Page 2B SPORTS East Oregonian PENDLETON Wednesday, April 26, 2017 NBA Playoffs BMCC splits with Yaks Rockets finish off Thunder in five East Oregonian Baseball The Blue Mountain Timber- wolves welcomed the Yakima Valley Yaks to town on Tuesday and the two teams finished the day with a doubleheader split as BMCC won first 7-6 and then the Yaks won 7-4. In Game 1, scoring came in bunches for both teams. BMCC (15-21, 6-12 NWAC East) got on the board first in the bottom of the third thanks to an RBI single by Tate Spivey and an RBI double by Nate Cantonwine for a 3-0 lead. BMCC starting pitcher Cole Connolly was cruising through the first four innings allowing just two hits and four total baserunners. However he ran into trouble in the fifth when he gave up four hits and a walk as the Yaks pushed across five runs to take a 5-3 lead. But the T-Wolves offense bailed Connolly out with a four-run sixth inning helped out by a two-RBI triple by Dustin Durflinger and RBI singles by Spivey and TJ Rea to take a 7-5 lead. The Yaks (25-13, 11-7) got one run back in the top of the ninth, but Nathan Pena closed the door with three groundouts to close the book on his big 4 1/3 Associated Press Yakima Valley Blue Mountain 6-7 7-4 innings of relief to get the win. In Game 2, the T-Wolves offense dried up against Yaks pitchers as they struck out 12 times and stranded 12 runners and never led in the game. Jared Rogers was BMCC’s top hitter in the game going 3 for 3 at the plate, while Anthony Florez, Kaden Enriquez, Matt Palmer and Andrew Hively all had two hits in the game. UP NEXT Blue Mountain will travel to Walla Walla to take on the Warriors for a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. ———— Game 1 R H E YVC 000 050 001 — 6 10 5 BMCC 003 004 00X — 7 11 0 (YV) M. Driver, J. Foster (6) and J. Kirchoff. (BM) C. Connolly, N. Pena (5) and C. Labbe. WP — N. Pena, LP — M. Driver. 2B — K. Brudwick, J. Kirchoff (YV); N. Canton- wine, T. Broom (BM). 3B — D. Durflinger (BM). HR — P. Depasquale (YV). Game 2 R H E YVC 102 011 002 — 7 10 1 BMCC 001 101 001 — 4 12 3 (YV) J. Hadley, J. Garcilazo (6), E. Henke (9) and J. Schempp. (BM) B. Howell, C. Root (3) and J. Rogers. WP — J. Hadley, LP — B. Howell. 2B — K. Enriquez, M. Palmer (BM). HR — B. Beck (YV). HOUSTON — James Harden had 34 points and his supporting cast helped Houston overcome a 47-point game by Russell Westbrook to get a 105-99 victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday night to advance to the Western Conference semifinals. The Thunder head home a year after advancing to the Western Conference finals after Houston took this series 4-1. The Rockets used a 5-1 run, with all their points coming on free throws, to pull away from the Thunder and make it 98-91. Victor Oladipo threw a pass about 5 feet above Westbrook’s head and out of bounds on the next possession and Harden made a layup on the other end with about 3 minutes left. The Rockets began eating up the clock after that and Oklahoma City missed shot after shot that could have closed the gap. Houston couldn’t add to its lead though and the Thunder cut it to 4 points twice in the final seconds, with the second one coming on a basket by Alex Abrines. But Harden made two free throws both times they got close to secure the win. SPURS 116, GRIZZLIES 103 — At San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard had 28 points and San Antonio AP Photo/David J. Phillip Houston Rockets’ Patrick Beverley (2) and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook (0) yell at each other during the second half of Game 5 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Tuesday in Houston. Both players were given a technical foul. rebounded from two discouraging road losses to beat Memphis and take a 3-2 lead in their first-round series. San Antonio shot 14 for 28 on 3-point attempts, two off its post- season record, including 5-for-7 shooting by Patty Mills. JAZZ 96,CLIPPERS 92 — At Los Angeles, Gordon Hayward scored 27 points, Utah controlled the paint, and the Jazz beat the Clippers BULLDOGS BASEBALL: Continued from 1B that pounded out 12 hits. “It was a very well- rounded game for us,” said third baseman Lukas Tolan, who went 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI. “This is why we practice as hard as we do, we saw it today.” Schwirse was outstanding on the