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Ben Lonergan/For East Oregonian
Ben Lonergan/For East Oregonian
Pendleton third baseman Sam Wilks celebrates an out early Saturday, June 4, 2022, in Eu-
gene in the Bucks 2-0 win over Wilsonville during the Oregon School Activities Association
Class 5A state softball game.
Pendleton center fi elder Daisy Jenness hits a single Saturday, June 4, 2022, in Eugene during
the Buckaroos 2-0 win in the Oregon School Activities Association Class 5A state softball
championships against the Wilsonville Wildcats.
BUCKS BAG 5A STATE TITLE
Garton strikes
out 17 in 2-0
win over
Wilsonville
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
E
UGENE — Sauren
Garton has been the
rock for the Pendle-
ton softball team all
season, and when the Bucks
needed her most on Saturday,
June 4, she did not let them
down.
With two outs in the
bottom of the seventh, and a
runner on fi rst, Garton struck
out Mary Matthews on four
pitches as Pendleton defeated
Wilsonville 2-0 to win the 5A
state softball title at Jane Sand-
ers Field.
“She did what she has
been doing all year,” Pendle-
ton coach Tim Cary said of
Garton. “I had a lot of faith.
We were biting our nails, but
Sauren had been in command
the whole game and we
thought she had it in hand.”
It’s the fourth state title for
the Bucks, who also won in
2012, 2014 and 2018. Cary has
coached all four teams.
“It’s always fun to win,”
Cary said. “They did a great
job today. They earned it.”
Runs were hard to come
by for both teams as the game
was a pitcher’s duel from the
start.
Garton, who is headed to
Dixie State, struck out 17 on
the day and had a no-hitter
going through six innings.
Wilsonville starter Madi-
son Erickson, who has signed
Ben Lonergan/For East Oregonian
Pendleton’s Sauren Garton delivers a pitch Saturday, June 4, 2022, in an early inning at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene
during the Pendleton Buckaroos’ 2-0 win over the Wilsonville Wildcats in the Oregon School Activities Association Class 5A
state softball title.
to play at University of Michi-
gan, allowed four hits, walked
three and struck out nine.
“We knew that it would be
two great pitchers in a battle,”
Cary said. “We were hoping
one or two runs would be
enough, and it was.”
Both pitchers earned Player
of the Game honors for their
teams.
Garton said Erickson was
as good as advertised.
“She was something else,”
Garton said. “She throws hard.
It was very fun to beat her.”
The Bucks (28-2) were the
fi rst to light up the scoreboard
as the Jenness sisters worked
their magic in the bottom of
the fourth inning.
With two outs, freshman
Josie Jenness hit a double to
left fi eld, followed by senior
Daisy Jenness, who laced a
double down the third-base
line to score her sister for a
1-0 lead.
“They came up big,” Cary
said. “They got it done when
they needed to. They were a
great combination today, for
sure.”
In the bottom of the sixth,
Faith Broadfoot drew a walk,
stole second base, then went
to third on a passed ball.
Josie Jenness hit a 1-2 pitch to
right fi eld that hit off the top
of Callie Weaving’s mitt and
dropped for an error, scoring
Broadfoot for a 2-0 lead.
Jenness ended up on third,
but was later caught in a
rundown to end the inning.
“That was a little insur-
ance run right there,” Cary
said. “You could see a little
wind come out of their sails
right there.”
The two-run cushion
was enough to get the Bucks
through the top of the seventh.
The Wildcats (27-4), in the
championship game for the
fi rst time in school history, had
one last chance to get back in
the game.
With one out, Anna Jardin
broke up Garton’s no-hitter in
the top of the seventh with a
single to left fi eld.
Jardin would be left
stranded as Talia Valdez and
Matthews struck out.
“I was really glad the team
was able to score some runs by
the end of the game,” Garton
said. “It makes it easier on the
pitcher.”
This is the second time this
season Pendleton and Wilson-
ville had played one another.
The teams split their non
league doubleheader in April,
with the Wildcats winning the
opener 9-1, and the Bucks the
second game 10-4.
After the game, the six
Pendleton seniors donned their
graduation caps and gowns
and had a makeshift ceremony
at home plate. Once they were
done, their caps went in the
air, just as their mitts had at
the end of the game.
“That’s always a neat way
to graduate, especially when
you win,” Cary said. “It was a
great day for everyone. They
had a lot of fun.”
Garton said she would not
have traded the experience.
