SPORTS
7+U56DA< AUGU67
Sports shorts
Ohio college
honors Lauren Hill
with tipoff tourney
&IN&INNA7I 2hio±±
7he schools that helped
LaXren +ill reali]e her
dream of
scoring a
basket in
a college
game will
honor her
with a season-opening event
in November.
Xavier will host the
³LaXren +ill 7ipoff &lassic´
on the coXrt where she
scored her ¿ rst basket a \ear
ago. 7he MoXnt 6t. Joseph
University freshman died
from brain cancer in April.
+er pXblic memorial also
was held at Xavier’s Cintas
Center.
+ill Xsed her last months
to raise money for cancer
research and to remind
people that life is precioXs.
6he played her ¿ rst game
against +iram College on
Nov. . +iram will visit
again as part of a Nov.
doXbleheader with proceeds
going to cancer research.
Former NFL
player says he
attempted suicide
MIAMI (AP) — Former
NFL tackle Jonathan Martin
has posted on Facebook
sa\inJ diI¿ cXlties in the
profession led him to attempt
sXicide mXltiple times and
he wanted
FACES to share his
strXJJle with
social isolation
to help others.
Martin who
retired this
\ear sa\s his
problems date
Martin
to childhood
in &alifornia and to beinJ
told his entire life he was not
³black enoXJh.´
Martin made national
headlines when he abrXptl\
left the Miami Dolphins
dXrinJ the season amid
reports he was bXllied b\
teammates on the offensive
line inclXdinJ 5ichie
Incognito.
In his post on :ednesda\
Martin complained aboXt
the Dolphins’ locker room
sitXation. 7r\ing to ¿ t in
Martin sa\s he abXsed
alcohol Xsed mariMXana and
created a persona.
“What protections
do we have?
Is this going to be
a blank check?”
— David Ryu
Los Angeles city
councilman speaking on
the impending vote to
give the mayor authority
to make deals linked to
a possible bid by Los
Angeles for the 2024
Summer Olympics. The
vote has been pushed to
Friday after Ryu and oth-
er members voiced their
concerns over potential
taxpayer debts. The
deadline for LA to make
a bid to the International
Olympic Committee is
Sept. 15
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1909 — William Larned
wins his ¿ fth U.6. men’s
singles tennis title with a
¿ ve-set victory over William
Clothier in Newport 5.I.
1975 — 2nny ParXn of
New =ealand defeats 6tan
6mith - - in the ¿ rst
night match ever played at
the U.6. 2pen. A crowd of
saw the match at the
West 6ide 7ennis ClXb.
2006 — Marco Andretti
becomes the yoXngest
winner of a maMor open-
wheel event beating Dario
Franchitti by . seconds to
take the Indy Grand Prix of
6onoma.
Contact us at 541-966-0838 or
sports@eastoregonian.com
1B
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS
MLB
M’s thump Oakland
NFL
Worker dies
at 9ikings
6tadiXm site
By Associated Press
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
Seattle Mariners starter Felix Hernandez throws his fi rst pitch of the game, which resulted in a
home run for Oakland Athletics’ Billy Burns, in the fi rst inning of a baseball game on Wednesday
in Seattle.
+ernande] regains form as Mariners win series versXs A’s
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
6(A77L( — 5ealistically the
6eattle Mariners woXld need to
be far closer to a playoff berth for
Nelson CrX] to be in consideration
for American LeagXe M9P.
%Xt his nXmbers are becoming
increasingly M9P worthy.
CrX] hit his AL-leading th
homer on Wednesday driving in
three rXns and backing eight strong
innings from Felix +ernande] in
the Mariners’ - win over the
2akland Athletics.
CrX] had 5%I singles in the
Seattle
8
Oakland
2
¿ rst and sixth innings then added
a solo homer off 2akland reliever
Fernando Abad in the eighth.
CrX] is now hitting . with
5%Is and is one shy of his leagXe-
leading home rXn total from last
season.
