SIX I lie (ia.ette-Tlmes, lleppner. Ore.. Thursday. May 5, 1U77
fll thintiS SI Fillys
fa . around
: third
atPR
Happy trails
I woke up this morning and the sun was gone. I turned on
some music to start my day. Accosted myself an opportune
song. 1 closed my eyes and I slip away. It's more than a
reeling.
Ky Boston, a rock-and-roll band. Good song, good meaning.
Very appropriate, too.
See, I'm leaving lleppner. And for some strange reason, I
think I'll be back here someday.
For 1 1 months now, I have tried to give readers some sort
of sports coverage. The old adage that 'you can please part of
the people all of the time, all of the people part of the time,
but you can't please all the people all the time' has got to be
true for all sports editors.
Despite rumors to the con
trary, the Gazette-Times was
indeed represented at the
Little League opener Satur
day, by yours truly.
And if I have failed to
educate some of the people
some of the time during my
stint here, then maybe the
following interpretation of
Little League scorebooks will
suffice.
Absurd is the only word that
can describe the scorebooks
for Willow Creek Little
League's twinbill opener
Saturday.
Because the scorebooks were completely uninterpretahle,
you will find no stories concerning the Dodgers or the Giants
or the Indians or the Braves, except for what you read here.
I'm sure that won't please enough of the people, because
the little kids like to see their names in the paper. I know;
I've been writing sports for six years now and a lot of my
friends are in the Little League age group.
A short course in scorekeeping is in line for Willow Creek
coaches.
According to scorebooks. the Braves beat the Giants in the
second game, 12-!). But one of the coaches later reported that
the scorers didn't finish out the bottom of the sixth inning and
in fact, the Giants rallied to win, CI-12.
There were no hits in the game, scorebooks said, despite 25
runs being scored. B. Way pitched for the (Hants and Put
Parker and Bussell Uranium hurled for the Braves. Justin
Lowe had three hits, a coach said.
In the first half of the twinbill. the Indians heat the
Dodgers, ."-4. There were 22 hits in 22 trips to the plate,
according to the book. That means both teams have started
the year with a perfect I. lino butting average. Not bad for a
season opener. Keep that up and they'll be playing against
Tiawan in Williamsport. Penn.
Along with the hitting powers, there were 10 walks and 27
batters hit by pitches, according, again, to the confounded
books. Cole pitched for the Dodgers, then was relieved by
Connor, not according to the book, but a coach. Hayes had
three hits for the Dodgers.
Scorebooks had no rhyme or reason in most cases and that
could be easily remedied if storekeepers, whether they be
coaches, mothers or first basemen, would read the first page
of the scorebook, which details play-by-play scoring.
From this week's garble, we have the Dodgers playing in
both games, the Giants not even listed, and Indians from lone
connected with players from lleppner.
The first game. .V4. has to be a nominee for Guiness' Book
of World Hecords. It is hard to fathom a 5-1 contest in which
27 hatters reached first from being hit by a pitch. It's even
harder to fathom the pitchers from both teams going the six
inning distance after bouncing hardhalls off that many pals.
It doesn't take a sixth grade arithmetic course to figure out
that 27 batters could not have reached first base and still only
ield nine runs.
Funny thing about the books, though, every one of the
batters who were hit by pitches also were marked in the
books as outs. Leaves a person to wonder.
I would like to point out that "IIP" in the scorebook means
hit by pitch. It is one of seven abbreviated terms on the right
hand side of every scoring box in the book. We believe the
scorers in the Indian-Dodger fiasco mean a strikeout, not
"III." since the list of situations does not list a "K" or "SO,"
terms used for a strikeout.
Gels pretty confusing, doesn't it? But I still don't figure out
where in the world "IIP" can be likened to a strikeout.
In the second game, scorers listed a pair of no-hitters In
pitchers, despite the 13-12 score in the book. Where in the first
name, every player hit the same amount of times he got to
bat. in the second, no one got a hit.
Coaches are asked to please mark the appropriate boxes
from now on. The use of pencil instead of ink is also
iiih isable. in the rare case of an error.
Speaking of errors, both games from the scorebook were
perfect defensively. No doubt the little guys tried, but while I
was on I he first base line taking pictures, I had to count at
leas! iast one hand in errors.
Not a single error was marked in the books, despite the
;nl season and despite a total of more than lit) runs in the
two sanies.
Ten minutes of reading the first page of instructions in the
scorebook will not only do wonders for the next fella who has
to try and decipher stats for a story, but it could make a lot of
kids happier to see their names in the local paper.
As near as I can tell, the Giants and Indians are in first
place with 1-0 records. The Dodgers and Braves are tied at
0-1.
If I'd had to rely on scorebooks for the standings, who
knows who'd be leading.
Wild, isn't it?
Hey, I have enjoyed writing news and features and sports
for the Gazette-Times. My short term selling advertising was
rewarding.
I think I probably will return to lleppner someday on a
more permanent basis.
What is it called? Itchy feet? I guess I must travel on.
Future endeavors beckon.
Till we meet again, happy trails and good luck.
ML PHINNEY
Heppner's Filly thintiads
came away from a Pilot Rock
relay meet with third place
last week, behind Grant Union
and Union.
Grant Union of John Day
won going away with 67 points,
followed by Union 31, Heppner
24, Pine Eagle 15 'a, Cove 13,
Weston-McEwen 12?, Pilot
Hock 12'-, Joseph 9' 2, River
side 7.
