S PORTS
www.hoodrivernews.com
Eagles focused on winning first-ever CRC title
Hood River News, Wednesday, May 6, 2015
A7
SPORTS BRIEFS
HRV splits doubleheader with The Dalles, but closes in on taking the Columbia River Conference
By MIKE WEBER
For the News
Photo by Derek Wiley
HRV got off to a good start in Game 1 of Friday’s doubleheader in The
Dalles in part due to the pitching of Patrick Harvey, who pitched the en-
tire game, giving up four hits and striking out three batters over the
course of five innings.
The Hood River Valley High Eagles baseball team has enjoyed
remarkable success this year at Traner Field where they’ve post-
ed a sparkling 6-1 record. If their home cooking continues this
week, the Eagles will very likely win their first ever Columbia
River Conference championship Friday when they face the
Pendleton Buckaroos.
After Friday’s contest, HRV meets the Hermiston Bulldogs in
Hermiston May 12, followed by the CRC finale May 15 at home ver-
sus The Dalles Riverhawks. Winning the CRC title would provide
coach Erich Harjo’s Eagles with an automatic Class 5A OSAA
state playoff berth and a probable first round home game May 27.
“We’ve had high expectations since the beginning of the sea-
son,” said Harjo. “We have an experienced team (seven seniors)
and we won lots of road playoff games last year. That experience
is definitely going to be a benefit for us this season. We’ve worked
hard on pitching and defense and those areas have definitely been
the strength for our team. As long as we continue to pitch well and
play good defense, then we’ll always have a chance to win. Even on
days that we don’t hit as well, I still think we’ll be in position to
have a chance to get a win by the end of the game.”
After splitting a doubleheader last Friday at The Dalles, the No.
9-ranked Eagles (14-7 overall, 6-2 CRC) now have an excellent op-
portunity to win the CRC title. An HRV win Tuesday against their
See HRV, Page A8
MIDFIELDER CHARLIE COHN (No. 8) scrambles for a ground ball with fellow middie Alex Ellifritz (No. 23) during Friday’s game against OES.
HRV on playoff bubble after loss to OES
News staff writer
A promising start in the first quarter
wasn’t enough for the HRV boys lacrosse
team to overcome Oregon Episcopal
School Friday in Hood River, who bested
the Eagles, 15-5, after HRV relinquished a
three-goal lead it had built at the start of
the game.
The defeat was the latest against a
league opponent for HRV, which puts the
team at 1-3 on the season against other
teams in the Columbia League and in a
precarious position for playoff qualifica-
tions with just two games left in the regu-
lar season. HRV won a non-league game
Monday against King’s Way Christian
High School (Vancouver, Wash.), which
put the Eagles’ overall record at 7-5, but did
little to improve the team’s playoff
chances.
OES, who currently sits near the top of
the Columbia League standings, looked
disjointed in the first quarter against HRV
on Friday, unable to score while the Eagles
ran circles around them. The sizable
crowd at the evening game roared its ap-
proval.
“First quarter we started off hot and
went up 3-nothing on them, which was
awesome,” said coach Matt Luchsinger.
HRV drew first blood early in the open-
ing quarter thanks to midfielder Bruce
Ostler, who scored with 9:57 remaining.
The Eagles had plenty of good chances for
the remainder of the quarter, but weren’t
able to add to their 1-0 lead until attack
Levi Glass scored with 1:31 left and fellow
attack Henry Barton followed in quick suc-
cession to score with 47.7 seconds left.
From there, it was all downhill for HRV,
with OES rallying for six unanswered
goals in the second to close out the first
half up 6-3. OES held the lead and expand-
ed it in the second half and things got
worse for the Eagles, who, already down
midfielders, lost Eliot Kramer due to a con-
cussion.
“That was a disadvantage for the guys in
the second half, who started to break down
mentally,” said Luchsinger, “and when you
get tired, the fundamentals go away.”
HRV had issues with winning faceoffs
and ground balls in the second half — fun-
damentals that Luchsinger has been harp-
ing on all season as keys to a successful
game — but with the shortcomings,
Luchsinger saw plenty of positives.
“They fought hard, and it was probably
the cleanest game I’d ever seen them play,”
he said of his team. “There was only one
penalty the entire game, and it was on
OES.”
Lunchsinger added that on attack, Glass
and Ostler both had good games, as well as
one of the few seniors on the team, defend-
er and captain Alex Buschaver, whom he
said “has really stepped up to the plate and
is working hard to keep the defense in
check.”
HRV is currently fifth out of seven
teams in the Columbia League, with the
top two teams guaranteed a spot in the
playoffs, and making an HRV appearance
in the post-season at this point unlikely,
but not impossible.
