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SPORTS THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2017 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS PENDLETON Buckaroos thrilled to be back Pendleton football feeling confi dent for 2017 season By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian Staff photo by Eric Singer A pair of Pendleton Buckaroos battle for the ball while doing a passing drill during Wednesday’s practice at Pendleton High School. Ten months ago, the Pendleton Buckaroos’ 2016 football season came to a disappointing end with a 13-12 loss to Hermiston. It put the cap on a second consecutive 3-6 record which meant a second straight season of watching the post- season from home. Now the Buckaroos are back on the practice fi eld and starting to ramp up their preparation for their 2017 season opener and home opener against La Grande on Sept. 1 and ready to put 2016 fully behind them. Pendleton head coach Erik Davis said at practice on Wednesday that he is intrigued to see what this group of Buckaroos can bring to the table. “I’m excited for this group of kids because they’re a great group and we return a good core,” he said. “We had conditioning camp last week and there was a great turnout, our youth camp was fantastic, but to fi nally put pads on and start focusing on that Week 1 game is very exciting.” Davis said that the Buckaroos program has approximately 75-80 athletes grades 9-12 this season. Of course, Davis would love to have more on the fi eld, but he is confi dent in the group. The confi dence comes from the work and progress he saw them make throughout the offseason and the summer, See BUCKS/2B Little League Baseball MLB Kids ready to show off power at World Series Mariners earn series victory Walla Walla team starts play on Friday afternoon By MATT MARTELL Associated Press SOUTH WILLIAMS- PORT, Pa. — Joey Randaz- zo’s teammates marveled as the Grosse Pointe, Michigan, shortstop lifted pitch after pitch over the left fi eld fence during Little League World Series batting practice on Wednesday. They were in awe again a batter later as Joseph Wisniewski used his left- handed uppercut swing to shoot line-drive home runs to right-center fi eld. Fans will likely see much more of that power over the next 11 days as 16 teams battle for the Little League title. The 71st edition of the tournament begins Thursday in South Williamsport, Penn- sylvania. “It’s the evolution of the game as kids are getting bigger and stronger,” said Jason Hill, coach of the team from just outside Detroit that’s representing the Great Lakes Region. “The game has really progressed. Coaches are getting more See LLWS/2B AP Photo/Elaine Thompson Seattle’s Yonder Alonso is congratulated on his two-run home run against Baltimore in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s game in Seatlle. Baltimore makes Seattle sweat in the 9th, but Mariners get back to .500 By JIM HOEHN Associated Press SEATTLE — Yonder Alonso was acquired by the Seattle Mariners to provide power for a playoff push. After a slow start with his new team, he delivered. Alonso hit his fi rst homer for Seattle and drove in three runs, and Marc Rzepczynski struck out Chris Davis with the bases loaded to end the Mariners’ 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles Baltimore on Wednesday. Alonso, traded from Oakland on Aug. 6, hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, his 23rd of the season. An All-Star this year with the A’s, he added an RBI single during a 6 three-run fi fth and also singled in the seventh. “I think he’s been Seattle swinging the bat great the last three, four days,” said Mariners manager Scott Servais, who was ejected in the ninth inning. “It’s really been much better. He’s been much more aggressive, it looks like 7 the guy we saw early in the year when he was with Oakland.” Leonys Martin opened the sixth with his third home run to put Seattle up 7-4. Seattle closer Edwin Diaz came on in the ninth and walked the fi rst three hitters. Manny Machado followed with a sacrifi ce fl y to make it 7-5, but Martin prevented an extra- See MARINERS/2B NFL Seahawks sign veteran Tramaine Brock to help secondary Brock with 11 INTs in 80 career games By TIM BOOTH Associated Press Brock RENTON, Wash. — Now that charges have been dismissed in his legal case, new Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tramaine Brock must wait to see if the NFL will hand down any discipline. The Seahawks signed Brock to a one-year contract Wednesday, giving the former starter in San Francisco a chance to add depth to Seat- tle’s secondary. His signing came a week after charges were dropped against Brock in a domestic violence case that led to his release by the 49ers. Brock was arrested in April and accused of hitting a woman he was dating. He was charged with felony domestic violence in June but charges were dismissed last week by the Santa Clara County district attorney’s offi ce. Prosecutors said there was insuffi cient evidence to proceed with the case because the accuser declined to cooperate. Brock’s agent, Ron Slavin, was hopeful there wouldn’t be any discipline coming from the NFL based on the circum- stances of the case. “I can’t ever predict what they’re going to do,” Slavin said. “I know with the infor- mation that we have and the things in writing and the things that she has already admitted; I know that he is going to cooperate. I’m going to be a part of it. I know she is going to cooperate, so I’m hoping there won’t be.” Slavin said the Seahawks conducted an intense inves- tigation following Brock’s release from the 49ers and stayed in regular contact while charges were pending. Slavin See SEAHAWKS/2B Sports shorts Rodeo world champion retires After a long a successful career as a bareback riderin professional rodeo, Bobby Mote is ready to ride off into the sunset. The Oregon native and current Stephenville, Texas resident announced his retirement from rodeo on Wednesday, penning a letter to his fans on his personal website. Mote will now move on to a career with Reliance Ranches in Guthrie, Oklahoma and work with its quarter horse racing program. “I count myself as truly blessed to be able to move from one successful career of doing what I Mote loved to a new career of doing what I love,” Mote said in his letter. Born in Portland and raised in Culver, Mote qualifi ed for 15 straight NFRs, won four bareback world titles, won the 102nd Pendleton Round-Up and the Farm-City Pro Rodeo in 2015. Mote also hangs up his hat after bringing home more than $2.7 million in career earnings. “When you hit it and you kind of know you got one, you just run the bases ... They (my teammates) pointed to where it went. They let me know. It’s pretty funny.“ — Aaron Judge The New York Yankees outfi elder and rookie phenom hit a 457- foot home run into the third deck in left fi eld at Citi Field as the Yankees earned a 5-3 victory. It was Judge’s AL-leading 37th home run of the season. Weaver retires from baseball after 12 seasons in MLB SAN DIEGO (AP) — Padres pitcher Jered Weaver announced his retirement before San Diego played Philadelphia on Wednesday. Weaver, a three-time All-Star, battled health issues since signing with the Padres in the offseason. The 12-year veteran, who spent the bulk of his career with the Los Angeles Angels, had a lifetime mark of 150-98 with a 3.63 ERA. In seven postseason appearances, he was 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA. Weaver “I’ve decided to step away from baseball,” Weaver, 34, said in a release. “While I’ve been working hard to get back on the mound, my body just will not allow me to compete like I want to.” Weaver (0-5, 7.44) last pitched on May 19 when he surrendered seven runs in fi ve hits while recording just two outs. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 2005 — The NCAA purchases the rights to the preseason and postseason National Invitation Tourna- ments as part of a settlement ending a four-year legal fi ght between the two parties. The 40-team postseason NIT was once the bigger event. 2008 — At the Summer Olympics in Beijing, Michael Phelps and three teammates win the 400-meter medley relay for Phelps’ eighth gold medal, eclipsing Mark Spitz’s seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games. Of his fi ve individual races and three relays, Phelps sets world records in seven and an Olympic record in the eighth. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com