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SPORTS FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2017 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS HERMISTON College Baseball Bulldogs dominate district meet Hermiston wins boys and girls team titles Beavers whip Ducks Oregon State claims share of Pac-12 title By MATT ENTRUP East Oregonian The Hermiston Bulldogs followed their strong starts with a dominant Day 2 to win dual team titles at the Columbia River Conference track and fi eld championships. After winning six event titles on the fi rst day of competition, the Bulldogs hoarded another 17 on Thursday at Kennison Field while increasing their total number of state berths to 34. The Bulldogs girls were especially dominant in racking up 126.5 points, nearly twice that of second-place Hood River Valley. Led by Female Field Athlete of the Year Ebony Wilson and Female Track Athlete of the Year Scout Reagan, the Bulldogs won 12 event championships and earned 19 state entries. “Our girls, from the second last year ended at the state meet, our eyes were instantly focused on this year and the power that our girls would have going into districts and state,” said Bulldogs head coach Emilee Strot. “I knew that was a possibility that we were just going to be a powerhouse here in Hermiston, and since the season started we were. We’ve had just a solid group of girls, just be stellar all season. And they’ve still just been coming on really strong.” The boys had a closer battle on their hands, but sent enough athletes to the podium to hold off Hood River 108-95. Seniors Tyler Rohrman and Alexis Mercado shared Male Track Athlete of the Year honors, and each had a hand in four of the team’s 11 titles. Senior Elias Arenas was Male Field Athlete of the Year. “I knew it was going to be closer on the boys side today,” Strot said. “I told my whole team, ‘Hey, today’s going to be a dogfi ght, good thing we’re Bulldogs.’ And that made them smile and laugh, lighten up and little bit. “I tell the kids every point matters, and so to just go out and compete, because if you’re placing three, four, fi ve, those points add up. And that’s really what won us the meet today, especially on the boys’ side.” The meet got a late start due to weather and heavy gusts continued throughout the evening. Reagan, who won the 100- and 200-meters while also running legs for both champion relay teams, said the wind was an issue. “Going against the wind you’re coming around the corner and it’s just like it completely wants to stop you, and to fi ght against it is such a big waste of energy,” she said following the See DISTRICT/2B Oregon State Athletics EUGENE — Adley Rutschman and Michael Gretler each hit home runs to send top-ranked Oregon State to a 6-1 win over Oregon Thursday night in the open- ing-game of a three-game series at PK Park. With the victory, Oregon State (39-4, 22-3) claimed at least a share of the Pac-12 Pac-12 crown and gained the Pac-12’s Oregon State automatic bid to the NCAA’s postseason tour- nament. Rutschman Oregon and Gretler both hit solo home runs in the fourth inning, each posting their second of the season. The homers started off a two-RBI night for both, as Rutschman, who went 3-for-5 on the night, singled home run a fi fth, and Gretler drove home his second via a single in the eighth. Jack Anderson capped off the night’s scoring with a two-run double in the eighth. Luke Heimlich started for the Beavers, going six innings, allowing seven hits and a run with seven strikeouts. He was backed by Brandon Eisert, who struck out four over three innings to earn his third save of the season. Cole Stringer took the loss for Oregon (26-19, 9-13) after allowing fi ve hits and two runs in four innings. UP NEXT The series continues today in Eugene with a 7:05 p.m. fi rst pitch. 6 1 Staff photo by Kathy Aney Tyler Rohrman, of Hermiston, races to fi rst in the men’s 110-meter hurdles Thursday during the Columbia River Conference track-and-fi eld championships at Hermiston High School with a time of 15.01 seconds. IRRIGON MLB Blue Jays thump Mariners Knights sweep Vikings Seattle pitcher Chase De Jong throws against Toronto during the fi rst inning of Thurs- day’s game in Toronto. Seattle scores both its runs in fi rst inning By IAN HARRISON Associated Press TORONTO — Marco Estrada rebounded nicely from a rough fi rst inning against the red-hot Seattle Mariners. Steve Pearce hit a three-run home run, Justin Smoak had a solo homer and Seattle fi nished with four RBIs, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Mariners 7-2 Toronto on Thursday night, snap- ping Seattle’s win streak at four games. After giving up two runs in the fi rst, Estrada (2-2) held Seattle 2 7 Frank Gunn/ The Cana- dian Press via AP scoreless for the next fi ve innings, helping Toronto win for the fourth time in fi ve games. “He shut us down tonight,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. Smoak went 3 for 3 with a walk against his former team. He had an RBI single in the fi rst, walked in the fourth, singled home two runs in the fi fth, and connected off rookie Sam Gaviglio in the seventh. “He’s a little more aggressive early in the count, and he’s laying off that breaking ball,” manager John Gibbons said. Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer but Seattle’s offense came up empty after the fi rst. See MARINERS/2B Softball Irrigon ends regular season on high note East Oregonian The Irrigon Knights softball team ended its regular season in good fashion on Thursday afternoon, sweeping the Umatilla Vikings 11-1 and 15-0 in Special District 1 action. The wins boosted Irrigon (15-9, 7-5 SD1) into third place in the district standings. In the opener, Kayla Gilman had a standout performance for the Knights as she went 4 for 4 at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI, while also pitching fi ve innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts. Behind Gilman’s offensive output, Nikki Phillips went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and Casandra Fleming was 2 for 3. In Game 2, Mya Chapman led the way for the Knights with three hits, three runs and three RBIs. She Umatilla Irrigon 1-0 11-15 also earned the win in the pitching circle allowing just two hits in fi ve innings with fi ve strikeouts. Jada Burns added three hits with a double and three runs and three RBI, while Lily Mills and Gilman both had two hits. Lauryn Journot led Umatilla with two hits on the day and Char- lene Alvarez had a double and a run scored. The Vikings end the season 1-18, 0-12. ———— Game 1 R H E UHS 100 00 — 1 5 5 IHS 131 42 — 11 15 1 W — K. Gilman, L — Trujillo. 2B — C. Alvarez (UHS); M. Wilson (IHS). Game 2 R H E UHS 000 00 — 0 2 3 IHS 246 3X — 15 19 0 W — M. Chapman. L — Trujillo. 2B — Chapman 2, J. Burns, L. Mills (IHS). 3B — L. Mills (IHS). Sports shorts Robinson sets PR at Big Sky meet SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Portland State athlete Donte Robinson snagged a second place fi nish in the decathalon at the Big Sky Championships on Thursday afternoon, and did so in record fashion. Robinson, a Pendleton High alumnus, started the day in sixth place but settled into second after setting a new personal record of 4:31.22 in the closing 1,500 meters, beating his old record by 30 seconds. The fi nish earned Robinson All-Big Sky honors in the Robinson event in his junior season. Robinson fi nished just 108 points behind Sacramento State’s Max Jette, who won the event with 6,960 points. Robinson’s total of 6,852 moved him into sixth place all-time for a single season at Portland State. The Big Sky Championships continue on Friday, with Portland State sitting in second place. “It’s really hard to get here, and you put in a ton of work to give yourself a chance to play for the Stanley Cup. So just take advantage of it. Know what’s at stake. Know what kind of chance you have to do something special and to win.“ — James Neal Nashville Predators forward on preparing to face the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference fi nal. Game 1 today marks the fi rst conference fi nal appearance for Nashville in franchise history. PGA rookie leads The Players Championship after one round PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian rookie Mackenzie Hughes played bogey-free in his debut at The Players Champi- onship and shot a 5-under 67 to share the lead with William McGirt. Hughes already has won in his fi rst PGA Tour season at Sea Island. He had one of only four bogey-free rounds at TPC Sawgrass. McGirt had a pair of eagles on the back nine for his 67. Among those at 68 were Hughes Spain’s Jon Rahm. As usual, the Stadium Course packed plenty of excitement as Masters champion Sergio Garcia aced the island green on No. 17. That was Garcia’s best highlight as he fi nished at 1-over. World No. 1 golfer Dustin Johnson fi nished at 1-under for the day. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1970 — Ernie Banks hits his 500th career home run off Pat Jarvis in the Chicago Cubs’ 4-3 victory over Atlanta at Wrigley Field. 1996 — A three-way dead heat is run at Yakima (Wash.) Meadows, the 20th such fi nish in thoroughbred racing history there. In the day’s third race, Fly Like A Angel, Allihaveonztheradio and Terri After Five hit the wire together after a one-mile race. 2013 — Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4 in the fi nal of the Madrid Open to retain her No. 1 ranking and collect her 50th career title. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