³I can’t talk aboXt it. Like I
said I MXst play my game and
whatever happens happens´
CrX] said. ³If I got lXcky enoXgh
to be considered I’m blessed bXt
if not I’m here to play games and
win games and that’s the only
thing I care aboXt.´
+ernande] made MXst two
mistakes over eight innings
reboXnding after getting knocked
aroXnd in his last start against the
Chicago White 6ox.
+ernande] (-) allowed a
homer to %illy %Xrns on the ¿ rst
pitch of the game and a solo homer
to %rett Lawrie on the ¿ rst pitch of
the seventh. 2akland’s only other
hit off +ernande] was a soft single
from %illy %Xtler in the ¿ fth.
+ernande] strXck oXt seven
walked one and became the
See MARINERS/2B
MINN(AP2LI6 — A constrXction
worker plXnged aboXt feet to his
death at the Minnesota 9ikings
new
stadiXm site Wednesday morning
while a second worker with him was
serioXsly inMXred.
2f¿ cials were still trying to deter-
mine how the accident happened said
John Wood senior vice president with
Mortenson ConstrXction the general
contractor overseeing the billion-
plXs proMect. 7he man who died an
employee of %erwald 5oo¿ ng Co. fell
from the edge of the roof into a snow
gXtter on the north side of U.6. %ank
6tadiXm aboXt minXtes into his shift
and was pronoXnced dead on arrival at
a nearby hospital Wood said.
7his is a very tragic day in the life
of the stadiXm constrXction proMect
Wood said at a news conference.
7he names of the men were not
immediately released. A woman
answering the phone at Berwald
5oo¿ ng said nobody was available to
comment.
2perations were sXspended for the
day leaving hXge cranes standing idle
over the site of the former Metrodome
on the eastern edge of downtown
Minneapolis. AboXt men and
women work on the proMect and they
all held "a very somber gathering"
after the accident he said.
In a statement the 9ikings called
the accident "extremely sad" and
offered thoXghts and prayers for the
family of the dead worker the inMXred
man who remained hospitali]ed and all
the other constrXction workers affected
by the accident.
"2Xr priority is to ensXre that we
know exactly what happened and
ensXre that it never happens again. A
man lost his life on this proMect today
and that simply never shoXld happen"
he said.
NFL
Second-year linebacker impressing Seahawks coaches
Pierre-LoXis
pXshing vets for a
roster spot
By CURTIS CRABTREE
Associated Press
5(N72N Wash. — It
doesn’t take long for the
speed of .evin Pierre-LoXis
to catch yoXr eye.
7he
second-year
6eahawks linebacker has
loads of it. It’s a trait that
6eattle covets in its line-
backers and Pierre-LoXis ¿ ts
the bill.
Pierre-LoXis
showed
À ashes in limited action as
a rookie before a shoXlder
inMXry prematXrely ended his
season. Now the foXrth-
roXnd pick is making it dif¿ -
cXlt for 6eattle’s coaching
staff to keep him off the ¿ eld.
³+e’s exactly the type of
gXy yoX’re looking for in
terms of speed and movement
and all of that´ head coach
Pete Carroll said. “We’ve
been recrXiting and drafting
for a long time to ¿ nd a gXy
that rXns . that can play
linebacker. +e’s done a great
Mob. +e’s really an exciting
player for Xs.´
Pierre-LoXis’s
speed
showed Xp freTXently in
special teams dXty a season
ago. +e woXld roXtinely
match 5icardo Lockette a
former Division II -meter
champion in sprints to
the end ]one on kickoff
coverage.
“7hat’s MXst his gift´ line-
backer ..J. Wright said. “+e
ran fast at the combine and
that’s why we broXght him in
here. JXst come oXt here rXn
and hit and he does that really
good.´
%Xt his speed isn’t the
only reason he’s pXshing for
more playing time. When
called Xpon dXe to inMXries
last season Pierre-LoXis
left a strong impression.
+e played well in his ¿ rst
extended dXty against
Carolina inclXding a tackle
of Cam Newton for a loss
in relief of Malcolm 6mith.
+e posted a career-high
¿ ve tackles against the New
<ork Giants in Week
before a labrXm tear ended
his season.
