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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 2017)
Page 2B SPORTS East Oregonian Tuesday, February 28, 2017 Timberwolves softball fades in season-opening twin bill BMCC baseball gets first win; Wyant paces men’s hoops win East Oregonian PENDLETON — It only took a few bad innings to spoil Blue Mountain softball’s season-opener on Saturday at Walla Walla Community College. The Timberwolves started strong in each half of a non-league double- header, but couldn’t hold off the Warriors for losses of 16-8 and 11-6. Blue Mountain (0-2) led off the season by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning as Walla Walla (2-0) committed three errors in the field and starting pitcher Rachel Collins hit Sydney Saxton Siaki with the bases loaded to push in the first run. Tiffany Becker then put the ball in play and BMCC used aggressive base-running to score two more on the fielder’s choice. Walla Walla scored in each of its first three at-bats, but BMCC was up 8-3 in the middle of the fourth after solo home runs by Megan Ulrey and Sarah Bonner and a two-RBI double by Saxton Siaki. But Walla Walla’s hitters responded with 13 runs off 14 hits in the next two innings to enact the mercy rule at the end of the fifth. Mac-Hi product Shannon Carter was 3-for-4 for with three RBIs for Walla Walla, and Mikayla Faulkner was 4-for-5 with five RBIs. The T-Wolves opened Game 2 with four straight hits, Tiffany Becker hit a two-RBI double and then scored on Brooke Kralman’s single to make it 5-0. It took Walla Walla two innings to respond, but their eight-hit, eight-run third was enough after starting pitcher Anna Williams settled in and didn’t allow another run until the top of the seventh. Ulrey went 3-for-4 to lead BMCC, and Kralman finished 2-for-3. Hailey Danly was 2-for-3 with four RBIs for Walla Walla, Emily Thornton was 3-for-4 and Mac-Hi product Makayla Kelly added an RBI and a run. Next up for BMCC is a home doubleheader against Mt. Hood on Friday that starts at 3 p.m. ——— Game 1 (5 innings) R H E BMCC 302 30 — 8 6 8 WWCC 111 67 — 16 19 5 M. Ulrey, T. Becker (5) and S. Bonner. R. Collins and A. Williams. W — R. Collins. L — T. Becker. 2B — S Saxton Siaki, A. Daubert (BMCC); M. Faulk- ner 2, L. Parker, S. Carter (WWCC). HR — S. Bonner, M. Ulrey (BMCC); H. Danly (WWCC). Game 2 R H E BMCC 500 000 1 — 6 10 3 WWCC 008 030 0 — 11 14 0 T. Snyder, A. Turner (6) and C. Ringnalda. A. Williams and H. Danly. W — A. Williams. L — T. Snyder. 2B — L. Cagle, M. Ulrey, T. Becker (BMCC); M. Faulkner, A. Williams, L. Parker, A. Hicks, M. Kelly (WWCC). HR — H. Danly (WWCC). BASEBALL BLUE MOUNTAIN 6, COLUMBIA BASIN 3 — At Pasco, the Timberwolves scored three runs in the top of the first and starting pitcher Gunnar Johnson gave them five innings of scoreless work on the mound as the team picked up its first win of the season in a non-league game on Sunday that had originally been scheduled for a doubleheader. Andrew Hively was 2-for-5 with two RBIs to lead BMCC (1-2), and Cameron Sutton was 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Johnson allowed five hits, but no runs on two walks and four strikeouts, and Kaden Enriquez slammed the door in the ninth with two strikeouts for the save. Blue Mountain’s next game Friday at Walla Walla at 1 p.m. ——— R H E BMCC 303 000 000 — 6 9 1 CBC 000 000 210 — 3 10 1 G. Johnson, C. Walker (6), K. Enriquez (9) and C. Labbe. A. Willmon, C. Bradley (3), K. Strawn (4), H. French (6), C. Doughty (8) and C. White. W — John- son. L — Willmon. S — Enriquez. 2B — T. Spivey, T. Heiman, C. Sutton (BMCC); M. Wyatt (CBC). HR — I. Hatch (CBC). MEN’S BASKETBALL BLUE MOUNTAIN 93, WENATCHEE VALLEY 82 — At Pendleton, Lucas Wyant scored 27 points and the Timberwolves outlasted the Knights in a game that featured 25 three-pointers between the NWAC-East foes on Saturday at Mosby Court. Wyant hit four for BMCC’s 12 treys, and was 10-of-15 from the field while added three assists. Blue Mountain (5-20, 3-12 East) had 25 assists as a team, and Anthony Landeros tied Riley Brown for a team-high with five each. Jamal Logan added 15 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Blue Mountain shot 52.4 percent from the field for the game while winning the battle on the boards 42-28. Avery Ames scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting to lead Wenatchee Valley (9-17, 5-9). Next up for BMCC is its season finale on Wednesday when the T-Wolves host Spokane at 8 p.m. ——— WVC 40 42 — 82 BMCC 47 46 — 93 WENATCHEE VALLEY — A. Ames 22, J. Martin 18, T. Shurtiff 15, B. Widner 10, J. Armitstead 9, C. Bell 6, C. Williams 2, C. Dowdy. BLUE MOUNTAIN — L. Wyant 27, J. Logan 15, D. Davis 14, J. Mathews 14, I. Harris 9, L. Hawkins 5, A. Landeros 5, R. Brown 4, J. Cook, J. Kasiorek. 