Page 2B SPORTS East Oregonian Friday, January 6, 2017 MLB GOLDEN EAGLES: Nixy- aawii’s Mick Schimmel (2) and Anthony Matam- oros (25) attempt to block the shot of Morgan Marcum, of Echo, during Thurs- day’s game in Mission. Continued from 1B of the way his team fought back. “It’s been the same since the opener, we don’t quit,” Swanson said. “We affirmed we don’t quit and we play hard no matter where we’re at and that’s the heart and soul of this team and they all believe it. The issue is we need to come out and find our spots in the first few minutes of games and just go.” In the boys game, Nixyaawii prevailed 43-27 over Echo as the Golden Eagles controlled every aspect of the game from the opening tip. Nixyaawii (5-4, 2-0) struggled from the 3-point arc on Thursday, but shot nearly 50 percent (15-32) inside the arc and made 5-9 free throw attempts to keep the Cougars (2-9, 1-1) at bay. “Anytime you get a league win early on it’s good,” Nixyaawii coach Shane Rivera said after the game. “We’re still young, we make some young mistakes, but overall the effort was there and defensively especially we played a good game.” Nixyaawii’s defense held Echo to just 16 percent (10-60) shooting in the game, and never allowed more than 11 points in a quarter. Senior post Chandler Case was a force inside with 11 rebounds and five blocks for the Golden Eagles. Echo’s leading scorer was Klay Jenson with 15 points, while Morgan Marcum and Devan Craig each added five points. On the offensive end for Nixyaawii, Mick Schimmel had another standout performance with 20 points, while Case added nine points. Rivera said that he’s still trying to figure out the team’s identity on offense after having to replace all five starters from one year ago, though the identity is starting to show itself as league play moves along. “Schimmel is a big asset for us, but we have other pieces like Case ... and Devan (Barkley’s) a jack-of-all-trades and plays harder than anyone I know,” Rivera said. “It’s been a few years since we’ve been in this position so it’s exciting to see the Staff photo by Kathy Aney new kids step up and make a difference already. “Man-to-man if we continue to gel as a team I think we can compete with the top teams in the league and we’re headed to Powder Valley tomorrow so that should be a good test to see where we’re at.” UP NEXT Both Nixyaawii squads head to Powder Valley today for a pair of league games with the girls tipping off at 6 p.m. and the boys at 7:30 p.m. Echo will return home to host Joseph with the girls game starting at 6 p.m. and the boys immediately after. ———— Girls EHS 4 2 11 14 — 31 NCS 12 13 8 3 — 36 ECHO — T. Swaggart 16, D. Tarvin 7, H. McCarty 4, M. Huff 2, B. Milbrodt 2. NIXYAAWII — M. Schimmel 17, K. Melton 14, T. Melton 3, S. Fitzpatrick 2. 3-pointers — EHS 5, NCS 1. Free throws — EHS 6-10, NCS 3-18. Fouls — EHS 11, NCS 14. Fouled out — S. Fitzpatrick (NCS). Boys EHS 8 2 6 11 — 27 NCS 12 5 11 15 — 43 ECHO — K. Jensen 15, D. Craig 5, M. Marcum 5, Z. Gehrke 2. NIXYAAWII — M. Schimmel 20, C. Case 9, D. Barkley 4, J. St. Pierre 4, A. Matamoros 4, N. Enright 3. 3-pointers — EHS 4, NCS 3. Free throws — EHS 3-4, NCS 5-9. Fouls — EHS 11, NCS 9. Cleveland bags coveted slugger who will boost attendance and maybe help them win the World Series. One of baseball’s most CLEVELAND — With his family watching proudly, productive hitters over the Edwin Encarnacion stood past five years, Encarnacion finalized a $60 in front of his million, three-year new locker inside contract — the Cleveland’s richest in Cleve- clubhouse, pulled land history — on a fitted cap and with a team that slowly buttoned got to Game 7 the front of his of the Series last white No. 10 season. jersey. Encarnacion’s Once finished, deal would be he pointed to the Encarnacion worth $80 million “Indians” logo over four years if on his chest and flashed a huge smile as Cleveland exercises a $25 million option for 2020 that cameras clicked. includes a $5 million buyout. It felt seamless. “He’s a perfect fit for our There are also attendance team,” Indians president Chris bonuses built in as both Cleveland and Encarnacion’s Antonetti said Thursday. agent, Paul Kinzer, recog- In so many ways. Cleveland, accustomed nized the three-time All-Star’s to being outspent for high- ability to spin turnstiles. Encarnacion averaged priced free agents winter after winter, introduced Encarna- 39 homers and 110 RBIs cion, a premium player for over the past five seasons the middle of their lineup with Toronto. By TOM WITHERS Associated Press Athlete of the Week Twenty questions with Riverside’s Alondra Caldera East Oregonian PIOS: Riverside girls balanced in rout Continued from 1B Madrigal who is day-to-day with a leg injury. “We didn’t want to carry anything through, we wanted to shoot all threes. “Defensively we played great. You hold a team to 34 points, you should win.” Costello also gave lots of credit to Mac-Hi’s own defensive effort in what he said was a loosely officiated