SPORTS
Saturday, June 20, 2015
East Oregonian
Women’s World Cup
Page 3B
College Baseball
Top teams all make knockout stage Vandy
By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
VANCOUVER,
British
Columbia — The United States’
bid for a third Women’s World Cup
title remains very much alive, as
do the championship hopes of all
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world.
The knockout stage begins this
weekend with all the powers still
in place, although some that have
shown vulnerabilities during a
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share of upsets and blowouts.
Some story lines to consider as
the remaining 16 nations continue
their trek toward the July 5 title
game in Vancouver:
BUMPY ROAD: Sweden’s
path was already tough. It’s about
to get tougher.
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former U.S. coach Pia Sundhage
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of the elimination stage.
Sweden drew Group D, the
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start the World Cup, joining No.
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United States and perennial African
champion Nigeria.
Sweden was surprised by
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opening match before playing to
a scoreless tie with the U.S. The
Swedes wrapped up the group stage
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concluding the group in third place.
Then the players had to wait
until all the matches were done
Wednesday to see if they had eked
into the elimination round.
“I said before the matches we
have four very good teams and that
proved to be the case,” Sundhage
said. “We had the hardest group
and didn’t lose, but at the end of the
day we didn’t play well enough to
win the group.”
Whereas the match between
the United States and Sweden was
John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP, File
In this June 8, 2015, file photo, Sweden’s Nilla Fischer (5) celebrates
with her team after scoring against Nigeria during the first half of
a FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer match in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada. Sweden drew Group D, the so-called Group of Death, with
the United States, Australia and Nigeria. The path certainly doesn’t
get any easier for coach Pia Sundhage’s fifth-ranked team, who
will face top-ranked Germany to open the knockout stage at the
Women’s World Cup.
considered the premier game of
the group stage, now the match
Saturday between Germany and
Sweden in Ottawa will be among
the biggest of the knockout stage.
The winner moves on to the
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Saturday against South Korea in
Montreal.
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over Thailand.
GROUP D SURVIVORS:
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Group of Death, the United States
headed to Edmonton to face No.
28 Colombia, the surprise of the
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be without its starting goalkeeper
in the Monday match because of
accumulated yellow cards.
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challenging opponent in No. 7
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stage matches. The two teams meet
on Sunday in Moncton.
CAMEROON ADVANCES:
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team left.
As just the second African nation
to advance out the group stage after
Nigeria in 1999, Cameroon will
face No. 16 China on Saturday in
Edmonton.
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Zealand. The match was courted
controversy when coach Hao Wei
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ruled he had interfered with Ria
Percival on the sideline. The replay
was inconclusive whether Hao had
stumbled.
Cameroon, ranked No. 53,
secured its spot in the knockout
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Switzerland.
“We are still learning, we come
here to learn,” coach Enow Ngachu
said.
The winner of the match
between China and Cameroon
advances to face the winner of
match between the United States
and Colombia.
HAPPY HOSTS: Canada
scored just two goals in the opening
stage at the World Cup, but it was
enough to send the team through as
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dians opened the tournament in
Edmonton in dramatic style after
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victory over China on a penalty
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by star forward Christine Sinclair.
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with coach John Herdman’s former
team, New Zealand, before wrap
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with the Netherlands.
Now it’s on to No. 19 Swit
zerland in Vancouver on Sunday.
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in the 81st minute with an undis
closed injury, is expected to play.
“The tournament is a progres
sion. You’re seeing this with a lot
of teams. The big players tend to
step up in these rounds. That’s
the way to win, for it to happen,”
Herdman said Thursday.
ANOTHER
UNDERDOG:
Along with Cameroon and
Colombia, South Korea drew a
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Les Bleues have been consid
ered among the favorites at the
Women’s World Cup, but they
showed vulnerability with a
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It was widely considered one of
the greatest upsets in World Cup
history.
South Korea, tied for eighth in
the world with Canada, is making
its second World Cup appearance
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All-EO Softball First Team
returns
to CWS
Finals
ERIC OLSON
Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — A couple
of stars who led Vanderbilt to its
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the Commodores in position to
play for another one.
The defending champions
returned to the College World
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and John Kilichowski combined
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Monday against the winner
of Saturday’s game between
Virginia, last year’s runner up,
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just keeping their eye on target
and never getting off balance,”
Vandy coach Tim Corbin said.
“I’ve said all along I feel like
a parent that’s in the back seat
letting your kids drive the car
because you trust them. And
when you trust a group of kids,
it’s the greatest feeling a parent
can have. And that’s how I feel.”