mound for the Bull- dogs, giving up just four hits and two hit batsmen to go with six strikeouts and zero walks. He allowed a base runner past second base only once in his 6 1/3 innings, which came in the second inning after a pair of lead-off singles and a fielder’s choice groundout. The junior right-hander kept the River- hawk (9-10, 3-3) batters off balance with a steady mix of fastballs and curveball, with the latter being described as ‘filthy’ by his catcher Gritz. “He was throwing it for strikes all game,” Gritz said of Schwirse. “It was a good way to get ahead because batters didn’t have confidence to settle on his fastballs because they didn’t know when that curve- ball is going to get them.” But of course, Schwirse said his offense made his job easy on Tuesday, giving him a seven-run cushion from the start. “That was great to have,” he said. “It gave me so much confidence and nothing to worry about after that ... we’re money here on our home field and when the bats come alive there’s no stopping us.” In that first inning, Joel Mendez led off with a double into left field and two batters later was brought home on an Staff photo by E.J. Harris Hermiston’s Caden Schwirse throws from the mound in the Bulldogs’ 9-0 win against The Dalles on Tuesday in Hermiston. RBI single up the middle by Wyatt Noland for a 1-0 lead. After back-to-back singles by Kaden Caldwell and Gritz to load the bases, Tolan flared a single into right field to score Noland and Caldwell followed after the right fielder bobbled the ball for a 3-0 lead. Then two batters later, Kody Moss hit a two-run single up the middle and took a big hop over the Riverhawk second baseman’s glove and into center field to make it a 5-0 game and finally Daniel Gossler ended the barrage when he smashed a two-RBI triple into deep left field for the 7-0 lead. Hermiston chased The 96-92 to take a 3-2 lead in their first- round playoff series. Hayward returned after missing most of Utah’s win in Game 4 because of food poisoning that caused him to lose weight and energy. Chris Paul’s 3-pointer drew the Clippers within two with 5 seconds left. After George Hill hit two free throws, Paul struggled getting the ball under control near the sideline and couldn’t do anything as time expired. MARINERS: Dalles pitcher Jose Gonzalez after Gossler’s at-bat with only one out into the game after tagging him for seven runs and seven hits. Tolan said that he didn’t think the pitcher was necessarily giving them good pitches to hit as much as the Bulldogs had the right approaches at the plate. “I think it was us being more focused and really focusing on hitting our pitch,” he said. “I think we had a little bit of a chip on our shoulder, we had a good practice Monday and came out ready to go.” Hermiston’s offense did go quiet for a few innings after that, as the Riverhawks’ Tyler Westin’s slower velocity and effective breaking pitches kept Hermiston guessing for a while. The Bulldogs managed just one baserunner in the second through fourth innings, but got another run in the fifth after a single by Tolan and an RBI double from Cole Campbell. Hermiston’s final run came in the sixth, when Caldwell hit a towering fly ball into shallow left field that dropped in front of a diving Riverhawk outfielder to score Mendez to make it 9-0. UP NEXT The Bulldogs improve to 5-3 at home this season with the win, and will next welcome in the Pendleton Buckaroos for a doubleheader on Friday starting at 3 p.m. ——— R H E TDS 000 000 0 — 0 4 1 HHS 700 011 X — 7 12 1 (TDS) J. Gonzalez, T. Westin (1), J. Wetmore (6) and D. Seufalemua. (HHS) C. Schwirse, J. Ramirez (7) and S. Gritz. WP — C. Schwirse, LP — J. Gonzalez. 2B — J. Mendez, C. Campbell (HHS). 