A12
WEDNESDAY
April 5, 2017
Baseball continues winning ways
‘We had a good
day playing
small ball’
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
The Wallowa Valley Ea-
gles continued their winning
ways, winning two of three
games at the Les Schwab
Invitational Spring Break
Tournament in John Day last
weekend.
Coach Dick Johnson is
pleased with the team’s play.
“The boys did pretty
good. It’s not all about me,
it’s not about the individual.
It’s about the team,” he said.
The team’s fi rst game was
on Friday against John Day,
with the Eagles prevailing
12-7. Saturday’s fi rst game
saw the Eagles on the losing
end of a 9-5 slugfest versus
Sherman.
The Eagle/ Rylan Boggs
Wallowa Eagle Tate Olsen gets a hit early in the game against Grant Union on Friday,
March 31. The Eagles prevailed 12-7
“We hit the ball more than
they did, and lead switched
back and forth. Then, no mat-
ter what we did, or how we po-
sitioned our fi elders, the ball
fell in a hole somewhere, and
whenever we hit it, it seemed
like someone was standing
right there. It was one of those
things,” Johnson said.
Saturday’s last game saw
the Eagles fl ying away with
a 6-4 victory against Lakev-
iew. Johnson held back three
starters so the younger play-
ers would get some diamond
time.
“They all did good, and
everybody hit the ball,”
Johnson said. He noted that
Lakeview had made it to
the state playoffs last year.
“We had a good day playing
small ball.”
Johnson said that they
pitched as many of his play-
ers as possible to give them
experience and noted the
7-for-11 hitting performance
of Wallowa High School
sophomore Gus Ramsden
who added a triple and two
doubles to the Eagles cause.
The weekend left the
Eagles with a 3-2 record on
the season. Their next game
is an April 7 doubleheader
against Vale.
SPORTS CALENDAR
FRIDAY, APRIL 7
Golf
Enterprise, Wallowa/Joseph boys and
girls; 9 a.m., Pendleton Invitational at
Pendleton County Club
Baseball
Joseph Enterprise/Wallowa;
2 p.m. and 4 p.m. doubleheader at Vale
Track
Enterprise, Joseph, Wallowa; 11 a.m.
track events begin and fi eld events at
noon, Shockman Field, Milton-Freewater
TUESDAY APRIL 11
Baseball
Joseph/Enterprise/Wallowa;
2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. doubleheader, at
home vs. Baker/Powder Valley JV
Golf
Wallowa/Joseph, 1 p.m. La Grande Invita-
tional at La Grande Country Club
Steve Tool/Chieftain
Wallowa Valley Cubs softball
coach Andy Plew watches
over his team during a recent
practice. Plew is looking forward
to continue the Cubs’ winning
tradition this year.
Wallowa
Valley Cubs
hope to
make mark
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Elane Dickenson for the Chieftain
“Dragons in the Wallowas” early last year when they barely knew how to get in the boat. The paddles and personal flotation devices pictured
are the same as those lent to new members this year. The local “Dragons” went from here to 4th place against top Portland and Vancouver
teams in just four months - and you can be part of the guts and glory in 2017.
DRAGONS KICK OFF
NEW SEASON
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
“D
ragons in the
Wallowas Paddling
Club” race team
applicants will
meet 6 p.m. Monday, April 10, at
Tomas Center, 309 S. River Street
in Enterprise to determine a team
to race at the Portland Dragon
Boat Races June 9-11.
This is a separate from the
7 Wonders Cup that is held on
Wallowa Lake Aug. 26-27.
Racers who sign up for the
Portland event are welcome to
race in the 7 Wonders Race as
well. Those only interested in
racing locally are not required to
race in Portland.
Those racing in Portland will
be paddling the large, recently-ac-
quired Kaohsiung-style dragon
boat. The Portland Dragon Boat
Races are held in conjunction
with the Rose Festival — and
welcome as many as 96 dragon
boat teams from all over the
world to race on the Willamette
River at Tom McCall Waterfront
Park in downtown Portland.
The Portland-bound “Dragons
in the Wallowas” race team will
begin practicing on Wallowa
Lake in the new boat as early as
April 15. A $40 race fee will be
due by April 26 for those going
to Portland. Shared housing is
being arranged to minimize costs,
or team members may make their
own arrangements.
Normal membership dues for
“Dragons in the Wallowas” are
$100 per season for second-year
paddlers and $150 for new
paddlers. The new paddler fee
includes a one-time initiation fee
that also entitles the new member
to a team jersey.
For applications or other ques-
tions, email race captain Trudy
A PPLICANT
MEETING
When: Monday, April 10
Time: 6 p.m.
Where: Tomas Center, 309 S.
River St. in Enterprise
Turner at Tturnersilversmith@
yahoo.com.
Once the Rose Festival race
is over, the Wallowa-based race
team will switch to the sleeker
Hong Kong boats, which weigh
half what the big Kaohsiung boats
weigh, as they prepare for the 7
Wonders Cup on Wallowa Lake in
late August.
Any persons interested in join-
ing the Wallowa paddling club,
whether for racing or exercise,
may attend the April 10 meeting.
Applications will also be avail-
able at that meeting.
Volunteers who are interested
in serving in support positions are
also needed. Gear (t-shirts, hood-
ies and jewelry) will be available
this year for both fans and club
members.
Members can borrow paddles
and personal fl otation devices
until they are sure they want to
continue and wish to purchase
their own. Used wooden and
graphite paddles will be available
for sale a few weeks after practice
begins.
The paddling club will be
training new callers and tillers
to accommodate the growing
membership and has purchased
four Hong Kong-style boats with
hopes of expanding the club to
include youth and individuals
interested in exercise but not
competition.
The Wallowa Valley Cubs soft-
ball team is beginning its season
under new head coach Andrew
Plew, assisted by Gary Gassett.
Both were assistants under pre-
vious coach Cliff Conrad.
“We just moved up a notch,”
Plew said with a laugh, while
looking out on his 18 players scat-
tered across the diamond on one of
the few softball-friendly days thus
far in Wallowa County. The coach
is encouraged about the Cubs’
chances this season.
“We’re really sitting good. We
picked up fi ve new players, we
have returning seniors and ju-
niors. We have more athletes than
we’ve had in a long time — we
had 18 kids come out,” Plew said.
He also noted the return of junior
Ashly Exon to the diamond after a
year’s hiatus and Becca Bateman’s
switch-hitting skills.
The team also has four sea-
soned pitchers in Madison Plew,
Shelby Moncrief, Lexi Gassett
and Rylee Goller.
“We’re stacked — we have
some really good athletes. We
have good kids, and they work
hard. I hope we live up to the past,
and to our expectations this year.
It’s kind of hard with new coach-
ing and all that,” Plew said.
With the large number of team
members, Plew is trying to split
the schedule for both junior varsi-
ty and varsity games to make sure
that the JV team gets its share of
playing time.
“Having those specifi c JV
games is great, because that’s their
time, and they haven’t had their
time in the past,” Plew said.
See BOATS, Page A14
See CUBS, Page A14
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