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hits and a run and struck out eight
in 6 2/3 innings. His work during
last year’s title run led to his
being the Los Angeles Dodgers’
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and Corbin had faith he could
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hadn’t pitched since June 1.
“I thought he was right on
point,” Corbin said. “You never
know what’s going to happen when
a guy has that much time off.”
All-EO Softball Second Team
• Pitcher — Rebekka Holman (Pilot Rock) jr., 1st team
All-SD6; 14-0 record; 1.05 ERA; 73 strikeouts.
• Pitcher — Kiersten Murphy (Pendleton) jr., 3rd team
All-State; 1st team All-CRC; 14-4 record; 2.17 ERA; 67
strikeouts.
P
Colette Robert
Mac-Hi, sr.
4A Player of the
Year; GOL Play-
er of the Year;
27-1 record; 0.77
ERA.
P
Tehya Ostrom
Pilot Rock, soph.
1st team All-
SD6; 12-2 record;
0.862 ERA; 95
strikeouts.
P
Jessica Lambert
Weston-McEwen, jr.
1st team All-SD6;
15-7 record; 1.52
ERA; 170 strike-
outs.
C
Mallory Copeland
Mac-Hi, soph.
2nd team All-
State; 1st team
All-GOL;
.494
batting average;
41 runs batted in.
1B
Sara Weinke
Pilot Rock, fr.
1st team All-
SD6; .479 batting
average; .507 on
base percentage.
INF
Darian Lindsey
Pendleton, sr.
5A Player of the
Year; CRC Player
of the Year; .606
batting average;
13 home runs.
• Pitcher — Mackenzie Gonzales (Echo) soph., 2nd
team All-EOL; 15-5 record; 2.37 ERA; 143 strikeouts.
• First base — Taylor Entze (Weston-McEwen) sr., 2nd
team All-SD6; .439 batting average, 40 runs batted in.
• Catcher — Mykal Weissenfluh (Pendleton) sr., 1st
team All-CRC; .329 batting average; 15 runs batted in.
• Infield — Stefanie Copeland (Mac-Hi) sr., 2nd team
All-State; 1st team All-GOL; .329 batting average; 35
runs scored; 18 stolen bases.
• Infield — Payton Hergert (Pendleton) soph., 1st
team All-CRC; .455 batting average; 6 home runs.
• Infield — Isabellew Dillow (Weston-McEwen) jr., 1st
team All-SD6; .426 batting average; 50 runs scored.
INF
Micha Fortune
Mac-Hi, soph.
1st team All-
State; 1st team
All-GOL;
.417
batting average;
25 runs scored.
INF
Ellie Richards
Pendleton, jr.
2nd team All-
State; 1st team
All-CRC;
.486
batting average;
52 runs scored.
OF
Alexis Morrison
Pendleton, jr.
1st team All-
State; 1st team
All-CRC;
.453
batting average;
9 home runs.
OF
Tiah Grass
Pendleton, sr.
1st team All-
State; 1st team
All-CRC; 11 home
runs; 38 runs bat-
ted in.
OF
Jenny Field
Mac-Hi, jr.
1st team All-
State;1st team
All-GOL;
.408
batting average;
17 runs scored.
UT
Abi Biggs
Mac-Hi, jr.
1st team All-
State;1st team
All-GOL;
.517
batting average;
8 home runs.
• Outfield — Brooke Kralman (Mac-Hi) jr., 2nd team
All-State; 1st team All-GOL; .397 batting average; 26
runs scored.
• Outfield — Jessica Pease (Weston-McEwen) sr., 1st
team All-SD6; .287 batting average.
• Outfield — Rhyanne Oates (Pilot Rock) fr., 1st team
All-SD6; .381 batting average.
• Utility — Mikayla Kopacz (Hermiston) jr., 3rd team
All-State; 1st team All-CRC; .408 batting average; 7
doubles.
ROBERT: 6WDUSOD\HUDOZD\VSXWWHDPFRPPXQLW\¿UVW
Continued from 1B
to come.
Her beloved Pioneers
were loaded for another run
at the state championship
coming off the program’s
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need their ace in the circle to
get there.
“I knew there was so
much pressure and I had to
get back in shape, so it was
an early struggle for me,”
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to start throwing and hitting
again in December, and I
was in three or four times a
week trying to get back into
game shape.”