3-pointers — WVC 13; BMCC 12. Free throws — WVC 5-9; BMCC 15-19. Fouls — WVC 19; BMCC 13. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WENATCHEE VALLEY 65, BLUE MOUNTAIN 44 — At Pendleton, Whitney Shapp came off the bench to score a game-high 21 points to go with 11 rebounds and lead the Knights over the Timberwolves in an NWAC-East game on Saturday at Mosby Court. Shapp was 5-of-7 beyond the three-point arc, and the Wenatchee Valley (9-16, 4-10 East) bench actually outscored its starters 44-21. Akira McGee paced Blue Mountain (3-19, 1-14) with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, but the Timberwolves were dominated on the glass 55-29. Blue Mountain will host Spokane for its season finale on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ——— WVC 16 14 13 22 — 65 BMCC 6 8 16 14 — 44 WENATCHEE VALLEY — W. Shapp 21, D. Villareal 10, M. Faulkner 10, T. Swan 9, M. Malchi 8, T. Farmer 3, K. Nordstrom 3, A. Ingraham 1, K. Malchi, M. Teriipaia. BLUE MOUNTAIN — A. McGee 18, M. Bisbee 7, S. Wammock 6, M. Slater 6, B. Haringa 3, S. Schmeck- peper 2, E. Ramsey 2, M. Boyer, K. Munoz. 3-pointers — WVC 7; BMCC 3. Free throws — WVC 12-24; BMCC 11-20. Fouls — WVC 16; BMCC 20. Fouled out — T. Swan (WVC). BASKETBALL: Arlington returns to final bracket after 30-year hiatus Continued from 1B but we’re not satisfied.” The Eagles won’t be satisfied until they hold up that state championship trophy, and should be better prepared for the final push than previous season’s team that finished in second and third. “We haven’t been in close games but I think our league has proven to be pretty tough, so we’ve been tested,” said Maddern. “We haven’t really had the end of game situations, for sure, but a lot of these girls were in those situations last year so I think just with our experience from last year coming in this year it’s not as big of a worry.” For many of the Golden Eagles it will be their second or third trip to Baker City for the final bracket, but it will be the first for junior Milan Schimmel, who added 10 points on Saturday and re-joined her childhood team- mates this season after playing her first two years of high school ball in New Mexico. “It’s actually an amazing thing because a couple years back we used to play together all the time and win a bunch of tournaments,” she said. “And now that we’re all grown up and we’re playing together again it’s just an amazing thing to feel and experience because we just hadn’t played together for so long, and so it makes the feeling great. “Right now we’re playing really well together, and now we have another week to prepare for state. We know what’s coming at us because our coach is great at preparing us for what’s coming.” Although New Hope may not have given Nixyaawii a chance to work on its late-game composure, the Warriors did throw a new defense at the Eagles to try to slow down Stewart and Schimmel. “They ran a Triangle 2 with Mary and Milan, and we had a little bit of trouble understanding what it was and how to execute, but we came out in the second half and did a better job of that, so again just different things we see that’s only going to help us when we get down to Baker,” Maddern said. “We have so many offensive weapons, and I think we find different ways to win and take care of business, but it all starts on the defensive side. If we can play well defensively for three more games, I like our chances.” Nixyaawii will see a league foe in the quarterfinals as it runs up against Powder Valley for the fourth time this season. Nixyaawii is the only 1A team that has beaten the Badgers, but has done so at an average of 21 points. They’ll tip off at Baker High School on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. ——— NHC 6 10 8 10 — 34 NCS 21 10 16 10 — 57 NEW HOPE CHRISTIAN — K. Lyon 11, R. McKinney 8, K. McKinney 6, A. Sedano 4, T. Danner 4, M. Stanton 1, B. Liu, K. Kashishian, J, Kashishian, N. Crandall. NIXYAAWII — M. Stewart 20, K. Melton 17, M. Schimmel 10, E. Looney 4, S. Fuentes 2, T. Broncheau 2, T. Melton 2, S. Fitzpatrick, A. Tonasket, S. Patrick, E. Butler, K. Mountainchief, 3-pointers — NHC 3; NCS 0. Free throws — NHC 9-15; NCS 3-4. Fouls — NHC 7; NCS 12. Staff photo by Matt Entrup Pilot Rock’s Rachel Willingham (3) defends against Grant Union’s Hailie Wright as the Rockets’ Sara Wein- ke watches during their 2A girls basketball state play- off game on Saturday in Pilot Rock. Staff photos by Matt Entrup RIGHT: Nixyaawii’s Kaitlynn Melton works with her back to the hoop against New Hope Christian’s Teagan Danner on Saturday in Pendleton. RIGHT: Nixyaawii’s Mary Stewart drives for a layup against New Hope Christian on Saturday in Pendleton. GRANT UNION 49, PILOT ROCK 42 — At Pilot Rock, the No. 6 seed Rockets suffered a gut-wrenching loss to end their season in the first round of the state playoffs on Saturday. Facing an 11th-seeded Grant Union squad that was dialed in from the opening tip, Pilot Rock found itself struggling to keep pace before a surge at the end of the third quarter gave the teams a virtual reset headed into the final stanza. A five-point flurry from Kayla Deist capped a 14-6 run by the Rockets after halftime and made the score 34-33 going into the fourth quarter. But the Rockets (18-5) could never pull even, and were dealt an additional blow when Deist’s right knee gave out and she crumpled to the floor with 20 seconds left after making contact with a Grant Union (15-6) defender. She would have to be helped off the court and was in a wheelchair after the game. By that point in the game it had become a little too late for the Rockets to complete the comeback as Grant Union had hit a pair of free throws to make it a three- score game. The Rockets had pulled within five after Sara Weinke sank a free throw with 56 seconds left, but Grant Union was able to run 20 seconds off the clock before the Rockets could pick up the two fouls they needed to put them in the bonus. “They (Grant Union) outplayed us tonight, offense and defense,” said Pilot Rock coach Butch Wilson. “We had a chance to pull it out at the end, but really they outplayed us all night. They were the better team tonight.” The Prospectors opened the game on fire as Kaylee Wright and Mariah Moulton each sank a pair of three- pointers and Madi McKrola added a pair from inside the arc to take a 16-9 lead. Wright finished with a game- high 17 points. “They were hot to start the Staff photo by Matt Entrup Pilot Rock’s Sara Weinke (20) and Bekah Roe battle for a loose ball with Grant Union’s Trinity Hutchison while the Rockets’ Kayla Deist (10) watches during their 2A girls basketball state playoff game on Saturday in Pilot Rock. game from anywhere they shot,” Wilson said. “We made a lot of adjustments through the game and nothing really changed. Grant Union just played really well tonight.” Grant Union led 28-19 at halftime, and Deist had nine of her team-high 14 points in the second half to lead the comeback attempt. Bekah Roe added 13 points for Pilot Rock. She is one of three seniors that played their final game for the Rockets on Saturday along with Jacey Wilson and Rachel Willingham. “It’s just a heart-breaker,” Wilson said. “It’s a tough way to end on your home floor, but they got a home (playoff) game and that’s more than most teams in the state got. I’m proud of them.” Grant Union will play No. 3 Kennedy in the quarterfinals at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Pendleton Convention Center. ——— GUHS 16 12 6 15 — 49 PRHS 9 10 14 9 — 42 GRANT UNION — K. Wright 17, M. Moulton 11, M. McKrola 8, H. Wright 8, T. Hutchison 5, J. Rude, W. McClellon. PILOT ROCK — K. Deist 14, B. Roe 13, S. Weinke 7, J. Wilson 5, R. Willingham 3, R. Oates, B. Howland, G. Austin, K. Evans. 