Page 2B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
PENDLETON: Large hoping for more opportunities after solid debut
Continued from 1B
came back for the very first
time today and then Wyatt
(Morris’s) back is injured and
we couldn’t play him in the
field today. So we’re a little
thin there as far as veterans
go, but we’ve got guys that
are trying to step up and do
what they’re asked.”
Lani, a senior making his
return after an appendectomy
in late February, was Pend-
leton’s most efficient pitcher
throwing 68.4 percent strikes.
But he ran into trouble in the
third inning of Game 1 when
he hit consecutive batters to
put two on with one out.
An error in the infield then
allowed Roseburg to take a
2-1 lead, and a pair of singles
made it 3-1 before he could
get out of the frame.
That ended his time on the
mound but he said it felt good
to get back to competing,
and he thinks there are some
opportunities and positives
that could come out of these
early-season struggles.
“Nothing hurts me, I’m
feeling just fine. Definitely
excited,” said Lani, who
finished with a line of one
earned run allowed on three
hits with two strikeouts and
no walks. “That’s probably
our weak point right now,
is just pitchers who can be
consistently strikes. Hope-
fully later on we’ll get a lot
more playing time for kids
that aren’t getting in pitching
so when they’re asked to go
out and pitch they’re not like
(wide-eyed), they know what
to do.”
Pendleton was able to
knot the score at 3-3 in the
fourth. Cam Sandford went
from first to third on a single
by Naughton, then scored
on a ground-out by Hayden
Villers. Then Naughton
scored on a double by Jared
Beveridge.
Roseburg struck back
with three runs off four
singles in the top of the fifth,
then added three more in the
sixth which Mandera led off
with a line drive that cleared
the fence in left field.
Pendleton struck out
twice in the bottom of the
sixth, then hit into a double
play after getting two on with
no outs in the seventh and
went down on strikes for the
final out.
The Bucks’ collapse was
less gradual in Game 2 as the
Indians plated eight runs in the
top of the fifth to go up 8-1.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Pendleton pitcher Chris Large gets ready to tag Rose-
burg’s Cody Johnson Tuesday at Bob White Field.
Large, a sophomore
pitching in his first varsity
game, had three strikeouts
and two hits allowed through
four innings, but gave up a
single and then hit a batter to
put two on to start the top of
the fifth.
Mandera made him pay
and lifted another homer over
the fence in left to make it 3-1,
then a misplayed ball in the
outfield and a walk brought
the hook out for Large.
He finished with three
earned runs allowed on four
hits, with three strikeouts and
three walks.
“It was pretty good, not
bad for a first time on varsity,”
Large gave his assessment.
“I was just getting a little
tired (in the fifth). … It’s still
getting there, (my arm) is not
all the way in shape yet.”
“We pulled him up from
JV because we’re a little
short on arms and he threw a
great four innings of shutout
ball against a good baseball
team, and kept them off
balance and threw strikes,”
Haguewood said.
Large said he’s hoping
his showing Tuesday can get
him into consideration for a
regular spot in the lineup.
“I hope so,” he said. “I
think I did good, I think I
deserve to be up here.”
The Bucks would need
two more pitchers to get out
of the fifth as walks, errors,
passed balls and some hard
singles by Roseburg kept the
runs coming.
“I don’t want to say it’s
the usual thing, but it’s been
happening a lot lately,”
Lani said. “We played 1-0
baseball for five innings and
then one inning just ended us.
We definitely have room for
improvement.”
Pendleton got a run back
in the bottom of the fifth
when Beveridge scored on
a grounder by Nick Bower,
but Roseburg reliever Luke
Lucido was able to get a
ground-out to avoid further
damage and then got a
strikeout for the final out
when Pendleton tried to rally
in the seventh. He pitched the
last five innings and allowed
two earned runs on two hits,
with five strikeouts and four
walks.