3B — D. Gossler (HHS). Continued from 1B allowed four runs in two innings. The next two Seattle pitchers didn’t fare any better. The teams combined for 40 hits and 14 walks. “Don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of a game like that before,” McCann said. It was the shortest outing for Hernandez (2-2) since 2015. Detroit finished with 24 hits, 19 of which came in the first five innings. That was despite injuries that kept Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez and Jose Iglesias out of the lineup. Jordan Zimmermann (2-1) allowed five runs in six innings. Jean Segura, Danny Valencia and Nelson Cruz hit solo homers for Seattle, but that wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with Detroit. Mikie Mahtook added another home run for the Tigers in the eighth. Ian Kinsler had four hits and four runs before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh. Detroit’s record for runs in a game is 21, last achieved on July 1, 1936. The 40 combined hits broke the Comerica Park record of 38 set by the Tigers and Chicago White Sox on April 13, 2006. Hernandez squandered an early 2-0 lead, allowing a run in the first and three in the second. McCann’s two-run homer put Detroit ahead 3-2. It was the shortest outing for Hernandez since he lasted only a third of an inning at Houston on June 12, 2015. Reliever Chris Heston allowed a two-run homer by Upton in the fourth, then Avila followed with a solo shot to make it 7-2. Segura and Valencia hit consecutive homers for Seattle in the fifth, but the Tigers broke the game open when they sent 13 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the inning. Andrew Romine, Kinsler and Tyler Collins had two hits apiece that inning. It was the most runs for Detroit in an inning since a nine-run fifth at Texas on Sept. 17, 2008. “It’s definitely better to be on that side of it than the other side of it,” McCann said. “It’s always fun to see your teammates get hits.” Segura returned from the disabled list for Seattle and made an immediate contri- bution, but Hernandez was gone after two innings, and Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger left in the third with a strained oblique. “That’s a tough game,” second baseman Robinson Cano said. “First we lose Mitch, who has been our best hitter all season, and then we lose Felix, who is our number one pitcher. Those are the two guys we really don’t want to lose.” Hernandez and Haniger were set to return to Seattle to be checked by doctors. After Hernandez left the game, Heston allowed five runs in two innings, and Evan Marshall allowed seven runs in two innings. PREPS: Pendleton baseball drops close one at Hood River; Bucks softball rained out Continued from 1B a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Friday. Irrigon hasn’t lost back-to- back yet this season, and will host Vale in a doubleheader on Friday at 1 p.m. ——— (5 innings) R H E SHS 533 00 — 11 7 1 IHS 000 00 — 0 0 1 W — K. Jenson. L — A. Roa. 2B — B. Woods 2 (SHS). HR — K. Jen- son, D. Grogan (SHS). HOOD RIVER 4, PENDLETON 3 — At Hood River, Pendleton had bases loaded with one out in the top of the sixth inning but only scored one run and left the tying run on third base Tuesday in a Columbia River Conference game. Greyson Losee picked up the second out in the sixth with a strikeout, but his defense couldn’t help him out on a grounder by Hayden Villers that ended with an error and Pendleton (6-13, 2-4 CRC) closing the gap to 4-3. But Losee got the help he was looking for on the next grounder and got out of the jam. Then Caden Leiblein struck out two and got a groundout in the seventh for the save. Hood River (13-6, 5-1) made three errors in the sixth to help boost Pendleton’s rally and Wyatt Morris reached base and scored on errors earlier in the frame. The Eagles struck first in the bottom of the first when Conner Coerper doubled to drive in Adam Cameron, but after scoreless second and third innings, Pendleton answered in the top of the fourth on a ground out by Daniel Naughton that scored Shaw Jerome from third. Hood River was quickly back on top, though, and Coerper doubled to lead off the fourth, then scored on an error in the next at-bat. Back-to-back singles set up a run-scoring fielder’s choice with a force at second, and then Cameron hit a solo home run in the fifth to make it 4-1. Morris took the loss for the Bucks and pitched the first five innings allowing two earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. Losee struck out eight and allowed no earned runs on four hits for the win. UP NEXT Pendleton tries to snap its four-game losing streak on Friday at Hermiston for a doubleheader that starts at 3 p.m. ——— R H E PHS 000 102 0 — 3 4 3 HRV 100 210 X — 4 8 6 W — G. Losee. L — W. Morris. S — C. Leiblein. 