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Wednesday, July 10, 2019
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Hodgen Distributing places sixth in Spokane tournament
By BRETT KANE
East Oregonian
sPOKane — Pendleton’s 17u
Hodgen distributing placed sixth
out of 32 teams at spokane’s sum-
mer ball tournament this weekend.
The team won two back-to-back
games on saturday morning, but
fell to Bellingham 5-0 on sunday to
close the tournament.
saturday morning opened with
an easy win against the saskatoon
diamondbacks in which Pendleton
stayed ahead from inning one.
Ty Beers singled for an RBI, and
he and Curtis simons scored on
two wild pitches to put Pendleton
up 3-0. The diamondbacks rallied
back with two runs in the top of the
fourth, but the comeback would fall
just short.
Beers hit another RBI single to
left field, and Pendleton drew two
walks in the bottom of the sixth that
drove in their final two runs. Beers
led the offense with his 2-for-4
showing at the plate.
The team would face some
tougher pitching in game two,
however, as The dalles held them
to just two runs to barely escape
with a second win.
Pitcher Michael armstrong
struck out five and let go of just
three hits as Pendleton only man-
aged runs in the second and fifth
innings.
Both teams ended the game with
four hits each, but thanks to Tucker
Zander, who fanned three dalles
batters, the Hustlers never posted
a single run. Cooper Roberts, who
batted 2-for-3, and Michael Flores
were the only two Pendleton run-
ners to cross home plate.
not a single Pendleton bat-
ter would score a run in sunday’s
tournament closer against Belling-
ham. Beers, who spent the first five
innings on Pendleton’s mound, gave
up three runs on three hits and four
walks as Bellingham took control
early on.
although Beers got four strike-
outs, it wasn’t enough to contain
their opponents. Bryan ebe got
Bellingham going in the bottom
of the first, leading off with a solo
homer over the left field fence.
after the sixth-place win, Hod-
gen distributing (16-15-1) is back in
action today for a college showcase
in Centralia, Wash. The showcase
HERMISTON TRAPSHOOTERS
HEADED TO NATIONALS
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
H
How it works
The shooters in the individual
portion of the tournament had to
qualify with their average attained
during the six shoots during the
regular season. They had to partici-
Pepsi Diamondjaxx
Pendleton’s 16u baseball team
finished the Spokane-hosted tour-
ney with another win and two losses.
saturday began with a heart-
breaker against the Meridian Rang-
ers, who overcame a late 6-4 deficit
in the top of the sixth to ultimately
take Pendleton down 7-6.
Pendleton held an early 5-4 lead
by the third inning, and Blane Peal’s
double in the bottom of the fifth
See Baseball, Page B2
Pendleton
12u softball
off to state
By BRETT KANE
East Oregonian
Bulldogs placed
seventh in the
nation last year
eRMIsTOn — Haylee
Hamilton has only been
shooting trap for two years,
but she is a quick learner.
The incoming senior at Hermis-
ton High school is ranked second
among the Bulldogs on the squad,
and is part of the contingent headed
to the usa High school Clay Tar-
get league national Championship
this weekend in Mason, Michigan.
“I’m very excited to be going,”
Hamilton said. “It’s crazy to me to
be out there and shooting with the
high shots on the team, and getting
to go to nationals. I’m excited to see
what I can do. I’m not just another
pretty face.”
Hamilton will be joined at
nationals by teammates Thomas
Mabbott, Kaden smith, Mitchell
Pimentel, Tyson stocker and Trevor
Wilson.
all six will compete in the indi-
vidual portion of the event satur-
day. all but Wilson will compete in
the team event Friday.
Hermiston had 22 shooters qual-
ify for nationals with their average,
but coach slade smith said they
aren’t quite ready for the competi-
tion they will face.
“last year, the cutoff to make
finals was 95 or 96,” Smith said.
“They aren’t in a position yet to
give themselves a legitimate chance
to make the finals.”
Last year’s finals saw a handful
of shooters hit all 100 targets in the
prelims, and all 100 in the finals,
forcing a shoot-off.
The Bulldogs took a team to
nationals last year, placing seventh.
They were ranked no. 1 going into
the finals.
“They weren’t satisfied with
that,” smith said. “It takes a couple
of special days to win it. These kids
shoot a lot more trap than a lot of
kids, and that’s important. I think
they are very prepared.”
runs until sunday, July 14.
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Haylee Hamilton takes aim at a clay target during practice with the Hermiston High School trapshooters.
The group will head to nationals this week in Mason, Michigan, to compete against teams from around the
country.
pate in every shoot.
There is no distinction between
boys and girls, or wheelchair ath-
letes. everyone shoots from 16
yards.
“Wheelchair athletes compete
with the able-bodied kids,” smith
said. “everyone is the same. There
is a lot of diversity. This is a sport
kids can come out for who aren’t cut
out for other sports.”
There will be approximately 180
teams and 2,000 individual shoot-
ers from around the nation at the
event. The top 80 teams and top
1,800 individuals will advance to
the finals.
each shooter brings their own
gun (the Hermiston athletes all
shoot a Browning trap shotgun) to
nationals. Teams let the tournament
know what ammunition they would
like, and it’s there when they arrive.
The guns are put on the plane
with the other luggage. each gun
has to be in a locked gun case and
receive a special sticker.
Hermiston will have a practice
round Wednesday at MTa Home-
grounds (tournament facility),
and then will have team activities
Thursday.
Hermiston will compete in
the first flight of the team shoot at
8 a.m. Friday (50 shots per athlete),
with the second flight at 11 a.m.
