SPORTS
WEEKEND, APRIL 8-9, 2017
1B
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Hermis-
ton’s Slade
Gritz is
congrat-
ulated at
first base
by team-
mate Joel
Mendez (2)
after driv-
ing in the
game-win-
ning run in
the bottom
of the sev-
enth inning
in the first
game of a
baseball
double-
header
against
Heritage on
Friday in
Hermiston.
Hermiston
won 12-11.
HERMISTON
Gritz continues late-game magic
Hermiston senior records second walk-off
hit as Bulldogs split doubleheader
By ERIC SINGER
East Oregonian
Slade Gritz has made a new name
for himself this baseball season and
it’s Mr. Clutch.
With Hermiston and Heritage
(WA) tied at 11-11 in the bottom of
the seventh inning, the Bulldog senior
catcher hit a one-out chopper past the
Timberwolf shortstop and into left
field, bringing home Lukas Tolan for
a walk-off win in Game 1 of Friday’s
doubleheader at Armand Larive ball
park. It’s Gritz’s second game-win-
Baseball
ning hit of the season, and third
overall contribution to a Hermiston
(5-7) walk-off win, after scoring the
winning run on a walk-off wild pitch
in Hermiston’s season opener.
So with those two previous
game-winning contributions in his
back pocket, Gritz said he stepped
to the plate in the seventh looking
at his teammate standing on second
base and expected something good to
happen.
“I just know I need to get a job done
every time I go up there and if I’m the
one that’s got to do it, then I’ll gladly
Heritage (WA)
Hermiston
11-12
12-2
do it,” Gritz said. “I’m not trying to
steal anything from my teammates, I
wouldn’t mind somebody else to hit
a winning run, but I’m definitely not
complaining about it, I’ll take it for
sure.”
Just prior to Gritz’s heroics at
the plate, sophomore Wyatt Noland
had his own heroics on the pitching
mound. Heritage had scored three runs
in the top of the inning to tie the game
at 11-11 and had the go-ahead run at
Staff photo by Eric
Singer
See BULLDOGS/4B
MILTON-FREEWATER
Bucks, TigerScots win Carnival of Speed
Personal records
highlight windy
meet for locals
By MATT ENTRUP
East Oregonian
After limping to the finish in
her junior season, Pendleton’s
Kiara Glover is back stronger
than ever as a senior.
The Buckaroo obliterated
her personal record in the long
jump with her first attempts of
the season on Friday at Mac-Hi’s
Carnival of Speed, and Pend-
leton got big days from several
girls to win the team title by four
points over Enterprise.
A hyperextended right knee
put a damper on Glover’s run-up
to state last year, and despite
making it to Hayward Field in
both high jump and long jump,
she went into the offseason with
some of her lowest distances of
the season.
So there may have been no
one more surprised than Glover
when she beat her state mark
by more than a foot and her
former PR by eight inches with
a winning long jump of 16 feet,
nine inches on Friday.
Making it even more impres-
sive is that fact that she hadn’t
even attempted a jump in the 11
months since state — not even in
practice.
“Actually that was my
first time jumping, but I have
practiced doing pop-ups off the
board,” she said. “I started a new
kick from when I jump off the
board and it definitely showed a
lot of progress.”
Even though she could tell
she’d made a good jump, Glover
said she was shocked to hear
16-9.
“Oh yeah, I definitely did
not think I would be getting
that mark, especially since I had
injured myself from last year. I
was hoping to get low 16’s,” she
said. “This definitely makes me
think I can get 17 this year.”
Glover’s high jump left her
unsatisfied, but at 4-10 was still
good enough for second place.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Jacob Speed, of Weston-McEwen, cruises
to first in the 400-yard dash Friday during
the Carnival of Speed in Milton-Freewater.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Soren Wolf de Gavia, of Pendleton, leads
the final heat of the boys 100-meter dash
Friday during the Carnival of Speed in Mil-
ton-Freewater. De Gavia is flanked by Alex
Walls, of Irrigon, Colin Rickman, of Pendle-
ton, and Jacob Speed, of Weston-McEwen.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Kiara Glover, of Pendleton, long jumps Friday during the Carnival of Speed in Milton-Freewa-
ter. Glover took first place with a leap of 16 feet, nine inches.
Pendleton had no other event
winners for the girls, but had
several podium finishes and
10 personal records. Pendleton
coach Larry Brizendine said it
was a banner day considering
what the team was missing.
“I think we have 21 kids not
here today at FBLA and speech
debate and I don’t know what,
all sorts of stuff took kids every-
where so I’m surprised we’re
doing this well,” he said. “But
I’m glad, the kids stepped up I
think.”
Oceane Schreier was third
in triple jump and bettered her
former PR by nearly two feet
with a distance of 31-8. Megan
Burchard was second in pole
vault (7 feet), and Elisabeth
House placed in three events
taking second in the 100 meters
(14.26), fourth in the 200 (28.73)
and fifth in the 400 (1:06.77).
Weston-McEwen won the
See CARNIVAL OF SPEED/4B
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Aleesha Watson, of Umatilla, throws
the javelin Friday during the Carnival of
Speed in Milton-Freewater. Watson end-
ed up third with a toss of 105 feet. Blanca
Garcia, of Mac-Hi, won the event with a
throw of 118 feet, three inches.
Golf
Defending champ Willett leads parade exiting Masters early
Several former
champions miss cut
By JIM LITKE
Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Defending
champion Danny Willett’s morning
got off to an appropriately chilly
start.
The Englishman made a
snowman at the first hole, never
quite recovered from that quadruple
bogey en route to a 78 on Friday and
wound up leading a cast of dozens
headed for the exits at Augusta
National after failing to make the
cut. At least Willett will be back on
Sunday to put the green jacket on
the new champion.
Two days of cool, wind-whipped
Danny Willett
of England,
watches his
drive on the
fourth hole
during the
second round
of the Masters
golf tourna-
ment Friday,
April 7, 2017, in
Augusta, Ga.
Masters Leaderboard
1. Charley Hoffman
1. Sergio Garcia
1. Thomas Peters
1. Rickie Fowler
5. William McGirt
6. Ryan Moore
6. Jon Rahm
6. Fred Couples
10. Adam Scott
10. Jordan Spieth
10. Phil Mickelson
-4
-4
-4
-4
-2
-1
-1
-1
E
E
E
conditions tested the golfers’
patience and left plenty shaking
their heads on the way out.
“Three-putt on the first hole
doesn’t help and then misjudged
the wind with clubs at least three
times,” said two-time champion
Bubba Watson, who finished 8 over.
AP Photo/Chris Carlson
“Could have been four. I remember
three in my head.”
Watson had plenty of company.
In fact, the parade of former cham-
pions and other luminaries who
posted scores of 151 or worse and
will be skipping the weekend was
almost large enough to fill out a
consolation bracket.
“We’ve had two fabulous years
and when you have a bit of a
downturn, it feels like the world is
coming to end,” said Willett, who
became the first reigning champ
to depart early since Mike Weir in
2004.
Considering his poor form over
the past year, Willett wasn’t even
the biggest surprise. That dubious
honor belongs to Watson, who
had made the cut in all eight of his
previous Masters appearances.
There was no shortage of other
former winners who won’t be
making use of their green jackets
come Sunday.
They include Angel Cabrera
(2009), Trevor Immelman (2008),
Zach Johnson (2007), Vijay Singh
(2000), Jose Maria Olazabal (1999,
1994) Mark O’Meara (1998) Bern-
See MASTERS/4B