B2
Sports
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union Prospector Marissa Smith scores in Friday’s league playoff game.
SOFTBALL
Continued from Page B1
Grant Union Prospector Mariah Moulton gets a high-five from assistant coach Monty
Nash after singling in Friday’s playoff game against Burns.
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be determined; if Dayton
wins, the game will be played
in Dayton, and if Burns wins,
the game will be in John
Day. Dayton (21-2) is ranked
No. 3, and Burns (12-12) is
No.14.
The Grant Union Pros-
pectors had the lead through
most of the first five innings
of Friday’s league playoff
battle versus Burns, but the
Hilanders scored two runs in
the seventh for an 8-7 win.
Although Grant Union
lost, the team ranked in the
top 16 to advance to the state
playoffs, filling one of two
at-large spots.
Grant Union previously
met up with Burns in Hilan-
der territory April 28, split-
ting wins with a 15-3 loss,
followed by a 17-3 win in the
doubleheader.
Friday’s game got off to
a tough start when Grant
Union’s offensive power-
house Ravyn Walker, the No.
2 batter in the lineup, collid-
ed with the Hilander short-
stop after attempting to steal
second base in the bottom of
the first inning.
Walker was taken to the
hospital by ambulance for
further evaluation and is ex-
pected to be fine. Nash said
Walker should be ready to
play by Wednesday.
Grant Union was behind
by two until the bottom of the
second.
The bases were loaded
when Prospector Natalie Stea-
rns hit deep in the outfield,
scoring Reagan Shelley, who
was in as a courtesy runner for
Brianna Zweygardt, and Hai-
lie Wright.
Prospector Tressa Ran-
ft singled, sending Marissa
Smith home, giving Grant
Union its first lead in the
game, 3-2.
Grant Union pitcher Ma-
riah Moulton allowed Burns
a run in the first and second
Join Prairie City in
celebrating
Lyn McDonald’s
Retirement!
contributed/Shanna Wright
Troy & Windy Hanson
Jackie Osborne • Christopher Gibson
241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day • 541-575-0529
www.driskillmemorialchapel.com
05644
The fabulous Mrs. Lynette
McDonald, the city clerk
for The City of Prairie City,
is retiring after a 28 year
stint with the city. Join us
for an open house on
Friday May 26th, 9am-5pm.
Enjoy some cake while
saying good bye to
Lyn, and hello to
her replacement,
Ms. Bobbie Brown!
05515
Grant Union Prospector Cody Jo Madden pitches the
final two and a half innings of Friday’s league playoff
battle versus Burns.
innings, but held them at bay
in the third.
In the bottom of the third,
Stearns doubled to score Shel-
ley, and teammate Cody Jo
Madden also doubled, scoring
Stearns, increasing their lead
to 5-2.
Burns had another run in
the fourth. Then Zweygardt’s
single in the bottom of the
inning brought Whitney Mc-
Clellan home for a 6-3 lead.
The Hilanders started off
the fifth with a one-run homer
and later scored another.
Madden then took the cir-
cle to relieve Moulton.
Burns threatened, loading
the bases, but Grant Union got
out of the inning, left fielder
McClellan catching the final
out.
Hilander pitcher Ally Sut-
cliffe allowed no Prospector
runs in the bottom of the in-
ning, and the Hilanders tied
up the score 6-6 in the sixth.
Grant Union’s offense
stalled in the bottom of the
sixth, and Burns followed up
with two runs in the seventh.
The Prospectors started a
comeback when McClellan
singled, scoring Smith. How-
ever, Burns held onto its one-
point lead for the win.
Nash said she was proud of
the way her team played, and
said they were able to stay fo-
cused after losing Walker ear-
ly in the game.
“They just kept play-
ing and didn’t let it interfere
with what they needed to do
as a team, which is what we
preached to them all year,”
Nash said. “It’s not one per-
son — I know they believed
it.”
She said Moulton and
Madden pitched well.
One factor that was dif-
ferent for the team was going
from a 45-degree weather
game to a much warmer day.
Friday’s temperature in Vale
was 85 degrees.
“It takes a toll,” Nash said.
Burns head coach Charity
Wensenk said she was happy
with her team’s positive atti-
tudes.
The team, she said, was
able to adjust to the new
pitcher (Madden), adding the
come-from-behind win was
big for them.
“Once we’re down, it’s
hard for us to come back,”
she said. “I couldn’t be more
proud of them.”
Nash said she and her as-
sistant coaches have been
learning more about Glide.
“We know they have had
some hard fought games and
have been well respected all
year in the rankings,” Nash
said. “We are up to the chal-
lenge, having been road test-
ed this year, playing 15 road
games.
“It feels normal to get on
the bus again, and the girls
don’t care where we play. Our
fan base has also been very
supportive this year following
us everywhere we have trav-
eled.”
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