“I MXst need to make
sXre that when my nXmber
is called that I’m ready´
Pierre-LoXis said. “I can’t
really try to coXnt reps or
wondering when I’m going
to get in. I MXst need to make
sXre that when my nXmber
is called I’m there I’m
showing Xp and I’m doing
whatever I can do for the
defense.´
Pierre-LoXis is some-
what Xndersi]ed. +e’s listed
at -foot poXnds on the
team’s roster. +owever he
¿ ts the mold of what the
6eahawks want at their
weakside linebacker spot
See ’HAWKS/2B
College Football
Linebackers leading DXcks D
By Albany Democrat-Herald
(UG(N( — It doesn’t soXnd
like Don PellXm wants to let
5odney +ardrick leave 2regon
even when the ¿ fth-year senior
rXns oXt of eligibility this winter.
“5odney +ardrick is Xnreal´
the DXcks’ defensive coordinator
said after a recent practice. “If I
had a coaching Mob open when-
ever this season is over I’d hire
him aboXt that TXick. +e can do
it all.´
As fall camp winds down
the steady inside linebacker is
focXsed on ¿ nishing his on-¿ eld
career with the DXcks on a high
note and then ¿ nding oXt if the
NFL is interested in his services
as a player.
“It’s cool it’s good to hear´
+ardrick said of PellXm’s respect
for his knowledge of the game. “I
grew Xp always wanting to play
in the NFL and if I coXldn’t play
I want to coach at the college
level. 7hat’s been a goal of mine
forever.´
If +ardrick is Xnable to earn
a living in football the general
social science gradXate will
pXrsXe a career in law enforce-
ment.
5ight now he’s got a pretty
good partner at the other inside
linebacker spot. Joe Walker
certainly has +ardrick’s back.
“I don’t know if there’s many
people who know the defense
better than 5odney´ Walker
said. “+e’s very intelligent and
he works hard. … I don’t have to
worry aboXt 5odney too mXch.
We’re trying to teach and help the
next generation.´
+ardrick and Walker meet
for coffee every morning. It
woXld be fascinating to listen in
on the conversation considering
the former is doing media inter-
views this season as a favor to
his parents and the latter is the
strong silent type.
“Love Joe Walker´ Mark
See DUCKS/2B
AP Photo/TUSP, Jay Biggerstaff
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis (58)
drops into coverage during a game against the Kan-
sas City Chiefs on Aug. 21, 2015 at Arrowhead Stadi-
um in Kansas City, Mo.
College Football
26U pXnter TXick to learn game
By JESSE SOWA
Corvallis Gazette-Times
C259ALLI6 — Describing his
transition to the American version of
football from the one he played in his
native AXstralia Nick Porebski Xsed
the word “toXgh.´
+e didn’t know how to pXt the
pads on and wearing a helmet was
awkward and restricting becaXse the
face mask bars broke Xp his ¿ eld of
vision.
%Xt Porebski’s talent notably his
powerfXl right leg helped him catch
on TXickly.
In MXst a short three years he’s
smoothly made the MXmp into the
new sport and is expected to be the
¿ rst-string pXnter when 2regon 6tate
opens its season 6ept. at home
against Weber 6tate.
Porebski had never really heard of
pXnting Xntil he got a letter in the mail
from Pro.ick AXstralia an academy
based in MelboXrne and 6ydney that
prepares players for the U.6. college
game. +e thoXght he might as well
give it a try.
It was a signi¿ cant step in a
different direction.
AXstralian 5Xles football is a
fast-paced game Xsing no padding
or helmets. Points are scored kicking
a ball larger and softer than the
American cowhide type between
posts. 7he ball is often booted while
rXnning.
“JXst kicking it off two steps was
TXite hard for me´ Porebski from
MelboXrne said of the short pXnt
approach. “%ecaXse when we kick
it we rXn with it and kick it so a
two-step kick was kind of different.´
+e TXickly picked Xp on the new
game and traveled to 6now College
in (phraim Utah aboXt miles
soXth of 6alt Lake City. 6now was
the only MXnior college to make a
scholarship offer which made for
an easy decision for Porebski who
didn’t have the grades in AXstralia for
a Division I school right away.
+e was named to the National
JXnior College Athletic Association’s
See OSU/2B
