SPORTS
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015
Sports shorts
1B
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Prep Softball
Tebow makes
Philadelphia debut
PHILADELPHIA (AP)
— A slimmer Tim Tebow
threw passes
in shorts
while a
horde of
reporters
critiqued his
mechanics
and analyzed his arm
motion.
Welcome to Philly, Tim.
The 2007 Heisman
Trophy winner spoke to a
large gathering of media for
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signing a one-year contract
with the Philadelphia Eagles
last month.
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by Denver, Tebow is hoping
to earn a roster spot on his
fourth team after being out
of the NFL for two years.
Sam Bradford and Mark
Sanchez are the team’s two
top quarterbacks, so Tebow
will battle Matt Barkley for
the No. 3 job.
Flyg earns NAIA
academic honor
LA GRANDE — Former
Hermiston and current
Eastern Oregon softball
player Gracie Flyg has
been named to the
2015 Daktronics NAIA
Scholar-Athletes, the NAIA
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FACES announced.
The honor
is awarded to
NAIA athletes
who maintain
a 3.5 GPA or
better and have
achieved junior
Flyg
academic
standing.
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started all 45 games for the
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with a .299 batting average,
scored 16 run and drove in
17 more.
EOU completed their
season last month. They
were 18-27 on the season.
Pendle-
ton’s Dari-
an Lindsey
slides into
third base
as Liber-
ty’s Chan-
die Perez
waits for
the throw
during
the 2014
OSAA 5A
softball
state quar-
terfi nals at
Steve Cary
Field in
Pendleton.
The Bucks
won 4-1.
EO fi le photo
Familiarity adds intrigue in quarters
Pendleton, Pilot Rock, Quarterfi nal softball schedule
Weston-McEwen
Class 5A: # 10 Liberty (16-11) at #2 Pendleton (20-7), 4:30 p.m.
Class 4A: #10 Douglas (21-5) at #2 Mac-Hi (25-1), 4 p.m.
have recent history
Class 3A: #9 Echo (18-10) at #1 Dayton (24-5), 5 p.m.
with opponents
Class 2A/1A: #6 Knappa (24-3) at #3 Pilot Rock (23-2), 4 p.m.
By MATT ENTRUP
East Oregonian
The Pendleton and Liberty
softball teams have become regular
playoff opponents in recent seasons,
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years when the No. 2 Buckaroos
host the No. 10 Falcons today in the
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The teams split their previous
four meetings, with Pendleton
winning 4-1 in this round last year,
Class 2A/1A: #5 Weston-McEwen (21-6) at #4 Bonanza (20-7), 2:30 p.m.
and Liberty eliminating Pendleton
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This round also holds extra
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If that streak is to end today,
the Northwest Oregon Conference
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to cool the bats of a Pendleton team
coming off a 14-3 run-rule win over
Prep Baseball
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“They were
surprised that I
was not planning
to (appeal), but
the last thing
I want is for
people to think
I am not taking
responsibility for
my actions.“
— Brittney Griner
Phoenix Mercury star
player on the input of
fellow WNBA players,
who have been push-
ing her to appeal the
seven-game suspesion
she was given by the
league after she and
partner Glory Johnson
were arrested during a
domesitc dispute at their
home. Players feel the
punishment is too harsh,
and fear a precedent
will be set should Griner
not appeal. Johnson,
who plays for the Tulsa
Shock, does plan to
appeal her suspension,
also seven games.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1977 — A.J. Foyt
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win four Indianapolis 500
races and Janet Guthrie
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the race. Guthrie is forced to
drop out after 27 laps with
mechanical problems.
2005 — Dan Wheldon
wins the Indianapolis 500
when Danica Patrick’s
electrifying run falls short.
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to lead at Indy, getting out
front three separate times
for a total of 19 laps. But
Wheldon passes her with
seven of the 200 laps to go.
Contact us at 541-966-0838 or
sports@eastoregonian.com
Central in which they sent four
home runs over the fence at Steve
Cary Field.
Pendleton (20-7) has averaged
10.9 runs a game during its current
14-game winning streak, and soph-
omore Payton Hergert said hitting
has been the team’s priority all
season.
“Every practice we stay and
we hit until we literally can’t hit
anymore,” she said after going yard
twice against Central.
Senior third baseman and CRC
Player of the Year Darian Lindsey
also hit two home runs for the
Bucks, and said this year’s lineup
has put together a much more even
campaign than the title teams of
2012 and 2014.