She shed more than
sweat, too, and credits
intense sessions with La
Grande physical therapist
John Combe with getting her
past her nagging injuries.
“It’s like massage
therapy, but it’s not a
massage. You’re in tears the
whole time,” she said.
Based on her numbers, no
one would have ever known
she wasn’t technically in
“game shape” until the
second half of her senior
season.
As if there was any doubt,
Robert cemented her status
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player to ever pass through
the halls at McLoughlin
High with a staggering
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She pitched all 188
innings for the Pioneers
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piece arsenal set school
records with 291 strikeouts
and a .77 ERA. She only
walked 12 of 664 batters
faced, and surrendered just
75 hits all year — none of
them home runs. Having
already broken the school’s
batting mark as a junior with
a .727 average, Robert led
the team with at a .624 clip
while driving in 51 RBIs
with 16 doubles, six home
runs and two triples for a
1.059 slugging percentage.
Christian said she’s still
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totals for Robert, but most
of major ones are sure to fall
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in.
“It’s kind of hard being
proud of just yourself,
because it is a team effort,”
she said. “I’m so proud that
my team was able to help me
out with that.”
And it’s that mindset
that helps set Robert apart
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youngsters, said Christian.
“It’s rare to get those
gems that come through, that
is the overall package and
isn’t just about themselves,”
she said. “It’s been pretty
surreal, just watching her
develop. She just really has
matured overall and has
really become a teammate
and a leader and someone
these kids look up to, the
future pitchers and hitters.
She’s a real role model for
these kids and I couldn’t
be prouder of her for the
accomplishments she’s had.
“We play for our
community and Colette has
embraced that. Colette has
little kids coming up to her
asking for autographs and
they want to come to watch
our practices.”
Robert said she got her
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following a game against
Walla Walla this season,
which meant as much to
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“She had watched me
at a different game and at
practice, and she told her
mom that she really wanted
to meet me. So after the
game she came up and had
me sign her visor for her,”
she said. “It was a really big
surprise and it means a lot
to me, because when I was
younger I always asked a lot
of girls that were older than
me for their autographs and
stuff. It means a lot to have
someone looking up to me
because it means that I’m
actually doing something
right for the community. I
love giving back.”
In that vein, Robert
willingly gave up her
Sundays this spring to get
catcher Mallory Copeland
better prepared to succeed
her in the circle next season.
All Copeland had to do was
ask.
“That meant so much
to me because she’s close
to my age and not many of
your teammates will ask
you for help,” she said of
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backstop. “She was really
nervous about next year but
I know she’s going to do
awesome, either behind the
plate or at pitcher, she’s just
that kind of player. She’s just
such a great girl, it’s fun for
me to be able to work with
her.”
Content the Pioneers will
be in good hands as they
KXQWIRUDWKLUGVWUDLJKW$
title, Robert is now turning
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her pitches for the next
level while playing for the
Washington Explosion out of
Walla Walla.
“I really am hoping to
work on levels, because
you’ve really got to keep
it at the knees for hitters in
college,” she said. “And
I’m going to be working on
increasing the spin on my
pitches because they will
always beat a bat but speed
won’t.”
One pitch she hopes
will make the transition is
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dubbed Mr. Nasty for its
ability to humiliate batters.
“The team gets a kick
out of it because I’ve
seen maybe a handful of
people be able to hit her
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of a pitch that drops a good
20 mph from her fastball. “It
totally makes you look like
a fool.”
“The speed difference
is pretty big. I throw, at my
EHVWDQGP\FKDQJHXS
ranks around 42 to 45, so
that’s a huge difference,”
Robert said. “I’ve been
talking to my pitching coach
a lot to pick out when a
batter is way out in front.”
Christian, who followed
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on the Eastern Oregon
8QLYHUVLW\VTXDGVRIWKHODWH
90’s, said she has no doubt
Robert’s skill set and work
ethic will serve her well with
the Lobos.
“I’ve probably been a
little tougher on her than
others at times because I
know what she’s in for at
the next level, and she can
handle it,” Christian said.
“I’ve seen her hit a ball
harder than anybody I’ve
played against or with. Just
little things like that leaves
you shaking your head, like
dang.
“It’s scary how much at
times she is so advanced, but
I also know that she’s going
to get even better. College
is a different sport, you’re
working all year round
with your conditioning and
your endurance and I know
once she gets into a college
program she’s going to get
even better.”
———
Contact Matt Entrup at
mentrup@eastoregonian.
com or (541) 966-0838.