3-pointers — GUHS 6; PRHS 3. Free throws — GUHS 1-6; PRHS 7-10. Fouls — GUHS ; PRHS 13. WESTON-MCEWEN 42, FAITH BIBLE 29 — At Hillsboro, the No. 13 seed TigerScots turned the No. 4 seed Falcons’ strength into a weakness on Saturday to punch their ticket to the final state bracket. Interim head coach Jeff Griggs said the team had prepared all week to stop Faith Bible’s 6-foot-1 twins Katie and Sarah Fajer, and were able to execute their game plan from the start. The sisters still combined for 25 points, but with only two other players contributing buckets it was not nearly enough. “That strength made them a little predictable,” Griggs said. “I have two sisters on my roster they probably didn’t know about, and I changed up my rotation and I think caught them by surprise.” Senior Sarah Finifrock and junior Alyssa Finifrock drew primary defensive duties against the Fajer girls, and Griggs said Sara Von Borstel and Bailey Hillmick also were key to the defensive stand. The teams were knotted at 10-all after the first quarter, but Weston-McEwen (17-8) was able to create a little breathing room going into the locker room at halftime up 21-15. Chelsea Quaempts did most of her scoring in the first half, and finished with a game-high 16 points and three assists. “I think the girls were really believing,” Griggs said of the halftime energy. “They just kept bringing it in the second half. “They outworked their opponent in almost every aspect of the game.” Sarah Finifrock finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, Alyssa Finifrock also had seven boards to go with four points, and Hill- mick grabbed six rebounds. Ali Schroeder scored her only four points of the game at key spots early in the third quarter, and Griggs said the TigerScots’ depth started to pay off in the second half as fatigue seemed to take a toll on Faith Bible (25-2). A suddenly hostile envi- ronment also didn’t help the Falcons’ attempts to close the gap in the second half. “Our fans traveled well, they were there in numbers,” Griggs said. “Not quite as big as the home crowd, but possibly as loud. They helped us bring it home in the third quarter and that really meant a lot to the girls to have that type of support.” The win brings the Tiger- Scots back to Pendleton for the state quarterfinals on Thursday. They’ll face No. 5 seed Imbler at 1:30 p.m. at Pendleton Convention Center. The teams split their non-league match-ups this season, with each winning on its home court. ——— W-M 10 11 10 11 — 42 FB 10 5 7 7 — 29 WESTON-MCEWEN — C. Quaempts 16, S. Finifrock 11, K. Vescio 7, A. Schroeder 4, A. Finifrock 4, M. Muilenburg, S. Von Borstel, B. Hillmick, A. Coffman. FAITH BIBLE — K. Fajer 13, S. Fajer 12, A. Poetter 2, J. Irving 2, K. Hergert, A. Wagnon, M. Dutro. 3-pointers — W-M 2; FB 1. Free throws — W-M 6-9; FB 6-15. Fouls — W-M 13, FB 11. Fouled out — S. Fajer (FB). ARLINGTON 54, NORTH LAKE 43 — At Silver Lake, the No. 12 seed Arlington Honkers ended the three-decade drought of final bracket appearances with an upset of the No. 5 Cowboys on Saturday in the second round of the 1A state playoffs. Megan Hauner poured in 26 points and Joely Patnode added another 16 to clinch the Honkers’ first trip to the tour- nament’s final site since their championship season of 1987. After North Lake (19-4) knotted the score a 3-3, Arlington (21-6) took control and held onto the lead for the rest of the game. “We ran the ball,” Arlington coach Joe Patnode said. “They were bigger than us and they wanted to control the tempo. They just didn’t want to run and we did.” Patnode said it took an entire team effort to force the Cowboys into the up-and-down style of game the Honkers are comfortable in, and the key to that was disciplined defense and rebounding. “Our 2-3 defense shut their girls down inside, and they had some poor shooting from the outside,” he said. “We stayed in the paint as much as we could and boxed out.” Emily Kirby added nine points for Arlington, and North Lake was paced by Kendra Murphy’s 21 points. The game got heated in the second half as fouls started to accumulate on both sides. By the end of the game six players (four Honkers) had fouled out, and the teams combined to shoot 64 free throws. Patnode said the team had about 50 fans make the five-hour trip to Silver Lake, and is hopeful for even more when Arlington makes its return to Baker City against No. 4 Damascus Christian on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. ——— AHS 13 14 14 13 — 54 NL 11 8 14 10 — 43 ARLINGTON — M. Hauner 26, J. Patnode 16, E, Kirby 9, S. Grady 4, S. Collins 2, H. Da- vidson 1, R. McClure, K. McClure, A. Galvin. NORTH LAKE — K. Murphy 21, R. Hand 10, R. Baker 8, C. Nelson 2, V. Wilson, J. House. 3-pointers — AHS 6; NL 1. Free throws — AHS 18-34; NL 17-30. Fouls — AHS 20; NL 18. Fouled out — S. Collins, R. McClure, M. Hauner, H. Davidson (AHS); R. Baker, V. Wilson (NL).
