2B | WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
High School
Baseball and
Softball
Standings
LIONS from B1
Sky-Em Baseball
Team
League Overall
Junction City
10-2
16-4
Marist
8-4
12-8
Cottage Grove
8-4
11-10
Elmira
6-4
12-6
Marshfi eld
2-8
5-12
Siuslaw
0-12
1-18
Sky-Em Soft ball
Team
League Overall
Marist
11-1
19-3
Junction City
10-2
18-4
Elmira
8-4
15-7
Marshfi eld
4-8
7-13
Siuslaw
3-9
3-15
Cottage Grove
0-12
0-18
Left: Cottage Grove’s Jaxon Simmons delivers a pitch against Elmira last Tuesday. Top: Hunter Sharkey comes up with a timely hit against the
Falcons. Bottom: Kellen Bennett throws out a runner at fi rst. PHOTOS BY ZACH SILVA/CG SENTINEL
Lydick was walked, junior Hunter Sharkey came
to the plate with the bases loaded.
“Sharkey coming up (with runners on base)
for the third time in this game. And he kept hav-
ing better at-bats and better at-bats. And you
know, he came through,” said Geiszler of Shar-
key’s lined drive that scored two runs and gave
the team the lead. “Th at was an excellent at-bat
and our kids battled and we put the ball in play
and made them make mistakes which is going
to happen if you put pressure on them in high
school baseball.”
Th e Lions were able to gather up two more
runs in the inning to solidify their lead. For El-
mira, it was not the fi rst time in the last week
that they had what head coach Ryan Wolgamott
called their “implosion inning.”
“It just snowballed. I don’t know, it just kind
of seemed like one bad thing aft er the other and
that’s kind of been us this year, that’s what we
do. We gave up 14 runs in one inning last week,”
he said recalling the team’s 20-1 loss to Junction
City.
While it was Cottage Grove’s bats coming alive
late to grab an important win, what put the team
in a position to win came from their pitchers.
Jaxon Simmons got the start and went fi ve in-
nings while Hunter Sharkey and Conner Brown-
ing each closed the game out with an inning
of work each. But more than who was on the
mound, it was their ability to throw curveballs
that had Elmira batters off -balanced and lunging
at pitches throughout the game.
“It’s usually like that. Th at’s usually the case
with most kids when I throw that curveball at
them. It’s just up to me with throwing strikes
with it,” said Simmons. “I fi nally just fi gured out
how to throw that fi rst strike and that’s done a lot
of great things for me.”
During a loss to Marist earlier this season, the
Cottage Grove coaching staff realized just how
successful their pitchers could be at throwing a
large quantity of curveballs. And they have stuck
with it ever since.
“Jaxon and Sharkey are almost more comfort-
able throwing their curveball and they just pitch
better. And they don’t throw hard so all of a sud-
den a 67 mile per hour fastball aft er four curve-
balls looks about 80. So it just changes the per-
ception of the batter,” said Geiszler. “I mean the
goal is to keep them off -balance and if you can
get a hitter off -balance, they’re not going to be
very successful. And that’s kind of what they’ve
done a really good job of.”
To fi nish the week, the Lions recorded home
victories of 7-4 and 14-3 against Siuslaw (1-18,
0-12).
Looking to work their way into the playoff s
wither a top-two fi nish in league or an at-large
bid, the Lions have a diffi cult task as they take on
the top teams in league. On Tuesday (aft er Th e
Sentinel’s print deadline) at home Cottage Grove
hosts Marist (12-8, 8-4), a team the Lions are
currently tied with for second place. Th e teams
split a pair of games earlier this season.
On Friday, Cottage Grove fi nishes their season
with a double-header
against fourth ranked
Junction City (16-4,
10-2).
15% OFF
Special District 4 Baseball
Team
League Overall
UVC
12-0
19-1
Glide
10-5
11-8
North Douglas
9-3
15-5
Riddle/Days Creek 8-4
10-10
Oakland
5-10
7-13-1
Glendale
1-11
6-12
Elkton/Yoncalla
0-12
2-12
Special District 3 Soft ball
Team
League Overall
North Douglas
15-0
22-1
Centrall Linn
14-3
21-4
Oakland
12-2
16-3
Monroe
10-4
11-6
Mohawk
7-7
8-9
Lowell
6-9
6-13
Oakridge
4-10
4-14
Days Creek
4-12
4-15
Riddle
2-12
4-15
Yoncalla/Elkton
0-15
2-18
We have 2x12 Rough Cut Cedar for
Raised Beds in stock!
Any service with coupon
Schedule your appointment Today!
Not Valid on any service Exceeding $100 • Expires 05/31/19
Not valid with any other offer.
LANDSCAPE AND
BUILDING MATERIALS
Our People Really Make The Difference!
Open 7 days a week!
79149 N. River Road
INTRODUCING
Kevin Holmes, PT,
541-942-4415 • 2775 Row River Road • bradschevy.com
541-942-4664
Also pictured clinic staff : Ashley Stevens,
Dayna Johnson- Lewis, and Victoria Nnoli, PTA
The businesses on this page are:
SUPER FANS
They proudly support our local student athletes.
Please show your appreciation by patronizing their businesses.
Cottage Grove High School
North Douglas High School
5/10
11:00 a.m. Track and Field
Districts @ Marist
3:00 p.m. Baseball @ JC
Softball @ JC
5:00 p.m. Baseball @ JC
Softball @ JC
5/8
4:30 p.m Softball vs. Oak-
land
5/11
11:00 a.m. Track and Field
Districts @ Marist
Yoncalla High School
Elkton High School
5/10
2:00 p.m. Baseball vs. Glendale
Softball @ Oakridge
4:00 p.m. Baseball vs. Glendale
4:30 p.m. Softball @ Oakridge
5/10
2:00 p.m. Softball @ Mo-
hawk
4:30 p.m. Softball @ Mo-
hawk
6:00 p.m. Baseball @ UVC
8:30 p.m. Baseball @ UVC
5/13
7:00 p.m. Baseball vs. North Doug-
las
5/13
7:00 p.m. Baseball @ Elk-
ton/Yoncalla
www.bradschevy.com
Cottage Grove
Sentinel
www.cgsentinel.com
(541) 942-4415
Rogers & Son
Floor Covering • Window Covering
Saunas • Swimming Pool & Hot Tub Supplies
Dave & Carol Rogers
FAX (541) 942-2881
@
cgsentinel
@cgsentinel
#cgsentinel
Cottage-Grove-Sentinel
(541) 942-0500
1324 E. Main
(541) 942-0750
P.O. Box 40
(541) 942-0017 Fax
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
www.rogersandsonfl oorcovering.com