2B — C. Coerper 2 (HRV). HR — A. Cameron (HRV). SOFTBALL PENDLETON vs. HOOD RIVER (postponed) — At Hood River, the Buck- aroos scored four runs in the top of the first inning and Lauren Richards was working on another shutout when rain halted their Columbia River Conference game against the Eagles on Tuesday. Pendleton was up 4-0 in the middle of the third innings with Hood River coming up to bat. The game will be completed at a later date, which had not been set as of press time. Kirah McGlothan scored the first run on a double by Richards, and Rylee Gentner made it 3-0 with a two-RBI single after the Eagles got the first two outs. Aspen Garton then drove her in with a single to cap the day’s scoring. UP NEXT Pendleton plays a double- header at Hermiston on Friday at 3 p.m. WESTON-MCEWEN 8, IRRIGON 0 — At Athena, Bailey Hillmick was locked in from the circle and allowed just two hits while striking out 11 in a complete game shutout for the Tiger- Scots on Tuesday in Special District 1 play. Charmayne Bennett hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the game its final tally. Tyree Burke singled to drive in Bennett in the bottom of the second inning to make it 1-0 for Weston-McEwen (8-4, 5-0 SD1). Hillmick (2 for 3) and Whitney Roggerio (2 for 4) also had big games at the plate. Irrigon (11-7, 3-3) had just three base runners all game with two singles and an error by the TigerScots, but none of them advanced past first base. UP NEXT Weston-McEwen plays at Umatilla on Friday for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Irrigon plays two at River- side on Friday, also at 1 p.m. ——— R H E IHS 000 000 0 — 0 2 2 W-M 023 003 X — 8 7 1 W — B. Hillmick. L — K. Gilman. 2B — W. Roggerio, A. Coffman (W-M). HR — C. Bennett (W-M). RIVERSIDE 3, ECHO 1 — At Boardman, Echo put the tying runs on base with two outs in the seventh but couldn’t bring them in as second baseman Masie Hancock made the routine out and Riverside picked up a win in Special District 1 play on Tuesday. Skylar Wightman pitched the complete game and finished with 11 strikeouts while allowing just two hits, and went 2 for 3 with one RBI at the plate. Riverside (13-5, 3-3 SD1) scored all three of its runs in the fifth, and Alexis Villegas got them started when she scored on a squeeze bunt by Sadie Hasbell. Echo (8-9, 4-3) put a run across in the seventh when Alex Putman singled with two on and two out. UP NEXT Echo plays a pair of non-league games at Glide on Saturday at 11 a.m. Riverside hosts Irrigon for two on Friday starting at 1 p.m. ——— R H EHS 000 000 1 — 1 2 RHS 000 030 X — 3 9 W — S. Wightman. L — A. Ray. 2B — S. Wightman, R. Elliot (RHS). E 2 2 TENNIS HELIX 5, WESTON- MCEWEN 1 — At Helix, the Grizzlies were finally back at full strength for Tuesday’s matches against the Tiger- Scots and picked up a 4-0 sweep in boys competition while the girls split their sets. Cody Dunn beat Ryan Schmidtgall 8-2 while Erik Jones returned from a two-week illness as strong as ever for an 8-0 win over Kellen Fairchild. Then Allen Holden and Vitor Pedrosa completed the sweep with wins over Marcalino Guerrera 6-3 and Caleb Mann 6-1, respectively. In girls’ action, Lynne Roberts won in singles for Helix 8-5 over Johanna Albert, and Weston-McEw- en’s Christina Swofford and Mary Bagdon won in doubles 8-2 over Kyla Roberts and Paige Gabriel. “It was just nice having a full team back and at the right time,” Orem said. “We’re getting close to tournament time, so it’s a good time to start clicking.” UP NEXT Helix plays at Stanfield on Thursday at 4 p.m. Weston-McEwen will play at the Helix Tournament on Saturday in Hermiston starting at 9 a.m. GOLF BEND — The Pendleton and Hermiston boys golf teams both competed at Monday’s High Desert Chal- lenge at Tetherow Golf Club. Challenge was right as both teams struggled with higher than typical scores to finish well behind runaway winner Rocky Mountain’s 299. Pendleton was eighth with 364, and Hermiston was 11th with 374. Pendleton senior Nathan Som shot 82 as the lowest- scoring local, but that was only good enough for 13th as 12 players shot 80 or lower. Rocky Mountain had five of the top nine placers and Carson Barry was medalist with 71 while Drew Reinke was second with 72. Hermiston’s lowest score was an 86 achieved by both Anders Lind and Kaden Meacham. Completing Pendleton’s scores were Brayden Pulver with 88, Jared Geier with 94, Trevor Reyes with 100 and Seth Wood with 119. Hermiston’s other scores were Jared Thacker and Tyler Cameron with 101, and Garrett McClannahan with 102.