“ It wa s s e r iou sly
awesome,” she said. “Deep
down, we were bummed we
wouldn’t graduate with our
classmates. It wouldn’t have
been as fun had we lost.”
It was the second state
softball title for the Garton
family. Sauren’s older sister
Aspen was a junior on the
2018 championship team.
Aspen was able to make it to
Saturday’s game.
“I couldn’t let my sister
have a state championship
and I didn’t have one,” Sauren
said. “I’m glad she was able
to be here.”
EOU softball’s coaching staff earn regional honor
Collegiate Conference but
easily exceeded expectations,
LA GRANDE — East- according to an announce-
ern Oregon University soft- ment from EOU Athletics.
ball’s coaching staff last week The team finished third in
received regional honors after the regular season standings
a historic 2022 season.
and at the CCC Tournament,
EOU finished the year registering a 24-6 mark in
at 43-17 overall and as the conference action.
runner-up of the Oklahoma
EOU Softball ranked 15th
City Bracket in the National in the fi nal NAIA Coaches’
Association of Inter-
Poll of the regular
collegiate Athletics
season and fi nished
opening round after
with five All-CCC
earning an at-large
selections. Garner-
ing All-CCC honors
bid. The team’s 43
wins now stands alone
for Eastern Oregon
atop Eastern’s record
was
Amanda
books for the most
Smith ( pitcher),
Christian
victories in a single
G race Gaither
season.
(infielder), Cait-
Coaching staffs of the lin Crist (infi elder), Shelby
National Fastpitch Coaches Starr (outfi elder) and Karsyn
Association’s NAIA regions Zaragoza (outfielder). Five
on Wednesday, June 1, All-CCC selections are the
announced their selections for most under Christian.
staff of the year recognition.
Christian also had her fi rst
For Region IV, the honor went pair of College Sports Infor-
to EOU softball head coach mation Directors of Amer-
Nicole Christian and her staff . ica Academic All-District
Ent e r i ng t he 2022 selections in Kayla Berg and
campaign, EOU was picked Taylor Dow. The senior duo
to fi nish fi fth in the Cascade were selected to the First
East Oregonian
Team, Berg was selected
as an outfi elder, while Dow
was selected as a designated
player.
Christian finished her
third season as head coach of
Mountaineer softball in 2022.
She is supported by assistant
coaches Theresa Manley,
Woody Wright, Bob Christian
and volunteer assistant coach
Taylor Smith.
Christian began her coach-
ing career in 2001 when she
was named the head soft-
ball coach for La Grande
High School. She was with
the Tigers from 2001-03,
then spent some time in the
junior college ranks as the
head coach at Blue Mountain
Community College 2003-05.
Christian was the softball
bench boss at Umatilla High
School 2005-08, then took
the role as head softball coach
and assistant girl’s basket-
ball coach at McLoughlin
High School, Milton-Free-
water, starting in 2008. In 10
seasons as the softball coach,
Christian’s squad made
the state tournament nine
consecutive times. Mac-Hi
also made four straight state
championship game appear-
ances and won back-to-back
state titles in 2014 and 2015.
During the 2018 campaign,
she also picked up career win
No. 300. She was inducted
into the Mac-High Hall of
Fame in 2018.
As a collegiate athlete,
Christian is no stranger to
EOU, having been a four-
year starter for the Moun-
taineers and was a two-time
All-American. She played for
Eastern from 1996-2000 and
was inducted in the Moun-
taineer Hall of Fame twice.
She went in with the 1999
team in 2011 and two years
later in 2013, she was inducted
as an individual. Christian
also received multiple acco-
lades in her career, including
NAIA First-Team All-Amer-
ican honors in 2000.
Scramble for Scholarships
Friday, June 10th
1pm Shotgun Start
Big River Golf Course - Umatilla
Golfers of all skill levels are invited to participate in the 29th annual
Scramble for Scholarships Golf Tournament. Four person teams can sign up
together or individual pairings can be made by the tournament committee.
Your $100 entry fee covers green fees, a box lunch, BBQ Dinner, and
makes a charitable donation to the Foundation to use in awarding
scholarships to local students pursuing careers in a medical field.
Register atscrambleforscholarships.eventbrite.com or call
541-667-3409. Entry deadline is June 6th
Putting contest to win a pair of Blazers Tickets.
Great Prize Holes and Hole-in-One on #1 & #9 wins
$25,000 towards a new car sponsored by ROGERS TOYOTA
of HERMISTON