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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2016)
SPORTS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS PENDLETON Bucks bring momentum into home opener Pendleton preparing for Redmond’s run-heavy offense By MATT ENTRUP East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris Pendleton wide reciever Nick Lani carries the ball during a game against Hermiston at Round-Up Stadi- um to close out the 2015 season. The Buckaroos host Redmond for their 2016 home opener on Friday. HERMISTON A boom box blaring hip hop hits from the last decade at midfi eld, a lighter mood permeated Pendleton’s Tuesday football practice as it prepared for its home opener against Redmond. After snapping a two-game losing streak with a fourth-quarter comeback to beat Ridgeview 29-25, the Buckaroos (2-2, 1-1 Special District 1) were enjoying their fi rst practice at Round-Up Stadium, where they’ll host the Panthers (1-3, 1-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. “It makes practice a little better when you come off a win, and the way we won that game at Ridgeview, it evokes some emotions and gets the kids fi red up,” said Pendleton coach Erik Davis of a game that featured three Football Redmond Pendleton Panthers Buckaroos (1-3, 1-1) (2-2, 1-1) • Friday, 7 p.m. • at Round-Up Stadium • Radio: KTIX 1240 AM lead changes in the fi nal four minutes. “So we’re going to try and ride that high a little bit and have a great week of practice, get down here in the Round-Up grounds. This is the fi rst time we’ve stepped foot on it all year and so we’re excited to play on our home fi eld.” Pendleton will be looking to avoid another letdown coming off a win, and senior running back Deven Page said the team has learned its lesson. “After the La Grande game (in Week 1), we got a lot of confi dence from that win and let up in practice,” he said. “It didn’t work out too well the next couple Fridays.” Page is coming off a season-high 132 yards on the ground against Ridgeview, See BUCKS/3B Prep Roundup Bulldogs hoping to get back on track Hermiston needing wins to keep playoff hopes alive By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian When the Hermiston Bulldogs hit the practice fi eld on Monday, they were frustrated. It was the fi rst day back on the fi eld after Friday’s tough 27-14 loss at home to Summit, a game which the Bulldogs thought they had done everything right in their preparation and gameplanning to pull off the upset. But a few missed coverages on defense combined with a lackluster Football Hermiston Hood River Bulldogs Eagles (1-3, 1-1) (0-4, 0-2) • Friday, 7 p.m. • at Henderson Stadium • Radio: KOHU 1360 AM performance in the passing game on offense led to the team’s third loss in the fi rst four games. “Back and forth, we had inconsistency in our routes and coverages whether it be speed or where our landmarks are,” senior Tyler Rohrman said following Tuesday’s practice, “so that’s just easy stuff we have to fi x at practice this week. See BULLDOGS/3B MLB Astros use big sixth inning to beat M’s Seattle two games out of Wild Card By KRISTIE RIEKEN Associated Press HOUSTON — George Springer had three hits, including a two-run double during a six-run sixth inning, and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 8-4 on Tuesday night. The victory leaves Seattle two games behind Baltimore for the second AL Seattle wild card and cuts Houston’s defi cit in the race to 2 1/2 games. The Astros got fi ve hits off Felix Hernandez (11-7) in the sixth, but only two of the six runs scored in the inning were earned because of two errors. Houston The game was tied when Springer shot a ground-rule double to right fi eld that made it 6-4. A two-run single by Marwin Gonzalez, which sailed just out of reach of a lunging Hernandez, chased the pitcher and left Houston up 8-4. See MARINERS/2B 4 8 Staff photo by Kathy Aney Pendleton keeper Uliyana Guerro makes a save during Tuesday’s game against Hood River at Blue Mountain Community College. Pendleton taking lumps, notes Buckaroo girls continue building season with loss to Hood River East Oregonian PENDLETON — The Buckaroos were treating Tuesday’s Columbia River Conference opener against the top-scoring team in 5A girls soccer as a learning opportunity. With a roster populated mostly by sophomores, Pendleton’s winless season continued against the expe- rienced Hood River Valley Eagles