“I think we still have a shot; however, we
still have to win our next two away
games,” Luchsinger said of contests at
Cleveland (May 7) and Central Catholic
(May 14). “That’s going to be a battle. We’re
right on the cusp, which seems to happen
to us every year that it comes down to one
game at the end of the season.”
If that doesn’t happen, HRV will get the
chance to compete in the Cascade Cup,
which is comprised of the 16 teams that
didn’t make the playoffs.
“The cool thing is if we don’t make the
playoffs, I think we have a great chance of
going a ways into that tournament,”
Luchsinger noted.
Good effort from HRV not enough to defeat The Dalles
Eagles softball swept in close contests during Friday’s road doubleheader
By BEN MITCHELL
Hart, who advanced to third on a passed ball, and then Munn and
Jessica Karr, who both stole home on subsequent plays to knot
In its push to the playoffs, Hood River Valley was looking to the game at 4-4.
With a quick three outs by The Dalles, HRV grabbed its first
make significant headway last Friday in a softball doubleheader
against The Dalles/Dufur — a team one spot ahead of The Eagles lead of either game when once again, Winans scored off a Munn
double. On the next play, DeHart advanced from third after JoJo
in the Columbia River Conference standings.
Despite a good effort from HRV players, the Eagles (9-13 over- Karr hit a hard ground ball to short stop, which was good for a
all, 2-6 CRC) fell short in their games against the Riverhawks (13- single and pushed HRV’s lead out to 6-4. Munn then stole home to
8, 5-3), dropping the first contest 13-8, and narrowly losing the sec- score the last run for HRV.
Unfortunately for HRV, the lead didn’t last. The Dalles scored
ond game, 8-7.
The Eagles had their backs against the wall in the early part of two runs in the bottom of the fifth to narrow its deficit to one.
Game 1, falling behind 7-0 after three innings. HRV got on the Both teams couldn’t score in the fifth and after another goose egg
board in the top of the fourth thanks to a single by Kaylin Winans in the top of the sixth, The Dalles reclaimed its lead in the bottom
of the same inning after scoring two runs.
that allowed Breanna Weekly to score; Jenni
HRV had a chance for a rebuttal in the top
Packer was close behind, scoring on a passed
of the seventh, but could only muster one
ball. After a scoreless bottom of the fourth
hit. Despite outhitting The Dalles, 13-10,
from The Dalles, HRV came within striking
and playing error-free softball, HRV went
distance after scoring three runs in the top of
down, 8-7.
the fifth to make it 7-5, The Dalles. The first
“We fought hard in both contests,” said
run came from Zoe Munn, who scored off a
coach Eric Keller, “but came up short.”
double, courtesy of Kelsey Wells, who would
Leading the way for HRV over the two
then find her way home on a steal. Packer
ERIC KELLER
games were Munn and Winans, who both
would score the other run for HRV that in-
had five hits total; Munn in eight at-bats
ning.
HRV wasn’t able to close the gap any more, though, and would and Winans in seven. Munn and JoJo Karr led with two RBI
have to chase the Riverhawks for the remaining innings. The apiece and DeHart led HRV’s scoring category with three runs.
Winans and McNerney split duties on the pitching mound in
Dalles responded to HRV’s rally with a three-run fifth inning to
go up 10-5, but another three-run inning put HRV within two once game one, each pitching three innings. Winans allowed 10 hits
again at the top of the sixth. A single from JoJo Karr sent her sis- and seven runs and struck out two, while McNerney gave up
ter, Jessica, home for the first run; Jessica DeHart stole home for eight hits and six runs (four earned runs), struck out two and
the second run, and Wells also stole home for what would be walked one; Winans was charged with the loss. McNerney
HRV’s final run of the game. The Dalles added another three pitched all of the second game for HRV and gave up 10 hits,
runs in the bottom of the sixth, and the Eagles couldn’t add any walked three, and struck out five in six innings.
As of Tuesday morning, HRV was still a game ahead of Her-
in the top of the seventh, bringing the first game of the double-
miston in the race for the final play-in spot to give one of the
header to an end.
The second game began in similar fashion to the first, with teams a shot at reaching the post-season. The No. 20-ranked Ea-
The Dalles coming out of the gate fast by putting up four runs in gles were scheduled to face No. 10-ranked The Dalles again Tues-
the bottom of the second. HRV answered with similar gusto in day at 4:30 p.m., then host Pendleton, ranked first in 5A, on Fri-
the top of the third, scoring four runs. Munn got things rolling day at 4:30 p.m.
for HRV with a double that sent Winans home, followed by De-
News staff writer
‘We fought hard in both
contests, but we came up
short.’
KEITH BASSHAM, who is retiring this year as HRVH-
S’ athletic director, was recently named 5A and 4A-6A
Athletic Director of the Year by the Oregon Athletic Di-
rectors Association. Representing the Columbia River
Conference are, left to right: Mike Somnis, AD for The
Dalles; Blaine Ganova, AD for Hermiston; Bassham;
and Troy Jerome, AD for Pendleton.