Austin Zaugg (3 for
5), Shaw Jerome (3 for 7)
and Naughton (2 for 4) led
Pendleton at the plate on the
day, and Bower drove in all
three runs in Game 2 despite
a hitless afternoon.
UP NEXT
Pendleton will close out
the month at the Bucks Bags
Tournament in Boise, Idaho,
where they’ll play four
games from March 30-April
1. First up will be Bishop
Kelly (ID) on Thursday at 5 p
———
Game 1
R H E
RHS
012 033
0 — 9 11 1
PHS
010 210
0 — 4 8 3
Z. Mandera, J. Alexander (7). N. Lani, A.
Zaugg (4), C. Sandford (6). W — Mandera.
L — Zaugg.
2B — L. Lucido, C. Johnson, C. Townsend
(RHS); D. Naughton, J. Beveridge, A. Zaugg
(PHS). HR — Z. Mandera (RHS).
Game 2
R H E
RHS
000 080
1 — 9 7 1
PHS
001 010
1 — 3 3 5
K. Seely, L. Lucido (3). C. Large, D.
Naughton (5), H. Villers (5). W — Seely.
L — Large.
2B — W. Morris, S. Jerome (PHS). HR —
Z. Mandera (RHS).
PREPS: Weston-McEwen baseball wins two games at Columbia Bash
Continued from 1B
Clackamas (6-2) would
pack a little more punch in
the next game, and fought
back from a 4-2 deficit with
four runs in the third and two
in the fourth as Pendleton
also committed three errors
to aid them.
Maddy Oakden hit a
three-run home run in the
third inning for the Cavaliers,
which were actually out-hit
in the game 12-7.
“We hit the ball very well
in Game 2, we just made too
many mistakes defensively,”
Cary said. “We just kept
allowing Clackamas to keep
coming back into the game
and eventually too many
unearned runs were allowed
and we couldn’t keep up
with our mistakes.”
Rylee Gentner (2 for 3)
hit a solo home run in the
third that tied the score 5-5,
and McGlothan was 3 for 4
at the plate.
Richards relieved Alexi
Brehaut in the third inning
and finished with six strike-
outs, one walk and three hits
allowed.
Both games were called
after six innings due to a time
limit.
UP NEXT
Pendleton finishes its
tournament with a game
against Milwaukie (3-3) at
noon.
———
(6 innings)
R H E
PHS
120 001 —
4 4 0
GHS
000 000 —
0 2 1
L. Richards and K. Solomon. S. Smith and
P. Perkins. W — Richards. L — Smith.
2B — Ka. McGlothan (PHS); D. McCloyne
(GHS). HR — A. Garton (PHS).
(6 innings)
R H E
CHS
104 200 —
7 7 1
PHS
131 010 —
6 12 3
Clackamas battery unavailable. A.
Brehaut, L. Richards (3) and K. Solomon.
W — Unknown. L — Richards.
2B — Ki. McGlothan, M. Parker (PHS). HR
— M. Oakden (CHS); R. Gentner (PHS).
MAC-HI
11,
MILWAUKIE 1 — At
Canby, the Mac-Hi Pioneers
kicked off their slate at
the Canby Tournament on
Tuesday morning with a 11-1
victory over Milwaukie.
McKenna Stallings made
her first start of the season at
pitcher for Mac-Hi (3-1) and
picked up the win, allowing
just seven hits and one run
over five innings with four
strikeouts.
Mac-Hi’s offense started
off the day with 16 hits
with its 11 runs, powered
by Mallory Copeland who
went 3 for 3 with two home
runs and five RBI. Copeland
hit a three-run homer in the
bottom of the first to get the
scoring started.
Behind Copeland, Micha
Fortune went 3 for 4 with
three runs scored, Rachael
Lyon went 3 for 4 with two
runs and two RBI and Ashlyn
Marly went 2 for 3 with two
runs and an RBI.
