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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2018)
SPORTS TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2018 OSU OMAHA BOUND 2B 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS PENDLETON Hodgen defends title Hodgen Distributing wins Ashlee Hodgen Memorial Tourney on Field’s walk-off Staff photo by Eric Singer Hodgen Distributing poses with championship plaque after its 3-2 victory over Redmond to win the Ashlee Hodgen Memorial Tour- nament on Sunday at Bob White Field in Pendleton. By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian PENDLETON — With a runner on second base with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and facing an 0-2 count, Hodgen Dis- tributing’s Kyle Field dug back into the batter’s box looking for a pitch to hit. Hodgen was tied 2-2 with Red- mond in the championship game of the Ashlee Hodgen Memorial Tournament after Redmond scored one run in the top half of the inning on a throwing error by Field. Field was searching for an off-speed pitch from Redmond pitcher Kyle McKague, but instead McKague threw him a fastball on the out- side corner. Field adjusted and connected with the pitch, which he flared into shallow right field — his only hit of the game — to score Tucker Zander from second for the walk-off 3-2 victory Sun- day evening. “When I got to first I was like ‘Oh my god, did we win?” Field said. “Then he (Zander) crossed home and it was a really good feel- ing to end the tournament that way and get the win.” It was another impressive win for Hodgen Distributing, who fin- ished its home tournament with a perfect 5-0 record on its way to winning the tournament cham- pionship for the second straight year. Hodgen showed it can win games different ways, from clob- bering teams such as the 14-2 win over Baker and then 19-1 Staff photo by Kathy Aney Hodgen Distributing’s Jack Monkman swings at the ball during Saturday’s Ashlee Hodgen Memorial Tournament game against Redmond. See HODGEN/3B Legion baseball Cruz homers twice as Hermiston picks up first two wins of season Mariners top Angels The Bulldogs finished the Ashlee Hodgen Memorial Tournament 2-3 after the weekend Associated Press By ALEXIS MANSANAREZ East Oregonian PENDLETON — From the Hermiston High School baseball team to the 2018 Hermiston Amer- ican Legion baseball team, there isn’t a lot of similarity on the dia- mond Saturday. Sure, head coach Kevin Moore is still at the helm and catcher Wyatt Noland orchestrates the defensive from behind the plate, but looking at the infield and out on the grass, there’s new faces and for one old face, a new position. Jordan Ramirez, who will be entering his senior year come August, was playing center field in the second of Hermiston’s two games Saturday. The team was down a few players in Day 2 of the Staff photo by Alexis Mansanarez Hermiston starter Trevor Wagner releases a pitch against a South- ridge batter in the team’s second game on Day 2 of the Ashlee Hodgen Memorial Tournament. Ashlee Hodgen Memorial Tour- nament and at Bob White Field, Ramirez got to try something new — something that didn’t thrill the three-sport athlete. “I’d rather stick with short,” he said after facing Pasco on Day 2 of the three-day tournament. Being uncomfortable is some- thing that Hermiston will have to get used to. After the 15-5 loss to Pasco, the young team will be See BULLDOGS/3B SEATTLE — Nelson Cruz homered twice and the surprising Seattle Mariners overcame Mike Trout’s two home runs to beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 on Mon- day night. Ryon Healy hit a two-run shot for the Mariners, who chased Andrew Heaney early and won for the ninth time in 11 games. Seattle sits atop the AL West by a half-game over the World Series champion Houston Astros. Trout tied Boston slugger J.D. Martinez for the major league lead with 21 homers. Albert Pujols also went deep for the Angels. Mariners starter Wade LeB- lanc (2-0) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. He loaded the bases in the fifth but struck out Justin Upton to escape unscathed. Cruz homered leading off the fourth. Kyle Seager followed with a single and Ryon Healy launched a drive over the left- field fence to give the Mariners a 5-2 lead. Trout cut the margin to two with his second homer of the game, but Edwin Diaz pitched a clean ninth for his major league- best 24th save in 27 chances. Trout and Pujols homered in the first before Cruz tied it in the bottom half with a two-run shot to center. Heaney (3-5) was shaky after throwing a one-hit shutout against Kansas City in his previ- ous start — on his 27th birthday, no less. This time, the left-hander was tagged for five runs and seven hits in three-plus innings. ROSTER MOVE Los Angeles recalled OF Jabari Blash from Triple-A Salt Lake and optioned OF Michael Hermosillo to its top farm team. Angels manager Mike Scios- See MARINERS/3B Sports shorts THIS DATE IN SPORTS Clint Bowyer wins rain-shortened race AP — Clint Bowyer raced to his second NASCAR Cup Series vic- tory of the season when Sunday’s event at Michigan was called early because of rain. Bowyer beat out Kevin Harvick on a restart to begin the third stage, and then the race went under cau- tion when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. went into the wall. The rain put a stop to the race after 133 of the planned 200 laps on the 2-mile track. Harvick was second, and pole winner Kurt Busch finished third. JUSTIFY BACK AT CHURCHILL DOWNS AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Triple Crown winner Justify has returned to Churchill Downs to rest as the track where the quest began prepares to cel- ebrate the milestone. Arriving just before a thunderstorm dumped rain over the area, a crowd of spectators watched Monday as the chestnut colt with a white blaze on his face exited a van after a midday flight from Islip, New York. Justify became the 13th Triple Crown champion with Saturday’s 1 3/4-length victory in the Belmont Stakes that improved him to 6-0. Justify’s achievement follows 2015 champion American Pharoah, who was also trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said the horse traveled well and- will be “just taking it easy” for a few days before this weekend’s planned victory celebration. 1948 — Ben Hogan wins the U.S. Open with a record 276, five lower than Ralph Guldahl’s 1937 record. 1991 — The Chicago Bulls win the first NBA championship in their 25-year history with a 108- 101 victory in Game 5 over the Los Angeles Lakers. MVP Michael Jordan scores 30 points, 2016 — Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins win their fourth Stanley Cup by defeating the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game 6. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
