SPORTS
FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016
MILTON-FREEWATER
Sports shorts
Knicks hire Jeff
Hornacek as coach
NEW YORK (AP) —
The New York Knicks have
hired Jeff
Hornacek,
who
emerged
last month
as Phil
Jackson’s
coaching
choice.
Jackson went with the
former Phoenix Suns coach
over anyone who had played
or worked under him. The
Knicks fi nished last year at
32-50 under interim coach
Kurt Rambis.
Jackson said in a
statement Thursday that
Hornacek has “tremendous
basketball acumen and
possesses strong leadership
skills.”
The two discussed the job
in mid-May but took more
than two weeks to complete
a contract. The Knicks plan
to introduce Hornacek, the
28th coach in franchise
history, at a news conference
Friday.
1B
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Pioneers not feeling pressure
Sydney
Richwine,
of Mac-
Hi, bunts
the
softball
during
Friday’s
state
playoff
game
against
Douglas
in Mil-
ton-Free-
water.
Staff photo by
Kathy Aney
US cyclist drops
out of Olympics
citing Zika threat
(AP) — American cyclist
Tejay van Garderen has
withdrawn his name from
consideration for the Rio
Olympics amid concerns
that he may contract the
Zika virus and
it along
FACES pass
to his pregnant
wife. He is
believed to be
the fi rst athlete
to back out of
the Summer
Olympics
van Garderen
because of the
mosquito-borne illness.
Garderen, a member of
the 2012 Olympic team,
would have been a likely
choice for one of the two
U.S. spots. The 27-year-old
Tour de France veteran is a
strong time trial rider and his
climbing ability would have
been well-suited to the hilly
course at the Rio Olympics.
Van Garderen’s wife,
Jessica, is due in October.
Other athletes, including
U.S. soccer star Hope Solo,
have expressed concerns.
“Not only is that
something that
is bad for our
network partners,
but for all of the
fan research we
have shows that
the fans hate it.
There may be a
compromise in
there where we
can cut it down
signifi cantly.”
— Adam Silver
NBA Commissioner
speaking before Game
of the NBA Finals on
Thursday on his intent to
try and eliminate or fi nd
a way to fi x the Hack-
a-Shaq strategy where
teams intentionally foul
poor free throw shooters.
Silver was “on the fence”
with the issue last year.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1932 — Lou Gehrig
becomes the fi rst major
league player to hit four
consecutive home runs in a
game.
1995 — Pedro Martinez
of Montreal pitches nine
perfect innings against San
Diego before giving up a
leadoff double to Bip Roberts
in the 10th inning of the
Expos’ 1-0 win.
2011 — Roger Federer
ends Novak Djokovic’s
perfect season and 43-match
winning streak in the French
Open semifi nals.
Contact us at 541-966-0838 or
sports@eastoregonian.com
Mac-Hi confi dent but relaxed in trek for third-straight state title
By ERIC SINGER
East Oregonian
When softball practices kicked
off on Feb. 29, the Mac-Hi
Pioneers had one goal in mind: a
state championship.
After the hundreds of hours of
practices, games, and individual
workouts in the time since then,
the Pioneers are just one game
away from reaching that goal and
capturing their third straight Class
4A state title.
Achieving the three-peat would
be a tremendous accomplish-
ment for the school and for the
community, as only three schools
have reached that milestone in
OSAA history. Churchill did so
twice from 1980-1983 and 1985-
1987 when there were only two
classifi cations, Crater repeated in
Class 5A in 2007-2009 and Valley
Catholic did so in Class 3A also in
2007-2009.
4A Softball Championship aren’t okay with just
getting back we want
However,
as
to take Banks down
Mac-Hi
prepared
again.”
for their fi nal day
The title game
of practice at Yantis #3 Banks
#1 Mac-Hi
Braves
Pioneers will feature a repeat
Park on Thursday,
(22-3)
(25-5)
of the 2015 champi-
it’s obvious the team
onship game, as the
does not feel much • Saturday, 1 p.m.
No. 1 seed Pioneers
internal or external • at OSU Softball Complex
pressure as the game • Online: OSAA.org/radio-network will take on the No.
3 seed Banks Braves.
approaches. Practice
was just as loose and fun as it had The Pioneers took down the Braves
been all year, with music blaring 4-0 in the title game last year, and
and girls having fun which creates then defeated the Braves again in
the relaxed atmosphere that has the 2016 non-league schedule in a
5-4 game on Apr. 2.
been a key to the team’s success.
Christian said that the famil-
“When I see them goofi ng
around and dancing around I know iarity with the Braves has helped
they’re good to go,” Mac-Hi coach with preparation this week, but
Nicole Christian said. “We know they know the Braves are a bit of
it’s a big deal for the town and the a different team than the one they
school but it’s never been a feeling saw in April.
“I think any time you face a
of we have to win this game. I think
we’ve surprised a lot of people team you’ve seen before it helps,
getting back but we defi nitely but it was only (Banks’) second
game of the season and we had a
few more games under our belt at
the time,” Christian said. “But in
the end we know them, they know
us and it’s going to be a great battle
on Saturday.”
