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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 30, 2018)
SPORTS WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS OSAA SOFTBALL/BASEBALL PLAYOFFS Pendleton’s Kirah McGlo- than stumbles over the leg of Marist catcher Abby Doerr during Tuesday’s state playoff game at Steve Cary Field. McGothan missed the plate but scrambled back and was ruled safe. TICKET PUNCHED Pendleton blasts by Marist to reach 5A title game Staff photo by Kathy Aney Eric SINGER East Oregonian PENDLETON — In 2016 and 2017, the Pendleton softball team began the 5A playoffs as arguably the best team in the state, but came up just short in the semifinal round each time. This year the Buckaroos began the playoffs as the top seed in the 5A bracket and were likely the favorite to win the state title. Except during Tuesday’s 5A semi- final game against No. 4 Marist Catholic, it appeared as if the Buckaroos might once again stum- ble in the semifinals. Marist scored six runs in the top of the third to take a 7-3 lead, meaning Pendle- ton would have to score at least eight runs total to beat the Spar- tans, something that only one of 17 teams that played the Spartans had done all year. Yet somehow the Buckaroos did just that — and more. Pendle- ton battled right back with seven runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a lead and kept going from there, finally punching its ticket back to the 5A champion- ship for the first time since 2015 with a 20-10 victory over Marist in six innings at Steve Cary Field. And doing it against Marist made it even sweeter, as the Spartans defeated the Buckaroos in the 2017 semifinals by a 6-5 score. “I’ve been waiting three years for this,” Pendleton senior Lauren Richards said excitedly. “When I Staff photo by Kathy Aney See SOFTBALL/2B Pendleton softball players celebrate Tuesday after beating Marist 20-10 in a state playoff game at Steve Cary Field. Pilot Rock beats Toledo, earns spot in 4th straight title game East Oregonian The No. 4 Pilot Rock Rockets secured a spot in the 2A/1A state championship game for the fourth straight season after upsetting No. 1 Toledo 11-10 in the semifinals on Tuesday afternoon. That means that Pilot Rock seniors Kayla Deist, Rhyanne Oates, Sara Weinke and Marissa Sutherland have played four sea- sons of high school softball and all four seasons have ended in the state championship game, some- thing Pilot Rock coach Darin Fitz- patrick called “pretty epic.” But clinching a fourth straight trip is also something that Fitzpatrick didn’t imagine when the season began in March, as roster turnover in the past two seasons took away a lot of the Rockets’ experience. “At the start of the season, if someone had told me we’d be back in the state championship game again, I don’t know if I’d believe it,” Fitzpatrick said Tues- day. “Even today, this team has had a refuse to lose mentality and it’s been a fun ride. I don’t think anyone expected us to be here again but these girls never gave up.” The Rockets (23-3) led the Bombers 6-1 after three innings, but some Rocket errors and bloop hits by the Bombers led to Toledo putting up an eight-run fourth inning to take a 9-6 lead. Pilot Rock got one run back in the fifth and in the sixth got back on top with a three-run home run from Kayla Deist — her second homer of the game — for a 10-9 lead. “I’m just proud of the effort,” Fitzpatrick said. And in the seventh the Rockets added a crucial insurance run on an RBI triple from Kaitelyn Evans that brought home Jillian Adlard. Evans was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, one of many key con- tributors for the Rockets offense. Rhyanne Oates went 3-for-5 with a double and a triple, Sara Weinke went 2-for-5 with a home run and both Ayana Aguilar and Marissa Sutherland doubled. The Rockets will play No. 2 Kennedy (23-4) in the 2A/1A championship game on Friday at 1 p.m. at the OSU Softball Com- plex in Corvallis. Fire up the engines, the Rockets are headed to the ‘ship No. 3 Pilot Rock defeats No. 7 Bandon in the semifinals behind sound pitching and powerful bats By ALEXIS MANSANAREZ East Oregonian PILOT ROCK — The last time the No. 3 Pilot Rock baseball team was in the Class 2A/1A state cham- pionship game, a handful were still in diapers, some not born yet and for head coach Shane Leasy — well, he was busy winning a cham- pionship with the Rockets softball team. “I was probably drinking on a baby bottle then,” senior Chris Weinke said. “Looking at some diapies, prob- ably,” fellow senior Bryson Pierce added. For one Rocket, sophomore Quinton Orr, “I wasn’t born yet, so I don’t know.” That was in 2000. Staff photo by Kathy Aney Pilot Rock baseball players celebrate after beating Bandon in Tues- day’s state playoff game. Now, the group of 20 players from Pilot Rock, Nixyaawii and Ukiah will be one of 10 teams left vying for a title after a 6-1 victory over No. 7 Bandon on Tuesday at Pilot Rock High. The victory, although it came via five runs, was no easy task as See BASEBALL/2B Sports shorts THIS DATE IN SPORTS Cavs win could leave Browns player in red CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleve- land Browns safety Damarious Randall better hope LeBron James’ postseason excellence is over. Randall prom- ised on Twit- ter that if James and the Cavaliers upset the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals he would buy a jer- sey for anyone who re-tweeted his post. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 334,000 re-tweets on Ran- dall’s account (@RandallTime). MLS adds team in Cincinnati AP Photo/John Minchillo FC Cincinnati general manager and president Jeff Berding, Major League Soccer Commission- er Don Garber, FC Cincinnati owner Carl Lindner III and Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, from left. CINCINNATI (AP) — Major League Soccer is adding Cincinnati in its latest round of expansion, rewarding a city that set attendance records in three seasons of United Soccer League play and agreed to a stadium deal last month. The announcement Tuesday brings MLS to a 26-team league. Cincinnati will join the league next year and play at the University of Cincinnati’s football stadium while a 21,000-seat soc- cer stadium is built in the West End neigh- borhood. It is to open in 2021. 1952 — At 22, Troy Ruttman becomes the youngest driver to win the Indianapolis 500. 1985 — The Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup for the sec- ond straight year with an 8-3 vic- tory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5. 2009 — Travis Tucker hits an RBI single with one out in the top of the 25th inning to give Texas a 3-2 victory over Boston College in the longest baseball game in NCAA history. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
