Page 2B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Saturday, April 29, 2017
BASEBALL: Jerome tallies six hits, five RBI for Buckaroos
Continued from 1B
teams came in trying to climb
the ladder to the top of the
Columbia River Conference
with the season beginning
to wind down. Pendleton
and Hermiston battled back-
and-forth in a doubleheader
at Armand Larive ball park,
and for the most part neither
team was able to really have
a comfortable advantage.
At the end of the day,
each team walked away with
a victory as the Bulldogs
defended their home turf in
Game 1 with a 10-5 victory
and Pendleton rallied time
and time again in Game 2 to
cement a 10-8 victory. The
split leaves Hermiston (9-12,
3-5 CRC) and Pendleton
(7-14, 3-5) in a three-way tie
with The Dalles for second
place in the CRC.
Hermiston certainly had
its chances in Game 2 to seal
down a win for the sweep,
holding a three-run lead
early and a two-run lead in
the sixth inning, however
the Bulldogs couldn’t keep
the Bucks down. Bulldogs
coach Lance Hawkins said
that while he would have
loved two victories, he was
pretty satisfied with the way
his team played.
“I told the guys before
that at the end of the day if
we can look at ourselves
and say we tried our best
and worked hard it doesn’t
matter what the outcome is,”
Hawkins said, “and I really
think we did that today.
That’s two teams that are
pretty compatible squaring
off and we just fell a little
short in the second game.”
Pendleton coach T.J.
Haguewood was ecstatic the
Buckaroos were able to find
a way to win Game 2.
“We had our backs up
against the wall about five
times I think and we battled
back again and again,” he
said. “Credit to Hermiston,
though, they pounded and
pounded and kept putting
pressure on us and it was a
good seesaw battle, what
you’d expect from a rivalry
game.”
The Buckaroos break-
through in Game 2 came
in the sixth inning which
started with back-to-back
walks by Chris Large and
Wyatt Morris. That set up
a bunt attempt by Shaw
Jerome, which was layed
down perfectly but an errant
throw to first from Hermiston
catcher Slade Gritz allowed
two runs to score to tie the
game at 8-8 and Jerome
ended up at second base.
Next batter up was Nick
Bower, who dropped in a
flare into shallow right field
for his third hit of the game
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Daniel Naughton, of Pendleton, gets ready to hit the
ball during Friday’s Columbia River Conference game
against Hermiston at Armand Larive Middle School.
to bring in Jerome for a 9-8
lead.
Jerome gave the Buck-
aroos an insurance run in
the seventh inning, when he
ripped an RBI single into
right field to bring home
Parker Smith to make it a
10-8 game.
The junior outfielder
had an incredible day at the
plate for Pendleton, going a
combined 6 for 8 on the day
with a triple, a double, five
RBI, two runs scored and
two stolen bases from his
No. 2 spot in the lineup.
“I was seeing the ball
pretty well today,” Jerome
said wearing a big smile. “I
was getting some extra hacks
at practice with the coaches
and I think that helped.”
Large pitched the last 2
2/3 innings of Game 2 for
Pendleton and slammed the
door shut on Hermiston’s
offense, as he gave up just
one hit and zero runs in relief
of starter Ryan Russell.
“We preach throwing
strikes and letting the
defense work behind you and
I thought Chris came in and
did a great job,” Haguewood
said. “He threw strikes, kept
the ball down and beared
down when we need it.”
But Hermiston’s offense
feasted
on
Pendleton
pitching in Game 1, as the
Bulldogs smacked 10 hits
to get their 10 runs. The
Bulldogs wasted no time
getting the offense going, as
Joel Mendez started the first
inning with a walk and two
batters later Wyatt Noland
dropped a single into center
field to score Mendez for a
1-0 lead. An RBI groundout
by Cole Campbell made it a
2-0 lead after one inning.
When Pendleton tied the
game at 2-2 in the second
with the help of two Bulldog
errors, Hermiston re-took
the lead in the third when
Gritz mashed a fastball deep
to left field for a solo home
run, his first of the season. It
added on in the fourth on a
Pendleton error and an RBI
single by Kaden Caldwell
and Hermiston went to the
sixth inning with a 5-2 lead.
But once again Pendleton
clawed its way back with
three runs in the sixth with
a two-RBI single by Jerome
and a wild pitch to bring in
Morris as the Buckaroos tied
the game at 5-5.
But the tie was short-
lived. Hermiston deployed
some great plate discipline
against Pendleton pitcher
Nick Lani, working two
walks in the inning, tapping
a pair of infield singles
and then getting a timely
two-RBI single by Mendez
to work in five runs to boost
up to a 10-5 lead on the
Buckaroos.
Mendez reached base
six times on the day for
Hermiston with three hits,
two walks and a hit-by-pitch,
while also scoring a team-
best four runs and adding
two RBIs. Noland and
Caldwell each had three hits,
with Nolan driving in three
and scoring three runs, while
Caldwell drove in a pair with
a double.
UP NEXT
The two teams will meet
again on Tuesday in Pend-
leton at 4:30 p.m.