with an 8-0 loss at Blue Mountain Community College. It matched Pendleton’s largest loss of the season but Buckaroos coach Paul Parker said these types of games are necessary to the team’s progress. “With any young team you hate see them take lumps, but at the same time they have to take lumps,” he Staff photo by Kathy Aney Hailey Kendrick (5), of Pendleton, and Claire Davies (13), of Hood River, struggle for control of the ball during Tuesday’s game at Blue Mountain Community College. said. “If you don’t play tough teams you can’t improve.” Hood River (5-3, 1-0 CRC) pushed its season goal total to 37 and led 7-0 at halftime, but Parker said the difference between the Bucks (0-5, 0-1) may not be as big as the scoreboard would suggest. “We seem to be doing the right things, we’re just not doing them as fast as some of these top teams,” he said. Pendleton’s next game is a non-league match-up at BMCC against Mac-Hi on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. HERMISTON 5, THE DALLES 1 — At Hermiston, the Bulldogs ended their four game losing streak with a win over The Dalles in their league opener on Tuesday afternoon at Kennison Field. Hermiston (4-4, 1-0 CRC) didn’t score its fi rst goal until the 34th minute when Shae- lynn Gilbert found the back of the net and added on four minutes later when Quinn Latham blasted a goal for the 2-0 Bulldog lead that would hold until halftime. After the 20 minute break, Latham found the back of the net for the second time just one minute in to give her team a 3-0 lead. Hermiston added two more goals later in the half from Makayla Akers and Alysia Garcia as well. Hermiston next hosts Century on Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Kennison Field. BOYS SOCCER HOOD RIVER 8, PENDLETON 0 — At Hood River, the Pendleton Buckaroos were shut out by the defending state champion See PREPS/2B Sports shorts Dempsey to miss remainder of 2016 TUKWILA, Wash. (AP) — Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey will miss the remainder of the 2016 MLS season due to an irregular heartbeat that has sidelined him since August. Seattle general manger Garth Lagerwey announced the decision on Dempsey on Tuesday. Lagerwey said the main objective is to take away any pressure Dempsey may feel about trying to return this year and give him time to address his condition. The decision also rules out Dempsey from consideration for a pair of World Cup qualifying Dempsey matches for the U.S. in November, including one with Mexico on Nov. 11. Dempsey is in his fourth season with the Sounders and has eight goals and two assists this year. Seattle is in seventh place in the Western Conference, three points behind Portland for the fi nal playoff spot. “Everybody knew he was crazy about that boat and loved being out on the water. I told him I couldn’t go out that night because I had the kids and my wife waiting for me.“ — Marcell Ozuna Miami Marlins outfi elder re- counting the night leading up to boating death of teammate Jose Fernandez. Ozuna said he and at least two other teammates turned down invitations to join Fernandez and tried to discour- age him from going out. Los Angeles forward Nneka Ogwumike wins WNBA MVP NEW YORK (AP) Nneka Ogwumike is the WNBA Most Valuable Player. The league announced Tuesday that the Los Angeles Sparks forward received 31 of the 39 fi rst-place votes from a national media panel. She shot a league-best 66.5 percent from the fi eld, the second highest mark all-time. She averaged a career-best 19.7 points and 9.1 rebounds to help Los Angeles secure the second best record in the league. New York’s Tina Charles Ogwumike fi nished second, getting the other eight fi rst-place votes. She was followed by Minnesota’s Maya Moore and Chicago’s Elena Delle Donne in the voting. Ogwumike is the third Sparks player to receive the award, joining Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1920 — A Chicago grand jury indicts eight members of the Chicago White Sox on charges of fi xing the 1919 World Series, known as the “Black Sox Scandal.” 1976 — Muhammad Ali wins a unanimous 15-round decision over Ken Norton in New York to retain his world heavyweight title. 2012 — Homer Bailey of the Cincinnati Reds throws the season’s seventh no-hitter, beating the Pitts- burgh Pirates 1-0. The seven no-hitters match the modern record (since 1900) for one season, tying 1990 and 1991. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