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
The Hermiston High School trapshooters nationals team (left to right)
Tyson Stocker, alternate Trevor Wilson, Mitchell Pimentel, coach Slade
Smith, Kaden Smith, Thomas Mabbott and Haylee Hamilton pose for a
portrait at the Hermiston Gun Club.
Individual prelims are saturday,
with finals for both Sunday. Prelim
and finals scores are combined.
“One target makes a difference,”
coach smith said. “They shoot their
average, they can be top 10 in the
nation.”
Mabbott has the high average on
the team at 24.25 out of 25. Ham-
ilton follows at 24.12, with smith,
stocker and Pimentel all at 24.
Mabbott, Kaden smith and
stocker were on the team that com-
peted last year, while Wilson joined
them in the individual event.
“We’ve got a couple of kids who
have been there and are comfort-
able,” coach smith said.
Mabbott, a recent Hermiston
graduate, admits he is more calm
heading to nationals than he was
last year.
“I was nervous last year,” he
said. “After the first round, we were
sitting first, then it all sank in. We
finished seventh, which is some-
thing to be proud of, but we were
disappointed at the same time.”
See Trapshooting, Page B2
KeIZeR — after three innings
of big hitting, Pendleton’s 12u lit-
tle league softball team is off to the
state championships.
On Monday, the all-star softball
team took down east lane/sheldon
in a 16-0 shutout, officially punch-
ing their ticket to Wednesday’s state
championship game.
Pendleton was quick to show
their strength when Melanie Boat-
man tripled on a line drive to left
field for the second at-bat of the
game. Boatman scored on the fol-
lowing ground-out, but her team
would be far from finished.
avery Krighaum notched a dou-
ble on a fly ball to deep center field
on her first pitch, and Maddy Lieual-
len, Bailey Moore, and Boatman
all singled again within the inning.
Boatman’s single scored two runs
and gave Pendleton an 8-0 lead. she
would finish the game with a 2-for-3
performance that put up two runs
and a game-best four RBIs.
With Madaline schumacher
pitching, East Lane’s first at-bat was
kept short and sweet, as she benched
two batters and ended the inning
with a groundout to shortstop.
Pendleton followed with a sev-
en-run second inning in which
Krighaum, Boatman, lieuallen,
and Reese Furstenherg all hit RBI
singles. Boatman and Krighaum
combined to give the team a 15-run
advantage as they scored on the
same wild pitch.
Boatman took to the circle in the
bottom of the second, quickly post-
ing back-to-back strikeouts as east
lane continued to be held without
a hit.
ella sams rounded out Pendle-
ton’s scoring in the top of the third
as she crossed home plate on Josie
Jenness’s sacrifice fly to right field.
The run would call the game in just
three innings.
Pendleton finished the game
with 12 hits, while east lane never
managed a single one. Krighaum
followed Boatman in offense, going
2-for-3 with three runs and three
RBIs.
schumacher tallied two strike-
outs, and Boatman followed with
three, allowing just one walk along
the way. Meanwhile, their east lane
opponents struck out just one batter
for the entire game.
The Pendleton all-stars will vie
for the 12u state title on Wednesday
in Keizer. Game time is at 6 p.m.
Pitching carries al to 4-3 victory over nl in all-star Game
By BEN WALKER
AP Baseball Writer
CleVeland — Justin Ver-
lander, shane Bieber and the amer-
ican league pitchers plugged power
back into the mound.
a day after an awesome Home
Run derby got baseball buzzing
even more about monster shots,
only a couple balls flew out of Pro-
gressive Field at the all-star Game
on Tuesday night.
Instead, Verlander blazed 97
mph heat from the start, Bie-
ber struck out the side and the al
staff combined to fan 16, topping a
loaded nl lineup 4-3 for its seventh
straight win.
With fans hoping to see a replay
of Monday’s jaw-dropping aerial
show when 312 homers cleared the
walls, the diamond became a pitch-
ers’ paradise — at least until the late
innings.
derby champ Pete alonso of the
Mets grounded a two-out, two-run
single past Gleyber Torres in the
eighth to close the nl’s gap. after
a double steal put runners at second
and third against Cleveland reliever
Brad Hand, White sox catcher
James McCann made a tumbling
catch on Mike Moustakas’ twisting
foul pop to end the inning.
aroldis Chapman threw a per-
fect ninth to give the al its 19th
win 22 games, with a tie stuck in
there. Chapman got a little encour-
agement with two outs — yan-
kees teammate CC sabathia, hon-
ored this week for his contributions
on and off the field, strolled to the
mound to talk to the flamethrower.
Chapman then struck out yas-
mani Grandal for a save, giving the
al an overall 45-43-2 lead in the
Midsummer Classic.
no need, either, for the experi-
mental rule that was set to go effect:
If the game went into extras, each
team would start the 10th with an
automatic runner on second base.
Major league Baseball is on a
record-shattering pace for homers
this season, but no one came close
to clearing the walls until Char-
lie Blackmon connected in the nl
sixth. Texas’ Joey Gallo countered
with a solo drive in the seventh.
still, it was a far cry from last
year’s all-star Game that featured
a record 10 home runs.
Instead,
Cleveland
favor-
ite Michael Brantley had an early
RBI double off losing pitcher Clay-
ton Kershaw, Jorge Polanco drove
in a run with an infield single and
another scored on a double-play
grounder.
Winning pitcher Masahiro
Tanaka, lucas Giolito and shane
Greene did their parts to protect the
lead with scoreless innings, shutting
down Christian yelich, Cody Bell-
inger and the rest of the nl boppers.
Bieber earned the MVP award
in front of his home fans, striking
See All-Star, Page B2