———
R H E
MIL
000
10 —
1 7 0
M-H
351
02 — 11 16 0
WP — M. Stallings, LP — C. Grogan.
2B — C. Grogan (MIL); M. Fortune, F. Kel-
ly, B. Jones, A. Marly (M-H). 3B — A. Rood
(MIL). HR — M. Copeland 2 (M-H).
MAC-HI 16, NORTH
SALEM 4 — At Canby,
the Mac-Hi Pioneers scored
11 runs in the bottom of
the fourth inning to run
away with a 16-4 win over
6A school North Salem at
the Canby Tournament on
Tuesday morning.
Sydney Earls got the win
in the circle for the Pioneers
(4-1) as she struck out six
batters and gave up just six
hits and one earned run.
Micha Fortune went 3 for
4 with one double and one
triple, scored three runs and
drove in four. Rachel Lyon
also went 3 for 4 with a pair
of runs scored and two RBI.
North Salem (2-1) scored
three runs in the top of the
third to take a 3-1 lead on
Mac-Hi, but then the Pioneers
answered with four runs in
the bottom of the inning to
take a 5-3 lead before adding
on 11 in the fourth to end the
game after five innings.
———
R H E
NS
003
01 —
4 6 2
M-H
014 11X — 16 13 2
WP — S. Earls, LP — C. Santos.
2B — B. Hernandez (NS); M. Fortune, M.
Copeland, S. Richwine, B. Jones, G. Bullock
(M-H). 3B — M. Fortune, R. Lyon (M-H).
BASEBALL
WESTON-MCEWEN
17, SCIO 7 — At Boardman,
the Weston-McEwen Tiger-
Scots started the Columbia
Bash tournament with their
first win of the season, beating
Scio 17-7 on Tuesday.
The TigerScots (1-2) did
not waste any time getting
the offense going, as they
scored 10 runs in the top of
the first inning and tallied 11
hits for the game. Brendan
Dearing had a productive
game from his leadoff spot,
going 3 for 4 with two runs
scored and two RBI.
is so much uncertainty. Has all of
Dipoto’s tinkering — somewhere
around 40 trades since he arrived
in September 2015 — created a
viable winner or are the Mariners a
collection of pieces that fail to solve
the puzzle?
“You see all the pieces that he got
and that tells you a lot about a GM,
that he wants to win. As a player
that’s what you want,” Cano said.
Here are other things to watch as
the Mariners get started on April 3 at
Houston:
NEW LOOK: The most notable
changes will be in the outfield and at
shortstop with the additions of Jean
Segura, Jarrod Dyson and Mitch
Haniger. Segura and Haniger arrived
in the trade that sent Taijuan Walker
and Ketel Marte to Arizona, while
Dyson was one of the final pieces
added over the winter. Segura led the
National League in hits last season
after two down years in Milwaukee.
Segura and Dyson will be responsible
for extending the top of the batting
order and being on base for Cano,
Cruz and Kyle Seager.
Defensively, the additions of
Haniger and Dyson are significant
upgrades to the speed and athleticism
in the outfield and, combined with
Leonys Martin in center field, should
give Seattle one of the best outfield
defenses in the league.
YOUTH MOVEMENT: The
Mariners will still be a mostly
veteran team, but there are a few
youngsters being counted on in key
roles. Haniger is at the top of the list
as the primary option in right field.
Also important to the outfield will be
W-M 1020
23 — 17 11 3
SHS
241
00 —
7 3 6
(W-M) T. Hendley, B. Dearing (2), J. West
(2), H. Sater (3), B. Speed (4). (SHS)
2B — D. Cain (W-M).
WESTON-MCEWEN
11, RIVERSIDE 10 — At
Boardman, the TigerScots
finished off a successful first
day at the Columbia Bash,
holding off Riverside for a
11-10 win on Tuesday.
