Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2019)
Cottage Grove Sentinel Sports & Recreation SOUTH LANE COUNTY SPORTS AND RECREATION Warriors get two wins against UVC • WEDNESDAY | MAY 15, 2019 • B1 CONTACT SPORTS EDITOR ZACH SILVA AT 942-3325 OR ZSILVA@CGSENTINEL.COM Cottage Grove sends four to state meet Behind strong pitching, North Douglas baseball scores two wins against second- ranked team By Zach Silva zsilva@cgsentinel.com Hoping for one win, the North Douglas base- ball team got two. In a three-game se- ries with second-ranked Umpqua Valley Chris- tian (13-2 SD4, 20-3) last week, it was the North Douglas (11-4, 17-6) pitchers guiding the team to a pair of wins that have moved the Warriors into the top-10 in the rank- ings. “When the week start- ed, I know we were really excited about having a chance to beat UVC at home. Th ought that was our best chance and then we found a way to put things together in game one,” said North Douglas head coach Jeff Davis. Aft er coming up emp- ty with the bases loaded and no outs in the fi rst inning, the Warriors found their way onto the scoreboard in the third inning with three runs. Senior Koldan Frieze’s grounder through the in- fi eld scored a pair of runs. Th e hit was followed up by a double from junior Tanner Parks that scored Frieze. “It was good for our confi dence that they did not score in the fi rst. And then we came right back and answered. Some- times in your mind you have to say, ‘We can play with these guys,’” said Davis. Picking up another run in the fourth, North Douglas’ off ense was then helped by the team’s pitching. UVC, one of the highest-scoring teams in the 2A/1A classifi cation, struggled to get hits off North Douglas’ one-two punch of Brian Erickson or Colter Anderson. “Most the year they’ve been really good. Bri- an has, sometimes re- luctantly, become that number one. And we talked yesterday at prac- tice about which guy we would like to start today and Brian said, ‘Eh, may- be I feel more comfort- able closing,’” said Davis. “But if you look at our scores, and albeit, some of our opponents were weak, but even against the better teams, we’ve not allowed a lot of runs.” In the sixth inning, the Monarchs came up with two of their fi ve hits on the game as they put together three runs. But the team, and specifi cal- ly the pitchers, just kept plugging away. “I was just knowing that I don’t need to be nervous up there. Just got to focus and not let it get to me knowing that they’re a good hitting team,” said Anderson. “We never got down our- selves if they did get a big hit. And we just kept going with it, just fought the whole battle.” While North Douglas was able to close out the game, the bigger win for the team came from the amount of pitchers their WARRIORS see B4 Cottage Grove junior Jimmy Talley leaves the competition behind on his way to a fi rst place fi nish in the 3000 last Friday at the Sky-Em Districts. Talley is one of four Cottage Grove athletes who will be competing next weekend at Mt. Hood Community College. PHOTO BY ZACH SILVA/CG SENTINEL Lions have standout performances at Sky-Em track and fi eld districts By Zach Silva zsilva@cgsentinel.com It was two days full of sunburns, close calls and, for the Cottage Grove track and fi eld team, four athletes making their way to the state meet. “Th at’s amazing. I’m just so proud of them. It made my year,” said fi rst-year head coach Gyna Walton. While the Cottage Grove team was unable to contin- ue its recent run of team success – the boys placed fourth as a team and girls fi ft h aft er winning the last three coed titles – there was a group of individuals that stood out at the Sky- Em District track and fi eld meet last week. Competing at Marist High School on Friday and Saturday, Cottage Grove junior Mitchell Krokus (triple jump, long jump), junior Jimmy Talley (3000 and 1500), sophomore Matty Ladd (high jump) and freshman Gracie Ar- nold (high jump and jav- elin) all earned their spots at this week’s state meet which begins on Friday at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham. All four state-bound athletes entered the meet ranked in the top two of their respective events (except Talley in the 1500 who did not have an offi cial time recorded this season). But at districts, it was any- thing but easy as the group punched their tickets to the state meet. “(Jimmy) was focused, he knew what his job was today and he came out and he executed it to what he needed. And he did amaz- ing... Mitchell is amazing in jumps and his attitude. He’s just one of the best kids out on this team, I believe,” said Walton, going through each of the team’s state-qualifi - ers. “Gracie’s amazing. She can throw anything, jump anything. And as a fresh- man? Th at’s wild... And Matty, again, she’s so athlet- ic. She could bowl a perfect game or whatever. What do you say about that group of kids? And it’s so excit- ing that they’re going to be back next year.” Jimmy Talley Competing in both dis- tance events, Talley took part in two completely diff erent races. Where the 3000 was a patient aff air in which no one wanted to lead, the 1500 was the polar opposite as it was a pack of three Marist runners look- ing to make sure no one else led. But, to Talley, it didn’t matter if it was a me- thodical jaunt or a sprint from the start as he claimed fi rst place in the 3000 and squeezed his way into sec- ond in the 1500. Entering the 3000, Talley was ready to wait out the competition. Aft er claim- ing the league title last season as a sophomore, he fi nished second at the state meet. Th is year, Talley, aft er a slow start to the season, holds the second fastest time in the state. “Earlier in the season, I wasn’t running too fast for 3K so I was a little scared,” said Talley who came alive at the end of the season Wally Ciochetti Invitation- al where he ran a 9:08 and took second to the 4A’s top 3000 runner Leo Johns of Newport. “I had a little bit TRACK see B2 Freshman Gracie Arnold is all smiles after dramatically advancing to state in high jump. Arnold took second while teammate Matty Ladd claimed fi rst. PHOTO BY ZACH SILVA/CG Losses leave Lions in limbo Aft er dropping three games in the week, Cottage Grove left scoreboard- watching to see if they will make the playoff s By Zach Silva zsilva@cgsentinel.com A pair of Junction City baseball players celebrate an eighth inning victory over Cottage Grove last Friday. PHOTO BY ZACH SILVA/CG SENTINEL Athletes of the Week While the regular sea- son has come to an end for the Cottage Grove baseball team, it is (as of this print- ing) unclear if the Lions will be playing in the post- season. Th ree losses in the fi nal week of the season – to Marist on Tuesday and twice to Junction City on Th is week’s athletes of the week are the members of the Sweetie Pies volleyball team. Th e team took fi rst place in the Cottage Grove women’s volleyball association league. Friday – kept the Lions out of an automatic spot reserved for the top-two teams in league. Now, the team, currently ranked 20th by the OSAA, is left scoreboard watching as they are right on the bubble to be one of eight teams in the play-in games. “We don’t really know if we’re in the playoff s or not which is a hard situa- tion when it could be your last game and talking to the seniors. OK, we might, we will practice Monday just in case we’re in,” said Cottage Grove head coach Dan Geiszler aft er Friday’s games. Facing fi ft h-ranked Junc- tion City (13-2 Sky-Em, 19-4) on Friday, a team that had already locked up fi rst in league, the Lions were looking for a win to im- prove their playoff chances. And in game one – a 5-4 eight inning loss – they al- most had it. In the early innings, the Tigers were making good contact and the team scored a run in each of the fi rst four innings. It looked like the Lions had changed their fortunes in the fi ft h inning when it appeared junior Gavin Sowa blasted a ball over the left fi eld wall for a two-run home run but instead the hit was called BASEBALL see B4 From left: Alexis Gaethle, Courtney McGowen, Brooke Rich, Shannon Davey and Lia Davey of the Sweetie Pies. Not pictured: Shawna Bur- dett. PHOTO C/O KRISTEL VOIGT