————
Game 1
R H E
PHS
020 003
0 — 5 8 4
HHS
201 205 X — 10 11 2
(P) D. Naughton, N. Lani (4) and R. Russell.
(H) L. Tolan, J. Ramirez (7) and S. Gritz. WP
— L. Tolan, LP — N. Lani.
2B — S. Jerome, A. Zaugg (PHS). HR — S.
Gritz (HHS).
Game 2
R H E
PHS
022 203
1 — 10 16 3
HHS
140 030
0 — 8 11 3
(P) R. Russell, C. Large (5) and J. Duso. (H)
B. Dufloth, C. Campbell (5), A. James (6) and
S. Gritz. WP — C. Large, LP — C. Campbell.
2B — N. Bower, R. Russell (PHS); J. Men-
dez, L. Tolan, D. Gossler, K. Caldwell (HHS).
3B — S. Jerome (PHS).
BUCKS: Teams will meet again Tuesday
Hermiston’s
Sydney Ste-
fani throws
the ball to
the pitcher
after putting
out Payton
Hergert, of
Pendleton, at
second base
during a Co-
lumbia River
Conference
game Friday
at Rocky
Heights
Elementary
School.
Continued from 1B
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Pendleton’s Kila Solomon connects with the ball during
the first of two Columbia River Conference games Fri-
day against Hermiston at Rocky Heights Elementary
School.
Eighteen of the Bucks’ 19
hits in Game 1 were singles,
and Pendleton coach Tim
Cary said it was their ability
to string those singles
together that led to such a
lopsided win.
Richards was 4 for 5 at
the plate, and Alexi Brehaut
and Payton Hergert were
both 3 for 5.
Hermiston kept up the
pressure in Game 2, but
Pendleton’s defense didn’t
falter this time and the Bucks
won their ninth shutout of
the season.
Kalan McGlothan went
5 for 8 on the day with two
doubles for Pendleton.
The Buckaroos may have
gotten out of Hermiston
with a sweep, but Cary came
away impressed with the
Bulldogs.
“They’re a tough team,
even though their record
Staff photo by Kathy
Aney
may not show that they’re
getting a lot of wins,” he
said. “They come out and
battle every inning and they
make you earn everything.
They’re a quality team.”
UP NEXT
Hermiston will come to
Pendleton on Tuesday for a
single game at 4:30 p.m.
———
Game 1
R H E
PHS
231 303
1 — 13 19 4
HHS
004 000
0 — 4 2 2
L. Richards and K. Solomon. Ju. Almagu-
er, Ja. Almaguer (5) and B. Noland. W —
Richards. L — Ju. Almaguer.
2B — Ka. McGlothan (PHS).
Game 2
R H E
PHS
200 000
1 — 3 7 1
HHS
000 000
0 — 0 2 3
L. Richards and K. Solomon. Ju. Almaguer
and B. Noland. W — Richards. L — Alma-
guer.
2B — Ki. McGlothan, Ka. McGlothan
(PHS).
KNIGHTS: Coaches, athletes look to internet for training tips
Continued from 1B
face for something as simple
as practice, it’s a wonder to
him how they continually
show up their peers in
competition.
Based on the team’s
performances, one would
never assume they were
working with anything less
than top notch facilities
and coaching. As of this
article’s printing, Irrigon
has five individuals and one
relay team that have posted
top-10 marks in the state at
Class 3A this season. The
boys’ team has won two
consecutive district titles,
and is trying to make it three
in a row in its first season at
the 3A level.
Thompson said he enjoys
the looks on other coaches’
faces when they hear about
the Knights’ situation.
“It’s funny because until
I tell them they don’t really
realize,” he said. “They see
us show up here and, ‘Gosh
you guys are good,’” he
said. “We’re pretty amazing
actually, if you knew what
we have to work with.
“These kids amaze
me every time we go out,
because I know what they’re
up against. And we don’t
let them use it as an excuse.
It’s kind of our, hey we’re
Cinderella and this is our
glass slipper, we don’t have
a track. And so that’s how
we kind of put a chip on our
shoulder and go compete.”
•••
There’s no sugar-coating
the dismal state of Irrigon’s
track facilities.
Their pads are so old
Thompson won’t let his pole
vaulters do anything but
feet-first landings, but only
after clearing the imaginary
crossbar.
The track is in worse
shape than most of the
national forest roads in the
Blue Mountains, and without
any lanes it’s impossible for
runners to do anything more
than conditioning and starts
while they wait for the bus.
Shin splints run rampant.
The jumping pit’s
runway is a re-purposed
conveyor belt from the local
potato mill that is covered
pockmarks caked with the
residue of spring puddles.
“And I just put sand in
there,” Thompson said of the
pit. “We’ve been jumping
into thorn patches forever.
“It’s a money issue. We
don’t have a lot of money in
Morrow County, especially
for our school district and
it’s hard to justify sometimes
coming up with half a
million dollars because that’s
what it takes to put a facility
together.”
So the Knights make
due, and have found ways to
make upgrades where they
can.