game that saw plenty of contact in the posts and just 23 total fouls called. The Pioneers’ Miguel Garcia led all scorers with nine points, and Luis Garcia added eight. Riverside, which lost its third in a row, was paced by Mason Hegar with eight points and Eon Castillo added seven points and six rebounds. Mac-Hi’s next game is the start of Greater Oregon League play on Saturday when it hosts Ontario at 4:30 p.m. Up next for Riverside is a non-league home game against Columbia (WA) on Monday at 6:30 p.m. ——— M-H 13 10 5 6 — 34 RHS 0 5 6 13 — 24 MAC-HI — M. Garcia 9. L, Garcia 8, M. Armenta 7, A. Martinez 5, A. Pio 3, A. Earls 2, A. Delgado. RIVERSIDE — M. Hegar 8, E. Castillo 7, F. Aparicio 5, D. Rodriguez 2, A. Martinez 2, A. Hernandez, J. Garcia, J. Pena, J. Carmo- na, D. Valenzuela. 3-pointers — M-H 2; RHS 2. Free throw — M-H 4-9; RHS 0-3. Fouls — M-H 10; RHS 13. Technical fouls — Coach Costello (RHS). GIRLS BASKETBALL RIVERSIDE 57, MAC-HI 20 — At Boardman, the Pirates won their fourth game in a row Thursday in non-league play. Riverside led 26-9 at halftime and iced it early with an 18-6 run that spanned the third quarter. Lacey Mashos led the charge with 14 points and three players scored 10 for Riverside (6-3). Brendy Alvalos, Alondra Caldera and Faith Rosen were the other Pirates in double-digits, and Rosen added seven rebound and five steals. As a team the Pirates sank nine three-pointers. Sydney Richwine scored 13 points to lead Mac-Hi (1-9) and was the only Pioneer with more than one field goal. Riverside coach Clair Costello said strong passing and defense were hallmarks of the team’s latest win. “We had 10 assists as a team, so we were moving the ball really well,” he said. “And we had 19 steals, so it was a good team win, lots of girls stepping up coming in to league play.” Riverside’s next game will wrap up non-league play on Monday when it hosts Columbia (WA) at 5 p.m. Mac-Hi begins Greater Oregon Leauge play on Saturday by hosting Ontario at 3 p.m. ——— M-H 4 5 6 5 — 20 RHS 18 8 18 13 — 57 MAC-HI — S. Richwine 13, M. Yensen 2, K. Casillas 2, B. Hernandez 2, M. Martinez 1, B. Smiley, C. Flores, S. Earls, C. Holford. RIVERSIDE — L. Mashos 14, Br. Alvalos 10, F. Rosen 10, A. Caldera 10, Bi. Alvalos 10, S. Wightman 3, M. Hegar 2, C. Garcia, E. Daltosa, A. Hernandez. 3-pointers — M-H 1; RHS 9. Free throws — M-H 3-13; RHS 6-10. Fouls — M-H 9; RHS 10. BLAZERS: Open second half on 13-2 run Continued from 1B Lakers, a franchise record. D’Angelo Russell had 22 points, 10 in the final period, and Jordan Clarkson added 21 off the bench for Los Angeles, which led by 14 in the first half. Russell’s turnaround jumper put the Lakers up 101-99 midway through the fourth. He added a pair of free throws, but Lillard hit a 3-pointer that closed the gap for Portland. McCollum’s floater put Portland in front before he hit a 3 with 4:06 to go that pushed the lead to 107-103. He added another basket that extended it, and the crowd chanted “Beat L-A! Beat L-A!” Turner padded the advan- tage with a jumper with just more than two minutes left, and the Lakers couldn’t catch up. Lillard missed five games after spraining his left ankle against San Antonio on Dec. 23. He is the team’s top scorer with an average of 27 points and 6.2 assists per game. The Blazers went 2-3 without him, including Wednesday night’s 125-117 loss to the Golden State Warriors. “Obviously, he makes them a lot more dangerous,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said before the game. Luol Deng sat out because of right biceps tendinitis. Deng played more than 31 minutes Tuesday night in the Lakers’ 116-102 victory at home against Memphis. Julius Randle had a triple-double (19 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists) against the Grizzlies. He finished with 17 points and nine rebounds against the Blazers. Lillard didn’t look rusty from the layoff, hitting his first four shots, including a 3-pointer that gave the Blazers an early 21-16 lead. Clarkson, Lou Williams and Brandon Ingram hit consecu- tive 3s to cap a 13-0 run that gave the Lakers a 37-29 lead early in the second quarter. Los Angeles pushed the advantage to 54-43 after Russell’s short jumper late in the half. Portland climbed back into it with a 13-2 run to open the second half, capped by Maurice Harkless’ 3-pointer that tied the game at 66. The Blazers took an 84-81 lead on Turner’s fast-break layup late in the third quarter. TIP-INS Lakers: Walton said he can’t really compare his head coaching experience from last season, when he stepped in for Steve Kerr with the Warriors, to his first season running the Lakers. “This whole thing takes time, and obviously we’re in the earlier stages,” he said. Trail Blazers: Allen Crabbe has scored in double figures in five straight games, a season high. UP NEXT Lakers: Host the Miami Heat on Friday night. Trail Blazers: Host the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, when an ice storm is expected to hit Portland. BOARDMAN — Alondra Caldera helped Riverside to a pair of wins last week, going for 12 points and 10 steals in a 52-33 win over Ione, and 16 points and six rebounds in a 50-32 win over Stevenson (WA). She has been named the East Oregonian’s Athlete of the Week for the week of Dec. 25-31. EO: What’s your favorite winter activity? AC: I love playing basketball. If I could I would play all year round. What’s the best part of being a Riverside Pirate? I think it’s just everyone gets along. If you could change one thing about your school what would it be? Have more extracurric- ular activities. Who’s your favorite athlete? I don’t really have one. I just kind of watch everyone. What’s your favorite team? Miami Heat Do you play any other sports? Soccer and track. How old were you when you started playing basketball? Third grade. What’s your favorite thing about basketball? It’s hard to explain, there’s so many things. I guess the rush of adrenaline you get when you play. If you could attend any sporting event in the world what would it be? NBA Finals Do you have any sports superstitions? Before they announce my name, I pray before every game. Where’s your favorite place in Oregon? Portland What’s your favorite class? PE What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned this year? How to use a camera. Who’s your favorite musical artist? The Weekend What’s your favorite holiday? I would say Valentine’s Day but that’s my birthday, so Christmas. Who is the person you admire most? My parents. If you could choose any super power what would it be? Probably to fly. What’s your favorite movie? A Walk to Remember (2002) What’s your favorite food? I like pozole. What’s your least favorite food? I hate green beans. ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Alondra Caldera Sophomore Riverside Basketball SEAHAWKS: Detroit averaging 37 pass attempts a game Continued from 1B they’ve got a great defense.” Steven Terrell has been the one asked to step in for Thomas, even if there is no way to properly replace one of the best free safeties in the NFL. It’s the most Terrell has played in his brief NFL career. Before this season, Terrell had one career defen- sive tackle in his two seasons with the Seahawks. “Just the experience, learning through the good, the bad, the indifferent, whatever. It’s just getting better and seeing where I’m at,” Terrell said. “You kind of see where you’re at in the preseason but playing this year in the regular season it’s been a good opportunity.” The experience Terrell is getting appears to be coming at a cost to Seattle’s defense. In the first 11 games of the season, the Seahawks allowed 10 passing touch- downs. In the final five games, including the Caro- lina game when Thomas was injured early in the second quarter, they allowed six. Perhaps more telling is the lack of interceptions. Seattle’s last interception came on the first play of its 40-7 win over Carolina. Since Thomas was hurt, the Seahawks have zero picks. The breakdowns have been noticeable: Ted Ginn Jr. getting deep for a 55-yard touchdown in the minutes after Thomas was injured; Davante Adams getting open for a 66-yard TD; J.J. Nelson running free through Seat- tle’s secondary, once for an 80-yard touchdown. They’re the kinds of big plays the Seahawks secondary simply has not allowed in the past. Not all those plays are on Terrell. He’s made mistakes, but at the same time quarter- backs have appeared more aggressive in challenging Seattle’s secondary with Thomas not there. If anything, the past month has highlighted how much Thomas’ presence has impacted Seattle’s defensive success. “The thing I’ve been focused on is not trying to be Earl because I can’t be Earl. I can only be the best version of me,” Terrell said. “That part hasn’t been too hard because I’ve been who I am and my teammates have been giving me good feed- back. Just be you, be the best you that you can be and that helped out a lot. When you replace an All-Pro player it’s definitely something you don’t do every day. It’s a great opportunity though.” The challenge for Seattle may not be so much this week, but what lies ahead should it get past the Lions. Detroit averages 37 pass attempts per game but only 7.3 yards per attempt. But a Seattle victory sets up a matchup with Atlanta and the third-best pass game in the NFL. That’s down the road. The Seahawks have enough to worry about with Detroit. “Earl is Earl, and now it’s Steve’s opportunity,” Seattle cornerback DeShawn Shead said. “And Steve is a great player as well but you can’t ask Steve to be Earl. Steve is Steve and he does a great job.” Caldera helped Riverside to a pair of wins last week, going for 12 points and 10 steals in a 52-33 win over Ione, and 16 points and six rebounds in a 50- 32 win over Stevenson (WA). P ROUDLY S PONSORED B Y : ELMER’S IRRIGATION, INC. “Proudly serving and investing in the future of our communities” Hwy 395 • Hermiston 541-567-5572 Fax: 541-567-8721 Emergency service also available