Wallowa.com
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
B1
B1
WEDNESDAY
July 3, 2019
Courtesy Photo/Annette Moeller
District 3 Junior Softball Champions Wallowa Valley Cubs (L to R) Brianna Rouse, Iris Delury, Libby Fisher, Alex Rowley, Karly Baremore, Aimee Meyers, Cooper Nave, Sophie
Moeller, Maci Marr, Liz Rowley, Abby Straight, Sydney Hopkins.
LADY CUBS OFF TO STATE
T
Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
he high school combined softball team may
have given up the “Cubs” moniker at the
insistence of the Enterprise School Board,
but the girls junior all-stars softball team
adopted the name and the success that goes
with it.
The squad is headed to state after consecutive
victories in District 3 all-stars championship play,
culminating in a 5-4 thriller victory over Pilot Rock
in the championship game.
The ladies started the tournament playing Herm-
iston on Saturday, June 22, and walked away with
a fi ve-inning, 17-0 victory their opponents to the
west.
Aimee Meyers pitched for the Cubs, holding the
opposition to a mere three hits while fanning eight.
“All in all, between the pitching and the hitting,
it was a big team effort,” Coach Shane Kirkland
said. “Everybody hit the ball. It was the best you
could ask for. “
The squad played again on June 24, slaying La
Grande, 21-11. Kirkland said the Cubs started slow,
scoring only three runs over the fi rst four innings
while giving up four runs in the fourth inning and
two more in the fi fth.
The Cubs then exploded, and by the sixth, were
one run short of 10-running hapless Hermiston.
See Softball, Page B2
Courtesy Photo
Wallowa Valley Cubs junior all-star photo. This photo was taken right after the Cubs won their fi rst game against
Hermiston in the District 3 softball tournament The squad had left the dugout to have a team meeting with coach
Shane Kirkland.
New coach takes Junior softball to new heights
Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
It’s been about a dozen years
that Wallowa County’s junior soft-
ball girls are making a name for
themselves in northeastern Ore-
gon. The team is currently fl ying
high at District 3 all-stars play in
Hermiston.
Saturday, June 22, the girls
administered a 17-0 shellacking
to their Hermiston hosts. Pitcher
Aimee Meyers threw the heat,
striking out eight while allowing
only three hits over the duration.
“All in all, between the pitch-
ing and the hitting, it was a big
team effort,” Coach Shane Kirk- innings,” Kirkland said. “They
“The girls showed a ton of
land said. “Everybody hit the ball, give up four runs in the fourth and maturity,” Kirkland said. “It was a
and it was about all you could ask two runs in the fi fth, and then the very, very exciting game.”
for as a coach.”
The
squad
He added that
faced Pilot Rock
the team played
‘IT’S A GREAT BUNCH OF GIRLS AND A GREAT GROUP for the District
conservatively
3 championship
OF PARENTS. IT’S BEEN SUPER REWARDING,
and could have
game on Tues-
easily run the
day, June 25.
SUPER RELAXING, AND WE’RE SUPER EXCITED.’
score up.
C o a c h
Coach Shane Kirkland
Monday,
Shane Kirkland
June 24, saw the
noted it’s been
ladies again on
about a dozen
a rampage, thumping La Grande, girls just absolutely turned it on.”
years since the county fi elded a
21-11.
By the sixth inning, the ladies junior team. He said the team is
“We started out slow, scoring were just a run short of a 10-run very young. Most of the girls are
only three runs in the fi rst four rule victory.
“Majors” age, 12.
“It’s a great bunch of girls
and a great group of parents,”
Kirkland said. “It’s been super
rewarding, super relaxing, and
we’re super excited.”
“We’re a young, young team,
and our fi rst fi ve games of the
year, La Grande beat up on us
almost every time we played
them, and by the end of the year,
we were beating everybody no
matter where we went: Pilot
Rock, La Grande, Hermiston. I
mean the girls have just come
together.”
“It’s been a good time,” Kirk-
land said.
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