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E AST O REGONIAN Wednesday, May 29, 2019 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS | FACEBOOK.COM/EOSPORTS A8 Bucks hold off West Albany for trip to state championships By BRETT KANE East Oregonian Gabe Umbarger’s early home run put the Pendle- ton Buckaroos to the 5a state championships. On Tuesday, the senior cen- terfielder drove a fly ball over the right field fence to score three runs and overcome a 2-1 deficit against their West Albany hosts in a 5A semifinals matchup. The Bulldogs would put just one more run on the board, and couldn’t stop Pend- leton from taking home a 4-3 victory. The Bucks will travel to Keizer on saturday to chal- lenge the 5a’s top-ranked Cen- tral Panthers in a state cham- pionship game. It will be their first championship appearance since 1992. “We’ve had good teams that have been to the quarters and semis,” said Pendleton coach TJ Haguewood, “but it’s been a long time. We’re honored to be that team.” not only did Umbarger seal the game for the Bucks, but he also got things going in the top of the first inning as he scored on Ty Beers’ single to put Pend- leton up 1-0. Ryan stahl let two runs slip after walking two Bull- dogs and hitting another to load the bases. West albany’s Kellan soriano drew a walk to put their first run on the board, and Carson Van dyke singled on the next at-bat to drive in another run. It would be the only Bulldog lead, and it wouldn’t last. With Tanner sweek and Kyle Field both on base, Umbarger sent a 1-2 pitch out of the park for what would end up being the game-winning hit in the top of the second. “That’s the difference,” Haguewood said. “Gabe crushed it — that’s it.” Central’s Porter Phillips singled on a line drive to left field to drive in Blake Bowers, but neither team would score another run for the remainder of the game, leaving Pendleton ahead for good. stahl tallied three strikeouts, but allowed five walks and three runs over four innings spent on the mound. Chris Large threw three innings of relief and kept the Bulldogs away from home. “Ryan was our ace, but he started to struggle,” Hauge- wood said. “He battled and gave us enough innings before turning it over to Large. (Large) threw a heck of a game and fin- ished strong.” Umbarger’s 2-for-3 show- ing at the plate scored two runs and generated three RBIs — enough to lead Pendleton’s offense. Bowers went 2-for-4 for West albany, but only put one run on the board. Chase Reynolds fanned seven Bucka- roos, but surrendered all four of Pendleton’s runs. Pendleton’s saturday oppo- nents are coming off a 1-0 semifinals win over Thurston. The Panthers are coming in as the no. 1 seed in the 5a divi- sion, while the Bucks are the underdogs at no. 9. “I’ve had two teams while I coached at Weston-Mcewen play (at Keizer),” Haguewood said. “It’s a different feeling — it’s almost like you’re on an island, away from the high- ways. It’s different than your typical high school ball park.” The two teams will contend for the state title at the salem- Keizer Volcano stadium. The last time the Bucks played in a title game, they lost to Mcnary 7-4 in the 4a championships. “It’s not just a varsity win — it’s a program win,” Hague- wood said. “The boys have played their butts off all season, and I can’t say enough about the assistant coaches and what they do.” By TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press The first NBA game was in Toronto. and now, the nBa Finals are headed there. Finally. The nBa Finals are set after the Toronto Raptors won the east- ern Conference championship on saturday night and earned the right to play the Western Confer- ence champion Golden state War- riors. For the Raptors, it’ll be the first time on this stage; for the Warriors, it’ll be an 11th trip to the finals and fifth in a row, as they look for a fourth crown in the last five seasons. Game 1 is Thursday night in Toronto, which will become the AP Photo/Morry Gash first city outside the U.S. to play host to a finals game — a milestone Toronto Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard looks to pass during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference that comes just about 73 years after Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks on May 23, 2019. Toronto was the site of the first game in nBa history. While it is the first finals trip for the past two seasons. his third in a row and fourth over- The Raptors weren’t around “We’re not satisfied,” Raptors all; if he wins Finals MVP — that then: Toronto’s first NBA team was the Raptors franchise, many play- called the Huskies, a club that went ers on the team have been there. President Masai Ujiri said. “We would seem unlikely at this point, because he isn’t expected to play 22-38 in its only season. The Rap- Leonard and danny Green got want to win the championship.” tors have been around since 1995, there with san antonio in 2013 and For the Warriors, this has almost in Game 1 and it’s unknown if and in their 24th season they’re 2014, with Leonard winning MVP become an annual rite. he’ll actually appear in the series finally going to play for a ring. of the series against Miami five stephen Curry, Klay Thomp- at all because of a calf injury — “They’re the champions,” Rap- years ago. serge Ibaka was with son, draymond Green, andre he would join Michael Jordan and tors star Kawhi Leonard said of Oklahoma City for its appearance Iguodala and shaun Livingston shaquille O’neal as the only play- the Warriors. “We’ve got to go in, in 2012 and Raptors reserve Pat- have been part of each of these ers to win that trophy in three con- have the mental focus, enjoy the rick McCaw was part of the War- five runs to the finals by Golden riors for their title runs in each of state. Kevin durant is going to See NBA, Page A9 moment and take the challenge.” Blues must try to slow down Bruins in Stanley Cup Final By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer BOsTOn — Jake deBrusk got a step on Robert Bortuzzo and he was off to the races. despite missing the net on the breakaway, the message was already sent. Two minutes into the stan- ley Cup Final, the Boston Bruins flashed the speed and skill that got them to this point and exploited it to beat the st. Louis Blues in the series opener. If the Blues have any hope in Game 2 Wednesday night and beyond, they will have to slow down the Bruins somehow, some way. “There’s different ways that you can wear guys down whether it’s physicality or speed,” deBrusk said. “That’s the game now. That’s how you have to play. It’s just races to loose pucks and then playing physical when the opportunity presents itself.” Game 1 will be remembered for 5-foot-9 Boston defenseman Torey Krug’s helmetless hit on Rob- ert Thomas, but the Bruins won because they came at the Blues in waves. They got contributions up and down the lineup and played a style that flustered St. Louis into turnovers and a 30-12 shot disad- vantage in the final two periods. The fact that 77.2% of teams that win Game 1 go on capture the Cup doesn’t much matter to Blues coach Craig Berube and his play- ers. The Blues, after all, climbed from last place in the nHL on Jan. 3 all the way to the final. They also responded well after a similar, sluggish start to the Western Con- ference final against San Jose. Armed with that confidence, the Blues understand the key to earn- ing a split in Boston is stunting their opponents’ relentless rush. “It’s not feeding into their transition as much,” center Ryan O’Reilly said. “When we have an opportunity to put it behind them and play that 200-foot game, we need to because you give them the opportunities, they can move the puck real quick and they come at you full speed. It’s not giving them any real easy opportunities.” Boston’s top line of Brad March- and, Patrice Bergeron and david Pastrnak had zero points at even strength, but in the end the Bruins AP Photo/Bruce Bennett didn’t need them on the score sheet. Coach Bruce Cassidy credited The puck slides toward the net behind goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) as Boston Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron, right, approaches during the first pe- See Hockey, Page A9 riod in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final on Monday in Boston.