Riverside (0-4) led 7-1
after two innings, but the
TigerScots (2-2) began their
surge in the third. Weston-
McEwen scored four runs
in the inning powered by a
pair of RBI singles by Hunter
Sater and Garrett Shell to cut
the deficit to 7-5.
And then in the fourth,
Weston-McEwen tied the
game at 7-7 on another RBI
single by Shell and then took
a 9-7 lead when T. Sater’s
grounder made it through on
an error by Riverside’s short-
stop. Riverside did make a
charge in the sixth inning,
scoring three runs on Hunter
Sater but could not get any
closer than 11-10.
Sater pitched a solid five
innings of relief and gave up
just those three unearned runs
and three hits while striking
out seven. Shell, Sater and
Brendan Dearing all had two
hits in the game to lead the
team, while Dearing added a
team-best three runs scored.
———
W-M
104 420
0 — 11 8
RHS
520 003
0 — 10 11
(W-M) T. Hendley, H. Sater (3).
7
6
IRRIGON
14,
VERNONIA 2 — At Irrigon,
the
Knights
combined
timely hitting and lights-out
pitching to earn their fifth
straight win to start 2017 by
beating Vernonia 14-2 at the
Columbia Bash on Tuesday.
Austin Rice started on
the mound for Irrigon (5-0)
and struck out nine batters,
walked one and gave up just
one hit in three innings on
49 pitches. Adrian Roa and
Johnny Phillips followed
Rice and allowed two hits
and two unearned runs with
four strikeouts over the final
two innings.
On offense, Roa and Zack
Henrichs each tallied two hits
on the day with Roa adding
four runs scored and two
RBI and Henrichs a pair of
doubles and two RBI. Rice
and Lino Covarrubia each
had a team-high three RBI.
———
R H E
VHS
000
11 —
2 3 3
IHS
346 1X — 14 9 1
(VHS) B. Morrison, B. Elliott (4). (IHS) A.
Rice, A. Roa (4), J. Phillips (5). WP — A.
Rice, LP — B. Morrison.
2B — Z. Henrichs 2, A. Rice, L. Covarru-
bia, D. Sawyer (IHS).
VERNONIA
18,
MAC-HI 5 — At Irrigon,
the Mac-Hi pitchers could
not keep the Vernonia
offense under wraps as the
Loggers belted 19 hits to
beat the Pioneers 18-5 at the
Columbia Bash on Tuesday.
Mac-Hi (1-2) pitcher Devon
Cothey was hit hard to start as
he gave up seven hits and eight
runs in 2/3 of an inning. Jesse
Jones pitched 5 2/3 innings of
relief and gave up nine hits and
six earned runs, but also struck
out 10 batters.
Jesus Vela was Mac-Hi’s
best offensive player, as was
a perfect 3 for 3 with a pair
of doubles and four RBI.
Marcellus Brinkley followed
Vela with a 1 for 3 day with
one run and one RBI.
———
R H E
VHS
930 000
6 — 18 19 0
M-H
040 100
0 — 5 6 1
WP — G. Harral, LP — D. Cothey.
2B — G. Everrett, H. Cheloha 2, B. Elliott 3,
T. Adams 2, G. Harral (VHS); J. Vela 2 (M-H).
MAC-HI 14, SCIO 4 — At
Irrigon, the Mac-Hi Pioneers
picked up their second victory
of the season with a 14-4 win
over Scio at the Columbia
Bash on Tuesday.
Jesus Vela threw a six-in-
ning complete game for
Mac-Hi (2-2), striking out
nine and walking one while
giving up nine hits and three
earned runs. He also went 2
for 4 at the plate with two
runs and three RBI.
Also carrying the load
offensively for the Pioneers
was Devon Cothey with a
pair of hits and two RBI,
and Adrian Martinez with a
team-best five runs scored.
———
R H E
SHS
021 100 —
4 9 3
M-H
331 043 — 14 8 1
WP — J. Vela, LP — Ellis.
