, Knappa will play Astoria at 4 p.m., followed by a single game between the Loggers and Warriors. Paul George turned down one option and created a slew of new ones. George has decided not to exercise his $20.7 million option for next season with the Okla- homa City Thunder, a person with knowledge of the situation said Thursday. George will become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday. The person spoke to The Asso- ciated Press on condition of ano- nymity Thursday because neither George nor the team has publicly announced his decision. ESPN first reported George’s decision about the option year. It was not an unexpected move for George, who averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals for the Thunder this past season. By not opting in to the final year of his existing deal, George opens up an array of possibilities — such as going elsewhere, possibly the Los Angeles Lakers, or sign- ing a new deal with Oklahoma City. He is also expected to be pur- sued by the Houston Rockets, who finished this past season with the NBA’s best regular-season record. ‘Dark day for German football’ after World Cup elimination KAZAN, Russia — Every- one was waiting for Germany to score another late World Cup-sav- ing goal. It never came. Instead, the Germans have become the fourth defending cham- pions in the last five tournaments to be eliminated in the group stage fol- lowing a 2-0 loss to South Korea on Wednesday. The four-time champions allowed a pair of injury-time goals while knowing a 1-0 victory would have been enough to advance because of the result in the other group match. “It’s very, very hard to put it into words,” said Germany defender Mats Hummels, a member of the team that won in Brazil four years ago. “We believed until the end today. Even when it was 0-1, I think we kept trying to turn it all around.” Germany ended up last in Group F while Sweden and Mexico advanced to the round of 16. South Korea was also eliminated despite the victory. It was the first time Germany has been knocked out in the first round since 1938, though the team was not allowed to enter the 1950 tournament. — Associated Press