Bassham voted Oregon’s 5A/large school AD
of the Year
Photo by Ben Mitchell
By BEN MITCHELL
Photo by Tom Ames
The 46th Annual Oregon Athletic Directors Associ-
ation State Conference was held April 17-21 at Sun
River Resort in Bend. In attendance were all four of
the 5A Columbia River Conference athletic directors
including CRC President and Hood River Valley High
School Athletic Director Keith Bassham, CRC Vice
President Troy Jerome (Pendleton), CRC Treasurer
Blaine Ganvoa (Hermiston) and CRC Secretary Mike
Somnis (The Dalles). Also in attendance was new
HRVHS AD Tom Ames. During the conference, Keith
Bassham received the award for the 5A Athletic Di-
rector of the Year. Keith, completing his eighth year as
AD for HRVHS and his 35th year with the Hood River
County School District, was proud to have been nom-
inated by the CRC and the staff at HRVHS. “To be
chosen amongst the 37 hardworking 5A athletic di-
rectors in Oregon was indeed an honor and I’m ex-
cited that I was able to represent our amazing school
and community.” Later in the evening, the OADA
awarded Lynn Cowdrey of 1A Alsea, the 1A-3A (small
school) Athletic Director of the Year and named
Bassham as the 4A-6A (large school) Athletic Direc-
tor of the Year. A thoroughly surprised Bassham was
able to thank many of his cohorts from throughout
Oregon for their “help and co-operation through the
years and their strong support of their own schools in
building schedules and relationships.” Former HRVHS
Athletic Director Glenn Elliott, who was AD of the
Year in 2002, was also in the audience and was
praised by Bassham for helping to make HRVHS “a
class act” during his 19 years (1983-2002) with the
Eagles.
Boys tennis splits trip to Central Oregon
The HRV boys tennis team traveled to Madras on
Saturday to face Bend and Summit. The Eagles had a
rough outing against Summit, getting swept and los-
ing most matches by wide margins to the power-
house team. “Summit is really good and is possibly
the best team in the state,” said coach Jon Hiatt. “We
competed well, but just didn’t have enough to break
through in that match.” HRV fared much better with
its match against Bend, winning 5-3 after battling
through some close games. The Eagles swept singles
play, with Scottie Ziegner winning his match, 6-1, 6-0
as well as Cooper Holzman (5-7, 6-4, 10-8), Will Fer-
rick (6-1, 6-4), and Alden Sova (6-2 6-4). The lone win
for the team in doubles came from the pair of Cole
Shepherd and Sawyer Bogard, who handily defeated
their opponents, 6-1, 6-2; Jorge Calderon and Hugo
Sandoval nearly came away with their match, going
down in a tight No. 3 doubles contest that wound up
7-5, 4-6, 1-10. The Eagles next travel to Hermiston for
a match with the Bulldogs Wednesday.
Youth track camp May 9
The HRVHS varsity track team will host a youth
track camp for kids grades 2 through 7 on Saturday,
May 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the high school track.
Camp will include a learning session with varsity
track athletes, followed by a “mini-meet” with rib-
bons to test participants’ newly-gained skills. Regis-
tration is from 9 a.m. to 10 on the track; cost is $15
per participant. All proceeds will go toward helping a
local family pay their extensive medical bills (who
wishes to remain anonymous) after their elementary-
age son recently got out of the hospital after spend-
ing multiple months there due to a rare virus. Those
with questions can contact Parker Irusta at 541-490-
5587 or parkerirusta@gmail.com
Weekend runs on Mosier Twin Tunnels Trail
Two runs will occur on the Mosier Twin Tunnels
Trail this weekend, which as of now, is forecast to
have warm, sunny weather. The first run is the Second
Annual Lila May Tutu Trot: a fundraiser for Lila May
Schow, a local 4-year-old who has had to undergo ar-
duous, expensive treatments for neuroblastoma. The
race start time is at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 9; cost is
$20 per participant. The race consist of a kids’ race
and a 3K/5K/10K walk/run. For more information, go
to lilamaytututrot.com. On Sunday, the Mother’s Day
Run/Walk will go off at 9 a.m. after a free 200-meter
kids’ run starts at 8:55. The 3K/5K/12K race costs $8
without shirt, $18 with if you pre-register by May 7;
$10 without and $20 if you register the day of. All
proceeds will benefit Mosier schools. For complete
race information, go to www.mosierschool.com.
Girls tennis final home match Wednesday
The HRV girls tennis squad has had a challenging
season, but will battle the Hermiston Bulldogs at the
Tsuruta courts this Wednesday in what is the team’s
final scheduled home match this spring. The match
starts at 4 p.m. The team will next travel to Hermis-
ton May 15-16 for the District Championships.