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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2019)
B2 SPORTS Wallowa County Chieftain Wednesday, March 27, 2019 Steve Tool/Chieftain CONTACT — Wallowa Valley baseball player Christopher Nobles, smacks one in the batting cage on the pavillion in the Joseph Charter School gym. Coach Mark Ramsden said the team has 18 players, including five from Elgin. Ramsden doesn’t expect to practice outdoors for about two more weeks due to leftover snow, but the squad is anxious to start the season. WALLOWA VALLEY BASEBALL IS FLYING HIGH By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain UP NEXT: fter missing their first three games due to inclement weather, the Wallowa Val- ley boys baseball team celebrated their opener with twin victories over the Baker High School JV squad. The dou- bleheader took place in Baker City on Friday, March 22 with the boys bringing only 12 players to the bat- tle. The game schedule conflicted with an FFA event. Wallowa Valley took the first game 9-7 with Trace Collier getting the win in relief while Gus Ramsden earned a save as the closer. The team has yet to find a permanent scorekeeper, so individual stats were unavailable. The second game saw more of the same as Trace Collier again got the win as he pitched the innings four, five and six. Sophomore David Salim earned the save in the seventh inning as the team scored nine runs A Thursday, March 28 – March 30: Boys play three games at the Grant Union Les Schwab Tournament in John Day starting vs. Bandon in the last two innings to seal the final victory. Gus Ramsden led the team offensively and defensively over the duration while encouraging younger players while taking a leadership role on the field. “It was a good start,” said coach JR Collier. “The biggest story for us is we actually haven’t practiced outside yet. Our first time on the field this year was at the game.” He added that the day before the games the team managed about a half hour of fly ball practice on the grass at the Enterprise Little League fields. “Going in knowing we literally hadn’t done any any base-running or full outfield or situational infield- ing, we’re really happy to come out with wins,” Col- lier said. He added that the indoor practice may have actually helped because it forced the squad to concen- trate on fundamentals such as ball handling and hitting. “Everybody hit well; even though we fell behind in the middle of both games,” Collier said. “We didn’t have any infield errors in either game.” He also said “the squad has a very motivated pack of freshmen and sophomores who were a pleasure to watch.” Although the scores don’t indicate it, the squad played “small ball,” which saw the team moving run- ners by well-placed bunts. “We played functional baseball, and it worked,” Collier said. “It was great to see because it was effective, and the kids did what they needed to do.” The boys next play three games at the Grant Union Les Schwab Tournament in John Day starting versus Bandon on Thursday, March 28 and running through March 30. Underclassmen propel Cubs in opening week By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain The Wallowa Valley Cubs had a successful 3-2 start to their season despite never having set foot outside in practice. The Cubs opened their season with five games in a week starting with a 13-3 loss to Union on Tues- day, March 19, before pick- ing up the slack. The Union contest saw promise, particularly the freshman, despite the lop- sided score. Union is pretty solid,” Coach Gary Gassett said. “It was also the first time our girls faced any live pitching.” Liz Rowley and Lexie Gassett pitched a pair of innings each. Offensively, sophomore slugger Claire Farwell went 2 for 3, pro- viding half of the team’s hits. Rylin Kirkland was 1 for 3 and freshman Emma Bateman was 1 for 1. “She’s (Bateman) getting pretty good,” the coach said. “The whole team looked good considering they hadn’t been outside.” ‘WE’VE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD FRESHMEN.… I THINK THINGS ARE GOING TO COME TOGETHER, AND IF THE FRESHMEN CONTINUE TO LEARN ON THE FLY, WE’RE GOING TO BE GOOD.’ Coach Gary Gassett Steve Tool/Chieftain Wallowa Valley Cubs coach Gary Gassett is optimistic about his young squad. Underclassmen led the way for the Cubs during a 10-8 come-from-behind vic- tory in the opening game of a twin bill over Pilot Rock at the Rocket Invite on Thurs- day, March 21. Pitcher Lexie Gassett tossed a solid game with five strikeouts while doling out five hits and only two earned runs. On the slugging side, Farwell gave the oppos- ing pitcher plenty of wor- ries as she batted her way to a 3 for 4 plate performance. To add insult to injury, she also knocked in three RBIs while scoring three runs of her own. “She’s going to do well,” Coach Gassett said. Fresh- man Liz Rowley went 2 for 4 and scored twice. Freshman Aysia Salim also added two hits, as did Lexie Gassett. Vernonia met the same fate in the bottom end of the doubleheader as they fell to the Cubs, 11-3. Again, Gas- sett went the distance, fan- ning eight Vernonians while giving up only a pair of earned runs. Freshman Rylin Kirk- land went an amazing 3 for 4 with a run and a pair of RBIs while Salim again went 2 for 4 while adding two RBIs. Farwell notched her belt with a 2 for 5 per- formance while scoring a run and swatting a RBI. Saturday saw the Cub- bies again prevailing, this time in a 4-3 squeaker ver- sus Lost River. Liz Row- ley gave Gassett a break on the mound, compiling five strikeouts and doling out three earned runs. Far- well had the big stick, going 3 for 4 while also scoring the go-ahead run to end the game. Hardly the largest player on the squad, Farwell went to the plate with two down in the bottom of the seventh and the score tied 3-3 and smacked a tremen- dous triple and scored on a passed ball to secure the victory. “She’s tearing it up,” the coach said of her performance. The final tournament game saw the Lexie Gas- sett-less Cubs fall to neme- sis Grant Union, 11-0. The Cubs had only two hits, both by underclassmen, with Kirkland going 1 for 2 and Ellie Collier with a 1 for 1 performance. The Prospectors are solid,” Coach Gassett said. They’re going to be in the state playoffs.” “We’ve got some really good freshmen,” Gasset said. “Four of six are start- ing, so we’ll be really good for awhile.” He noted the freshman are picking up concepts quickly and the squad is already defensively ahead of last year’s club. “I think things are going to come together, and if the freshmen continue to learn on the fly, we’re going to be good.”