Christian said that Banks has
shifted its pitching staff a bit
since the two teams played, with
freshmen Kaylin Hernandez and
Michaela Shaw stepping in and
carrying the load for the latter half
of the season. The Pioneers haven’t
changed much in their preparation
for the Braves, other than a heavier
dose of reps at the plate to make
sure they are fully ready to go.
“I think we’ve been consistent
throughout the year (in our prepa-
ration),” Christian said. “When
we’re down to this game, there’s
not much you can do other than
fi ne tune stuff and have fun.”
See PIONEERS/2B
Warriors bench blows by Cavs in Game 1
NBA Finals
By JANIE MCCAULEY
AP Sports Writer
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) —
Stephen Curry’s “Strength In
Numbers” supporting cast made all
the timely shots and all the differ-
ence for the defending champions
in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Draymond Green had 16 points,
11 rebounds and seven assists,
Shaun Livingston scored a personal
postseason best of 20 and Golden
State’s bench came up big as the
Warriors beat LeBron James and
the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-89 on
Thursday night to move three wins
away from a repeat title.
Golden State’s bench outscored
the Cavs’ reserves 45-10 in the
opener of this fi nals rematch.
In a series with so much star
power on both sides, this was a night
for Livingston and fellow reserves
Leandro Barbosa and Andre
Iguodala. Barbosa returned from
a minor back injury to shoot 5 for
5, while 2015 fi nals MVP Iguodala
had 12 points, seven rebounds, six
Ezra Shaw, Getty Images via AP, Pool
Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) dunks against
the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fi rst half of Game 2 of basket-
ball’s NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, June 2, 2016.
assists and some stingy defense on
James.
James kicked off his sixth straight
fi nals with 23 points, 12 rebounds
and nine assists, but cold-shooting
Cleveland went 38.1 percent from
the fl oor. Kyrie Irving, lost to a knee
injury in Game 1 last year, scored 26
points, 11 on free throws.
Kerr stuck with regular starter
Harrison Barnes, and he delivered
13 points. Curry had 11 points, six
assists and fi ve rebounds, while
Thompson scored nine points.
Cleveland
Golden State
89
104
Iguodala had moved back into
the starting lineup Monday for
the Game 7 clincher against Okla-
homa City with a primary duty of
defending Kevin Durant, shining
in that role, and again came off the
bench to play 36 minutes Thursday.
Cleveland
emerged
from
halftime with a newfound energy,
zipping passes every which way,
going hard to the basket whenever
possible and swarming Curry and
the others on the defensive end to
create turnovers and poor decisions.
Kevin Love’s basket with 3:57
left in the third put the Cavs ahead
before Green’s dunk moments later.
Love made an impressive
fi nals debut with 17 points and 13
rebounds after missing last year’s
run with a dislocated shoulder that
required surgery.
Mariners stun Padres with come-from-behind win
By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Kyle
Seager, Dae-Ho Lee and the
Seattle Mariners scored 14 times
in two innings to erase a 10-run
defi cit and stun San Diego 16-13
Thursday night, the latest pratfall
for a Padres team that was ripped in
a radio interview by its executive
chairman a day earlier.
Trailing 12-2 after fi ve, the
Mariners benefi ted from a bullpen
meltdown by the Padres. Seager
hit a bases-loaded, two-run single
with one out in the sixth to chase
starter Colin Rea, followed by
Lee’s
impressive,
Mariners a 13-12
MLB
pinch-hit, three-run
lead.
homer off Brad Hand
Norichika Aoki
that landed in the
added an RBI single
Seattle
San Diego and Franklin Guti-
second balcony of
the Western Metal
errez had a two-run
Supply Co. Building
single to make it
in the left-fi eld corner.
16-12. Aoki had two
The Mariners then sent 13 hits and scored twice in the inning.
batters to the plate in their nine-run
Hand and fellow relievers Ryan
seventh, getting seven straight hits Buchter, Brandon Maurer and Matt
with two outs. Seager once again Thornton combined to allow 10
had a big hit, a two-run single runs on nine hits in 1 2/3 innings.
followed by an RBI single by Lee,
Maurer (0-2) gave up three runs
who stayed in the game at fi rst while failing to get an out in the
base. Pinch-hitter Stefen Romero seventh.
singled in the tying run, and Shawn
Cody Martin (1-0), called up
O’Malley’s RBI single gave the earlier in the day from Triple-A
16
13
Tacoma, pitched the sixth for the
victory. Steve Cishek worked a
scoreless ninth for his 13th save in
16 appearances.
The Padres sent 13 batters to
the plate in the fi fth, scoring seven
runs on seven hits, two walks, a
hit batsman and a balk by Miley.
Myers and Upton each had a
two-run single. Jay and Alexei
Ramirez each had an RBI single.
Nelson Cruz hit a solo homer to
right-center estimated at 445 feet
with one out in the fourth, his 11th.
Lee, pinch-hitting for Adam
Lind in the sixth, pulled the Mari-
ners to 12-7 with his three-run
homer.