SPORTS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2018
DUCK/BEAVER PREVIEWS
2B
1B
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MLB
HERMISTON
Dodgers
Mariners
11
1
Dodgers
hit five
homers,
thump
Mariners
Leader of the pack
By ERIC SINGER
East Oregonian
H
ERMISTON — As Herm-
iston’s starting quarterback
for the past two seasons,
Andrew James preferred to lead by
example.
Even playing the most high-pro-
file spot on the offense, James
was an underclassmen in a sea of
talented seniors with champion-
ship rings and all-state pedigrees
above him for those seasons, such
as Kaden Caldwell, Vaemu Ena
and Joey Gutierrez among others.
The abundance of leadership often
left the quiet-mannered James to
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Manny Machado hit two
of Los Angeles’ five home runs, Walker
Buehler allowed one run in six innings,
and the Dodgers beat the Seattle Mariners
11-1 to open a key three-game series on
Friday night.
The Dodgers won consecutive games
for just the third time since July 28,
using the long ball to knock around Seat-
tle starter Wade LeBlanc and for a night
take the pressure off their shaky bull-
pen. Machado’s first homer led off the
fourth inning and was his third since
being acquired in a trade with Baltimore.
He added a two-run shot in the seventh
inning to deep left-center field, where it
caromed off the hand of a fan wearing
an Orioles jersey with Machado’s name
across the back.
Machado has 28 homers overall this
season.
Yasmani Grandal, Max Muncy and
Matt Kemp also went deep as Los Ange-
les added to its National League-leading
home run total. The Dodgers have 169
homers this season.
LeBlanc (7-3) allowed seven runs, five
earned, and lasted just 4 1/3 innings.
A long seventh inning at the plate
for Los Angeles spelled an early end for
Buehler, who was dominant through the
first six. Buehler (6-4) allowed just Ryon
Healy’s home run leading off the fourth
inning. The 24-year-old right-hander
struck out eight and scattered just three
hits.
Seattle threatened only once when
Buehler lost command of his fastball and
loaded the bases with one out in the third
inning. Buehler got Denard Span to hit a
weak grounder and Mitch Haniger was
forced out at home plate. Kyle Seager
flew out to end the threat.
Buehler and two relievers combined
to retire 14 straight batters after Healy’s
homer until pinch-hitter Gordon Beck-
ham’s two-out single in the eighth.
lead with his abilities on the field,
instead.
But as James heads into his
senior season for the Bulldogs in
2018, he’ll need to expand his lead-
ership to a level he’s not used to.
Most of that leadership group from
last season’s state championship
team graduated in the spring, and
the Bulldogs have only a handful of
returners with varsity experience.
“I hope to be a leader of every-
one,” James said after a recent
practice. “Even some of the seniors
haven’t seen a varsity field yet. So
I just have to be a leader and stay
positive no matter what, and make
sure everyone is having a good
time, because that’s what we’re all
here for.”
Hermiston’s Andrew
James is ready to lead
the young Dawgs in
2018
James knew that a bigger work-
load was coming this fall, and he
spent the summer working tire-
lessly to prepare himself. Herm-
iston coach David Faaeteete said
James made Hermiston’s weight
room his second home and led
workouts with teammates at Ken-
nison Field, trying to develop some
chemistry with his newest group
of running backs, receivers and
linemen.
“He’s going to be the glue that
holds everybody together,” Faae-
teete said after a recent practice. “I
hate to put that kind of pressure on
a kid, but as a quarterback you kind
of inherit that pressure. Last year
there were a lot of senior characters
that could carry the load, and this
year pretty much everybody is new,
so they’re going to rely on him.”
For his career, James has thrown
See JAMES/3B
Hermiston senior quarterback
Andrew James points out direc-
tions during a drill at practice on
Wednesday in Hermiston. James
is back for his third year at quar-
terback this fall.
Staff photo by Eric Singer
See MARINERS/3B
PENDLETON
Four Timberwolves earn NWAC academic honor
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Three baseball players
and one softball player from Blue Mountain
Community College were recognized by the
NWAC this week for work on the field and
in the classroom this past spring.
Nate Cantonwine, Jerrett Plunkett, Colton
Walker and Miah Slater were all selected for
the NWAC’s 2018 Spring Academic Excel-
lence Award, which recognizes athletes that
achieved a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA
and earned a minimum of 36 credits that
were recommended by their coaches. It’s
the second consecutive semester that Slater
took home the honor, as the Elgin native also
won the NWAC Winter Academic Excel-
Slater
Walker
Plunkett
lence Award while playing basketball for the
Timberwolves.
“Being selected as an NWAC Academic
Excellence award winner is a huge honor,”
said Brad Baker, BMCC Assistant Athletic
Director. “Balancing academics and athletics
Cantonwine
takes great time management, hard work,
and determination to be successful in both
areas. Miah, Nate, Jerrett, and Colton did an
exceptional job modeling what it takes to be
a successful student-athlete at BMCC.”
Cantonwine, a Salem native, graduated
from BMCC in May and will now pursue
a bachelor’s degree in business at Corban
University in Salem. He was a NWAC East
Region first team selection at catcher this
past season and was one of the team’s top
hitters.
Plunkett, from Spirit Lake, Idaho, spent
time as a peer tutor at BMCC and will finish
his college career at Dakota State University
in South Dakota beginning this fall.
Walker, a native of The Dalles, collected
nine wins as one of the team’s top starting
pitchers in his career, and will finish up col-
lege at Bellevue University in Nebraska to
pursue a degree in criminal justice.
Sports shorts
Dallas clinches final
WNBA playoff spot
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) —
Elizabeth Cambage had 43 points
and 13 rebounds and the Dallas
Wings beat the Las Vegas Aces
107-102 on Friday night to clinch
the final WNBA playoff spot and
end a nine-game losing streak.
It ended a turbulent stretch for
Dallas, giving interim coach Taj
McWilliams-Franklin her first
victory. The Wings hadn’t won
since July 19, leading to the fir-
ing of coach Fred Williams on
Sunday.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
Kyle Larson takes NASCAR Cup pole at Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP)
— Kyle Larson won his
third pole of the season as
he eyes his first NASCAR
Cup Series victory of the
year.
Larson turned a lap at
127.792 mph Friday in
qualifying at Bristol Motor
Speedway. Chase Elliott
was second at 127.665.
Kyle Busch was third
on a track that he’s mas-
tered throughout his career.
Busch will be seeking his
eighth Cup victory at Bristol
in Saturday night’s race.
Saturday night marks the
40th anniversary of Bristol’s
traditional late-summer Cup
race. The threat of inclement
weather has caused the start-
ing time for Saturday’s race
to move up to 6:45 p.m., an
hour earlier than the origi-
nally scheduled start.
2000 — Tiger Woods ties the
36-hole scoring record in the PGA
Championship with a 5-under 67 to
take a one-stroke lead over unher-
alded Scott Dunlap.
2013 — For the first time in Sol-
heim Cup history, the Europeans
leaves America with the trophy.
Caroline Hedwall becomes the first
player in the 23-year history of the
event to win all five matches. She
finishes with a 1-up victory over
Michelle Wie and gives Europe
the 14 points it needed to retain the
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