“Our shot put ring, it
didn’t have a toe board
my first two years of high
school,” said Irrigon senior
thrower Luke Meyers. “I
didn’t have a toe board to
practice with until I went
over and dragged one out
from somewhere else and
drilled it into the concrete
there.
“We’ve gone and moved
a lot of dirt, and we’ve
cleaned up a lot of stuff. We
try and just take good care
of what we have. It’s hard
to upgrade without having
a lot of money, and so we
just take good care of what
we’ve got.”
Meyers is one of the
Knights holding a top 10
ranking in the state and
his season-best 43 feet, 10
inches in the shot put is tied
for eighth in 3A.
Senior jumper Justin
Iveson is ranked No. 4 in
Alex Walls
takes the
baton
from Jose
Romero
during
the 4x100
meter re-
lay at this
month’s
Carnival
of Speed
track
meet
in Mil-
ton-Free-
water.
Staff photo by
Kathy Aney
triple jump (41-6), and 10th
in long jump (19-7). Junior
Ammon Byers is tied for
fourth in pole vault (11-6),
and sophomore Alex Walls
has the No. 3 time in the
100-meter dash (11.57).
The girls are paced by
sophomore Ana Zacarias,
who is ranked fifth in the
200 (27.41), tied for sixth in
the 100 (13.31) and is eighth
in the 400 (1:02.88). She’s
also the first leg in the No. 8
4x400 relay team (4:29.29)
that also includes Natalie
Romero, Gabriela Arellano
and Olivia Luna.
Those are impressive
numbers no matter what
conditions they come under,
but keeping in mind the
Knights are also largely
self-taught amplifies their
magnitude.
•••
Between himself and
assistant coaches Nikki
Kroske and Richard Moore,
Thompson said there’s
maybe one year of high
school track experience.
“I’ve always teased
people about being a Youtube
coach, but I’ve kind of
turned into a Youtube coach
with this sport, because I
know absolutely nothing,”
Thompson said. “I’m a
wrestling and football guy.”
Thompson said he treats
his upperclassmen more like
advisors than subordinates,
and they’ve taken on a lot
of the responsibility when it
comes to teaching younger
athletes the finer points of
their events.
“I really don’t do
anything unless I run it by
them, and it sounds kind of
crazy for a coach to do that,
but I’ve got great leaders,”
Thompson said.
Meyers is the team’s
throwing coach, senior
Jose Romero takes the lead
in hurdles and sprinting
drills, and Iveson has been
doing his best to impart
some knowledge on the
jumpers. Even Zacarias has
stepped into a coach-like
role as a sophomore, and it’s
not something that comes
naturally to all of them.
“It’s been tough. We’ve
always been a little nitty-
gritty and so we’ve been
able to have the tenacity to
keep going, but having to
coach yourself pretty much
through Youtube videos and
other just small tidbits you
see on the track, it can be
tough,” Romero said. “I’ve
re-watched the same video
like 20 times, just small
tidbits every single time.
Like, oh, well I notice this is
different and now I see why
he’s doing it like this. It’s a
lot of trial and error.”
Iveson’s approach is the
same, and he said that while
he sometimes struggles with
the added responsibilities,
he thinks it’s helping him
become a better athlete.
“I’m not too great of a
teacher,” he said. “It helps
you out a lot, recognizing
what you need to do better
and what you need to teach
the kids early on so that they
don’t make the same mistakes
as you along the way.”
Meyers said the set-up
has led to greater team
camaraderie, and is breeding
natural leaders as well.
“There’s a lot more
positive competition and
everyone knows everyone
a lot better on the team
because of it,” he said.
“I’ve got a couple of kids
that I coached last year as
freshmen that have been
helping. It’s just natural
to them to help out the
other freshmen this year as
sophomores.”
•••
Despite all of these
challenges, the Knights’
program is growing.
The girls’ team more
than doubled its numbers
this season, and Thompson
estimated about 90 athletes
total when the high school
and middle school programs
are combined.
“They’ve seen that we
have shown progress,”
Romero said. “We’ve shown
results with no track, no
facilities, we still managed
to win two straight district
titles.”
That’s why the team is
hopeful a fundraising push
will finally be able to deliver
a track to Irrigon.
“We are putting a
committee together. It’s
going to be school district
people, it’s going to be city
people and then just people
from the community and
parents,” Thompson said.
“We’re getting a plan of
action together and then
we’re going to start attacking
it here at the end of the
season.
“We have some places
in the area that are very
supportive of us. We’re
going to approach them.
We’ve just got to put the
right package together, be
able to present it to people,
and get a move on it.”
Until then, the Knights
will just continue to use their
situation as motivation for
more personal records and
district titles, and Thompson
will go on feeling like one of
the luckiest coaches around.
“They’re teenagers, they
may complain a little bit,” he
said. “They never complain
about not having facilities.
They never complain about
coaches. They are some of
the easiest kids to coach
ever.”
———
Contact Matt Entrup at
mentrup@eastoregonian.
com or (541) 966-0838.