2B — Prim (SHS); D. Cothey, J. Vela (M-H).
BLAZERS: 12-7 record since trading for Nurkic
MARINERS:
Continued from 1B
Brett Speed, James West
and Dylan Cain each scored
three runs to lead the team.
Five pitchers took the mound
in the game, as Travis Hendley,
Brendan Dearing, West, Hunter
Sater and Speed combined to
strike out seven and walk seven
while allowing just three hits
and two earned runs.
———
Guillermo Heredia or Ben Gamel,
whoever wins the backup position.
Dan Altavilla is being counted on
to help solidify Seattle’s bullpen.
Altavilla throws hard, but other than
15 appearances for the Mariners
late last season never pitched above
Double-A.
THE KING IS HERE:
Hernandez underperformed last
year, and he still finished with 11
wins and a sub-4.00 ERA despite
missing nearly two months with a
leg injury. But Hernandez was rarely
up to what’s become his standard.
Seattle’s management challenged
Hernandez to get in better shape in the
offseason and working out with the
same trainer used by Cruz and Cano
seemed to do the job. Hernandez
showed up to camp stronger and
his performance for Venezuela in
the World Baseball Classic showed
Hernandez may be able to rediscover
his King-like form.
LONG BALL: While Seattle
wants to be more versatile in how it
scores runs, it would take another big
season from Cano, Cruz and Seager.
The trio combined to hit 112 home
runs last season, and the Mariners
were third in baseball with 223
homers.
IN ROTATION: While much of
the attention will be on Hernandez,
the Mariners significantly improved
the back end of the rotation with
the additions of lefty Drew Smyly
and right-hander Yovani Gallardo.
Smyly was a major offseason target
for Dipoto and could end up being
Seattle’s best starter. Gallardo will be
trying to rebound from a poor 2016
season with Baltimore.
Portland Trail
Blazers center
Jusuf Nurkic
eggs on the
crowd after
scoring and
drawing a foul
on Denver
Nuggets for-
ward Danilo
Gallinari
during the
first half of an
NBA basket-
ball game
in Portland,
Ore., Tuesday,
March 28,
2017.
Continued from 1B
The Blazers got Nurkic
involved early against his former
team. On Portland’s first posses-
sion, Nurkic scored on a post-up
play against Nikola Jokic, who
took Nurkic’s starting spot in
Denver.
After another first-quarter
basket, Nurkic called on the crowd
to pick up the noise, which was
a theme for him throughout the
night, even while on the bench.
When Nurkic left the game late
in the third quarter, he did so to a
standing ovation.
It wouldn’t be his last of the
night, as Blazers coach Terry
Stotts pulled Nurkic for a curtain
call with 19 seconds left.
Nurkic spoke to the crowd
after the game, even taking a shot
at his former team.
“I wish those guys a happy
summer,” Nurkic said.
A 24-second violation by
Denver at the 2:28 mark of the
third got the home crowd into it
even more, as Portland rode the
momentum and improved defense
to a 10-point lead after three quar-
ters.
With 7:21 left in the fourth,
McCollum called the crowd
to action again after another
3-pointer to give Portland a
107-96 lead.
The game featured seven lead
changes and 14 ties before Port-
land pulled away.
TIP-INS
Blazers: The arrival of Nurkic
from Denver has coincided with
Portland’s longest stretch of
AP Photo/Steve Dykes
winning basketball, going 12-7
since his arrival. Malone didn’t
think much had changed with
Nurkic, though. “I haven’t seen
anything different,” Malone said.
“He started 25 games for us and
we looked to post him up at times
on the left block. He’s a more than
capable passer. He’s a guy that can
take the ball to the basket at times.
We have our starting center in
Nikola Jokic. (Nurkic has) come
here and given them a boost, I’m
happy for him. He’s a good kid.”
UP NEXT
Blazers: The Blazers host
James Harden and Houston on
Thursday night.