“Sometimes in the past years
we would hit really good in the
beginning and then we would die
down a little bit before starting to
go up again,” said the .583 hitter
after going 3 for 3 with two walks
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season actually I haven’t really seen
a dead point in any of the games. It’s
been nice.”
See SOFTBALL/2B
Pendleton sticking
around in Corvallis for
another playoff game
By ERIK SKOPIL
East Oregonian
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their slingshots to the diamonds this after-
noon.
After earning opening round wins
Wednesday, the pair of No. 8 seeds will be
tasked with taking down the giants of their
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Since a runner-up campaign a year
ago, Cascade Christian has towered over
Class 3A, holding an undefeated record
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The top-seeded Challengers (23-3) will
provide the Tigers (20-7) with their biggest
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round in Medford.
“They have a lot of good athletes, a
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coach Bryan Johnson told The Hermiston
Herald’s Sam Barbee after Wednesday’s
17-3 win over Pleasant Hill. “We’re gonna
get the best of the best.”
Cascade Christian has played in two of
the past three state championships games,
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Pilot Rock’s Jacob Pierce throws from the mound in
the fi rst inning of the Rockets’ 7-4 win against Kenne-
dy on Wednesday in Pilot Rock.
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The weight of the Rockets (17-9)
challenge may be even greater in the Class
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are in the cards, Pilot Rock will have to
take down the champs. Monroe (26-4)
took last year’s title over Weston-McEwen
2-1 and carry a 24-game win streak into
tonight’s 4:30 p.m. match with Pilot Rock.
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Jacob Piece said of knocking off the
Dragons, following the Rockets 7-4 win
over Kennedy Wednesday. “We’ll have to
bring our A-game, but if we play like we
did today, I feel like we can get that win.”
Monroe is fresh off of a 33-3 walloping
of Gladstone Wednesday. It was the fourth
time they’d surpassed the 20-run mark
this season and the 20th time they’d broke
double digits in a game. Zack Gwillim
went 5-for-5 with three doubles and
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and Tielar Murray went 3-for-3 with a
three-run home run and four RBIs overall.
All-state pitcher Austin Crowson did
not pitch in Wednesday’s game, meaning
he’ll likely start Friday versus the Rockets.
Mike Hiatt, who struggled Wednesday,
will get the nod for Pilot Rock.
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See BASEBALL/2B
Quarterfi nal baseball schedule
Class 5A: # 14 Pendleton (13-14) at #6 Crescent Valley (20-8), 4:30 p.m.
Class 3A: 6WDQ¿HOGDW&DVFDGH&KULVWLDQSP
Class 2A/1A: #8 Pilot Rock (17-9) at #1 Monroe (26-4), 4:30 p.m.
MLB
Kluber strikes out 13 in Indians’ win over Mariners
and two walks in his
last four starts.
Kluber (3-5) gave
SEATTLE — Corey Kluber up a pair of home Cleveland
struck out 13 in seven innings to runs to Mike Zunino
win his third straight decision, in the third and
Jason Kipnis continued his hot May Dustin Ackley in the
with two hits and two RBIs, and the sixth, but Seattle was able to mount
Cleveland Indians beat the Seattle little otherwise. Kluber earned his
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Mariners 5-3 on Thursday night.
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Cleveland won for the eighth
time in 10 games, inching closer recorded by Kluber came via
WR DIWHU VWUXJJOLQJ WKH ¿UVW strikeout. He threw 112 pitches, one
six weeks of the season. Kluber, off his season high of 113 when he
the reigning AL Cy Young winner, struck out 18 against St. Louis.
Cody Allen pitched the ninth for
improved to 3-0 with 50 strikeouts
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
5
his 10th save in 11
chances.
James
Paxton
Seattle
(3-3) gave up eight
hits and three earned
runs before leaving
with two outs and a
3-0 count against Brandon Moss in
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Kipnis entered the night hitting
.447 in May and added a pair
of singles, along with an RBI
groundout in the sixth inning after
Jose Ramirez led off with a double.
Moss also homered in the second
inning off Paxton, his eighth of the
3
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allowed to a left-handed hitter in
Paxton’s young career.
Seattle looked lethargic coming
off a nine-game road trip and the
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series at Tampa Bay on Wednesday
and it didn’t help that Paxton wasn’t
sharp.
After missing high with a 2-0
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Lloyd McClendon and athletic
trainer Rob Nodine went to the
mound as Paxton shook his pitching
hand. Paxton was pulled and Joe
See MARINERS/2B