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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2017)
SPORTS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7 , 2017 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS HERMISTON Meyers fi nishes off high school in memorable way Hermiston senior signs with BMCC basketball By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian Hayden Meyers’ fi nal week as a Hermiston High student will be one to remember. Not just because graduation is on Saturday and her graduation party is on Friday, but also because of what happened on Monday afternoon is what pushed it over the top. Surrounded by dozens of friends, family and fellow Bull- dogs, Meyers signed her National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Blue Mountain Community College in a ceremony in the Hermiston High commons. “This was the perfect way to start it and end it,” Meyers said of her fi nal week at Hermiston, with a wide smile on her face. Meyers was known more for her defensive abilities than her offense in the Bulldogs uniform, which is what helped her get noticed by BMCC coach Adam Driver. After watching a game in person, BMCC’s fourth-year coach caught Hermiston’s game against Pend- leton on Feb. 9 on television and liked what he saw from Meyers. “He told me I did a good job guarding (Pendleton’s) Haley Greb,” Meyers recalled. “I was like ‘Thank you’ and said any time you need me to come practice I will. I then got a text asking me to come to open gyms, right after my senior season ended. “I’ve always wanted to be a basketball coach which is why I’ve been pushing myself to be in college athletics.” Blue Mountain is coming off a forgettable 2016-17 season in which the Timberwolves fi nished in the basement of the NWAC East Region with a 3-20 overall record and a 1-15 regional record. But the Timberwolves have only a few returning players from last season’s squad, and after allowing an average of 78.7 points per game — highest in the NWAC — Meyers hopes she can use her defensive abilities right away. “I’m hoping to fi ll a big role, a defensive role at least is where I’d like to see myself,” Meyers said. “But I’d also like to see myself do See MEYERS/2B Staff photo by Eric Singer Hermiston senior Hayden Meyers, center, smiles as she signs her National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Blue Mountain Com- munity College. Surrounding her are her parents, left, Hermiston basketball coach Juan Rodriguez, and sister Regan, far right. MLB College Softball Mariners slug way to win Seattle Mariners’ Robinson Cano and Minneso- ta Twins catcher Chris Gimenez watch the path of Cano’s three-run home run in the fi rst inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 6, 2017, in Seattle. AP Photo/ Elaine Thomp- son Oklahoma goes back- to-back Sooners beat Gators to claim national title By CLIFF BRUNT Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY — Shay Knighten hit a three-run double in the second inning and Oklahoma defended its NCAA softball title with a 5-4 win over Florida on Tuesday night. Knighten, who hit a three-run homer in the 17th Florida inning to help win Game 1 on Monday, was selected the World Series’ Most Oklahoma Outstanding Player. The Sooners (61-9) took both games from Florida in the best-of-three series to earn their third NCAA title in fi ve years. Oklahoma freshman Mariah Lopez (18-1) got the win in relief of Paige Parker. Paige Lowary stepped in and threw two innings of perfect relief for her nation- leading 11th save. With a one-run See OKLAHOMA/2B 4 5 Seattle now winners of eight of its last nine and four straight Seattle’s Guillermo Heredia, left, scores as Minne- sota Twins catcher Chris Gimenez looks away during Tuesday’s game in Seattle. By JIM HOEHN Associated Press SEATTLE — Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager hit three-run homers and James Paxton was effective enough for fi ve innings to pace Seattle to a 12-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night. Cano staked the Mariners to a 3-0 lead in the fi rst and Seager’s shot capped a seven-run fourth inning that extended the lead to 12-2 as Seattle won for the eighth time in nine games. Paxton (5-0), who missed most of May with a left forearm strain, allowed three runs and fi ve hits with three walks in his second start since coming off the disabled list. Hector Santiago (4-6) lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing fi ve runs and three hits with four walks, all of which came around to score. Catcher Chris Gimenez, who was behind the plate the fi rst seven innings, pitched the eighth, AP Photo/Elaine Thompson retiring all three batters he faced. Guillermo Heredia and Danny Valencia opened the fi rst with consecutive walks and Cano followed with his 11th homer, sending a 1-2 pitch over the wall in right-center Santiago walked Cano and Nelson Cruz with one out in the third and Seager followed with an RBI double to right. Cruz, who has been nursing a tight hamstring, held at third, but came home on Taylor Motter’s sacrifi ce fl y to extend the lead to 5-0. The Twins, who managed just one walk through the fi rst three innings, cut it to 5-2 in the fourth. Brian Dozier opened with his ninth homer. Miguel Sano doubled with one out, moved to third on a wild pitch and came Minnesota Seattle 3 12 home on Max Kepler’s fi elder’s choice grounder. Seattle answered with seven runs in the bottom half before the Twins got an out. Mike Zunino and Heredia singled around Jarrod Dyson being hit by a pitch to load the bases. Valencia narrowly missed a grand slam when his drive sailed just outside the left-fi eld foul pole, but he cleared the bases with a double to center to make it 8-2. Valencia came around on consecutive singles by Cano and Cruz and Seager followed with his sixth homer. The Twins got to Paxton in the fi fth on a single by Bryon Buxton, a walk to Dozier and Joe Mauer’s RBI single. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki Oklahoma’s Kelsey Arnold, left, celebrates with teammates Melanie Olmos (18) and Mac- ey Hatfi eld (6) after scoring in the second inning of the cham- pionship series in the College World Series against Florida in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Sports shorts Cincinnati’s Gennett ties MLB record with 4 HR in one game CINCINNATI (AP) — Scooter Gennett hit four home runs, matching the major league record, and fi nished with 10 RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds routed the slumping St. Louis Cardinals 13-1 on Tuesday night. Gennett became the 17th player to homer four times in one game — and perhaps the least likely. A scrappy second baseman who was claimed off waivers from Milwaukee in late March, Gennett he began the night with 38 career home runs, including three this season. Josh Hamilton was the previous player to hit four home runs in one game, for Texas against Baltimore in May 2012. Gennett singled his fi rst time up and then homered in four straight at-bats, including a grand slam. His 10 RBIs tied Cincinnati’s club record. “Being from Oakland, you want to play at home or have the opportunity .. but knowing that they were leaving, a lot of the kids here probably won’t have the opportunity to see most of their idols growing up, won’t be in their hometown no more.“ — Marshawn Lynch Oakland Raiders running back spoke to the media following Tuesday’s OTA practice about his decision to unretire. Lynch said the Raiders decision to move the team to Las Vegas made him want to unretire and play for the hometown Raiders. Massachusetts bill would ban Native American school mascots BOSTON (AP) — A bill that would ban the use of Native American mascots in Massachu- setts public schools is generating strong opinions on both sides. The push comes after the town of Tewksbury rebuffed efforts to change the name of its high school mascot, the Tewksbury HS Redmen. Residents including (MA) logo which Linda Thomas appealed to sparked debate state lawmakers, arguing the mascots perpetuate stereotypes and harm Native Americans. Democratic state Rep. James Miceli, who represents Tewksbury, says the town overwhelm- ingly supports keeping the name and urged the panel to reject the bill. In Oregon, school districts must do away with tribal mascots by July 1, though exceptions can be made when schools get the approval of a tribe. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1998 — Utah breaks the record for fewest points in an NBA game since the inception of the shot clock, losing 96-54 to Chicago in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. It’s the highest margin of victory in NBA Finals history. 2006 — New Jersey becomes the fi rst to institute a statewide steroid-testing policy for high school athletes. 2009 — Roger Federer completes a career Grand Slam, winning his fi rst French Open title. Federer wins his 14th major title to tie Pete Sampras’ record by sweeping surprise fi nalist Robin Soder- ling 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
