Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 11, 2018)
SPORTS FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 Seager hits two homers, as Mariners beat Blue Jays/2B 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS BASEBALL TRACK & FIELD | COLUMBIA RIVER CONFERENCE Dawgs on top, again Staff photo by Kathy Aney Daniel Naughton has led Pend- leton’s pitching turnaround this season. Everything coming together for Buckaroos Pitching, newcomers help Buckaroos’ surge to league champions By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian Three full seasons had passed since the Pendleton baseball pro- gram earned the title of conference champion before the Buckaroos clinched the 2018 title on Tuesday night. In those three years, the Bucka- roos slipped into mediocrity where they averaged 12 wins and nearly 15 losses per season and compiled a 17-19 record in conference play. This season, however, things finally clicked from top to bottom for the Buckaroos (15-8 overall, 9-2 Columbia River Conference). After a slow preseason start where the Buckaroos went 1-5 against the likes of Southridge (WA), Han- ford (WA) and Walla Walla, the Buckaroos are winners of 14 of their last 17 games going into its league finale on Friday in Hermis- ton. That includes wins over some solid teams such as Sandy (No. 3 in Class 5A), Roseburg (No. 12 in 6A) La Grande (No. 2 in 4A) and Hood River Valley (No. 11 in 5A). Some of the Buckaroos have a few theories for their improve- ment. Senior Daniel Naughton believes this version of the Bucka- roos has found just the right chem- istry to make them click. “I think that we’ve become a family,” Naughton said following Tuesday’s win over Hood River. “We started doing everything together and we’ve gotten way more comfortable with each other than teams in the past. I wouldn’t necessarily say our skill level is better, we’re way more tighter with each other and I think that makes a huge difference.” And senior Nick Bower believes it’s a tireless work ethic that started in the offseason, with the results showing on the field. “I think we’re just extremely focused, not only during the sea- son either,” Bower said follow- ing a game against The Dalles on May 5. “We had the majority of our team up in the cages during the winter putting in work at least three days a week. And then our practices, we’re extremely focused and we know how serious we have to be. So I think that work ethic has played a big part in it.” See BUCKS/2B Staff photo by Kathy Aney Hermiston’s Scout Reagan takes the baton from teammate MaKaylee Young in the pouring rain during the CRC Track and Field Cham- pionships at Kennison Field. Hermiston took first in the 4x100 with a time of 50.63 seconds and will compete at state. Hermiston wins third straight district title By ALEXIS MANSANAREZ | East Oregonian H ERMISTON — On the second and final day of the Columbia River Conference Track and Field District Championships, a brief spout of rain drenched Kennison Field. The short storm came around 5 p.m. when the track events were starting and several field events were taking place. First up was the girls 4x100-meter relay. Members of Hermiston’s team each settled into their spots and with Scout Reagan at anchor, the cold weather drew some concern. “Cold weather has always been a terrible thing for me,” she said. So, Reagan turned toward the fence and saw head coach Emilee Strot, who had an important message for the Bulldogs’ top sprinter. “As soon as I looked at coach Strot she goes, ‘We train for this, Scout, you just remember, you know what you’re doing,’ and I looked at her and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, okay. Who cares about the rain, let’s get after it,’” Rea- gan added. See TRACK/3B Pendleton’s 4x100 relay team celebrates after learning they took second after a close finish to clinch a spot at the OSAA state championships. PREP ROUNDUP Bulldogs’ postseason hopes take a hit Hermiston falls 9-2 at The Dalles East Oregonian The Hermiston Bulldogs’ post- season hopes took a huge hit with a 9-2 loss to The Dalles on Thurs- day in a game that was finished following a rainout on Tuesday. The loss drops the Bulldogs (7-16 overall, 3-8 Columbia River Conference) into a tie with the Riverhawks (6-16, 3-8) for the third postseason berth, how- ever the Riverhawks own the tie- breaker with three wins in four games against the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs will now need a win at home on Friday against Pendleton coupled with a Riverhawks loss to Hood River to earn a postseason berth. In the game, Hermiston’s offense was kept in check by The Dalles’ pitcher Jordan Wet- more, who threw seven innings of three-hit, two-run baseball with five strikeouts. The Riverhawks’ Dalles Seufalamua peppered the Bulldogs’ pitching with three hits and a double and drove in four runs. Caden Schwirse pitched for Hermiston and allowed four runs on four hits in four innings with three strikeouts. All of his runs allowed came in the third inning, and Jordan Ramirez threw two innings of relief and allowed five runs on six hits. Schwirse also had one of Hermiston’s three hits, a double, while Landon Jones and Garron Anderson accounted for the other two hits. See ROUNDUP/3B Sports shorts Oregon high school coach on leave for drinking before game MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — The head coach of the top-ranked South Medford High School baseball team has been placed on leave because he consumed alcohol before a game. In his ninth season as head coach, Ray Smith has guided the Panthers to the Southwest Con- ference championship and No. 1 spot in the Class 6A power rankings as of Wednesday. The Mail Tribune reports Smith admitted having drinks before Tuesday’s game, a con- test from which he was ejected after arguing a call at third base. Smith says he “messed up big time” and let a lot of people down. THIS DATE IN SPORTS Tessitore, Witten, McFarland, Salters on ESPN ‘MNF’ crew (AP) Three new voices will work ESPN’s Monday night games this NFL season: play-by-play announcer Joe Tessitore, analysts Jason Witten and Booger McFarland. Tessitore has been one of the network’s top announcers for 16 years on boxing, college football and basketball, including calling the College Football Playoff semifinals the past two years. It will be his first NFL assignment. Witten, one of the sport’s finest tight ends and a likely Hall of Famer, retired from the Dallas Cowboys last week to move into the booth. 1892 — Azra, ridden by Alonzo Cayton, wins the first three-horse field in the Kentucky Derby, nipping Huron by a nose. 1992 — The Portland Trail Blazers win the highest-scoring playoff game in NBA history, 153-151 in double overtime against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals. 1918 — Exterminator, a 30-1 long shot ridden by Willie Knapp, loses the lead but regains it to win the Kentucky Derby by one length over Escoba. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@ eastoregonian.com