Heppner earned no first
places, but garnered three
seconds.
The Fillies were second in
the long jump at 43-2. with the
threesome of Jackie Molla
han. Tammy Lucas, Lorie
Harrison. In the high jump,
the girls were second with
jumps from Maureen Healy
5-1' 2, Mollahan 4-8 and Janice
Healy 4-4.
The other second came in
the 880 relay, where Lucas,
Sally Sumner, and the Healy
sisters combined for a 1:49.71
for second.
Other team places included
a third in the shot, 440 relay,
shuttle hurdles and mile relay.
HHS dusts
Chances brightened Friday
in Heppner when the Mus
tangs used a pair of early
inning rallies to dust back
rival Condon, 7-2, and balance
their league record at 1-1.
The Mustangs dropped their
opening Columbia Basin Con
ference game to Wasco Coun
ty last week.
Heppner scored three runs
in the first inning and three
more in the second, tearing
into Blue Devil hurler Shaffer
for six of their nine base hits.
A triple play in the fifth inning
thwarted any late game ral
lies Condon had in mind.
While the Mustang clubs
were at work at the plate.
Randy Worden was working
the mound. Worden allowed
seven hits in the contest,
spreading them over four dif
ferent innings. He struck out
six and was tagged with giving
up two earned runs.
The first two batters to face
Shaffer reached the first sack
via a walk and a hit pitch. Jim
Kenny and Dale Holland
toured the bases when Dennis
Peck cleared them with a
Stookey
leads JV's
Mike Stookey's two for three
hitting was the only bright
spot in a dismal day Saturday,
when Heppner's Mustang jun
ior varsity dropped a twinbill
to Pilot Rock.
Heppner was shut out in the
second game, 7-0, on a Pilot
Rock no-hitter, after a 15-1
route in the opener.
Stookey went two for two in
the first game, but didn't
score the Mustangs' lone run.
It came from Schwarz, who
walked and went home on two
more walks and a fielder's
choice shot.
Pilot Rock scored 15 runs on
nine hits and nine Heppner
errors. Of the nine hits, two
were homers, and three more
went for extra bases.
Tim Hedman pitched in the
opener. The only other base
hit came from Jody Marlatt, a
single in the third, following a
Stookey single. The rally was
cut short by three straight
strikeouts.
Pilot Rock pitcher Post had
nine strikeouts.
In the second game, Hep
pner went dormant, scoring no
runs on no hits and com
mitting three errors. Pilot
Rock got four hits off Dale
Holland.
Three Mustang batters got
on base, but none reached past
second base.
Pilot Rock's hits came in
flurries, the best rally in the
third inning. The Rocket JVs
scored five runs on three hits,
three walks and nn error.
Allstott clears 6-4, sets
Mustangs thump CBC
jr f Vf ' " 1 111,1, . 1 l,.(L.ii -S
if -r S :"' t 1 . " , , , , '. , :
t 1 J t - :
Dave
triple to deep right center.
Peck chugged home a few
minutes later on a Bruce
Young single.
In the second inning, Hep
pner produced three more
tallies on four hits. Curtis
Sweek singled, Kenny sacri
ficed, Holland singled, Peck
, singled and Allstott singled.
The four one baggers, coupled
with three wild pitches, did the
trick.
Shaffer settled down in the
third and put the Mustangs
away, one-two-three in the
third, fourth, sixth and seventh.
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Allstott cleared ti-4'2 for meet record.
Condon, 7-2
In the fifth, two base hits,
singles by Holland and Young,
yielded a run.
For Condon, one run came
in the second when Shaffer
singled and Monty Mcintosh
singled. In the fourth, Harris
slashed a homer for the only
other run.
At the plate, Holland and
Young went two for three and
Peck and Allstott were two for
four. Sweek went one for
three.
Peck scored three times for
Heppner, and along with
Young, garnered two runs-batted-in.
1
mm
OMFM lTt I
W n .- .
s
Worden allowed only seven
Blue Devils to reach base.
A big defensive opportunity
presented itself to Heppner in
the fifth inning when Condon
was threatening.
Scott Groshens, Mustang
second sacker, snagged a line
drive, ., went to short-stop
Sweek with a force at second
and Sweek fired to Allstott on
first for a legitimate triple
play.
HEPPNER 330 010 07 9 0
Condon 010 100 02 7 2
From
fashion to flowers....
Let Cole's House
Fashion and the Posy
Patch help you choose
the right gift for Mom.
From the Posy Patch, you'll find everything
from cut flowers
choose from gowns, robes, purses and more
All under one
Main St.
676-9426
2 meet marks;
opponents
Tliey did it again. And more
and more convincingly, Hep
pner's Mustangs are eyeing a
district title in track and field.
This week, the Mustangs
bettered a Columbia Basin
Conference field of six teams
in the Umatilla-Riverside In
vitational Track Meet Satur
day. Dave Allstott cracked two
meet records on his way to a
high point day, leading Hep
pner to a 161 team total.
Umatilla was second in the
meet held in Boardman, with
139 points. Weston-McEwen
followed at 92, then Riverside
59, Oregon Trail 56 and Pilot
Rock 6.
Allstott was lauded by
Heppner mentor Dale Conklin
for an outstanding contribu
tion. The senior, who is
doubling up with baseball,
cleared the bar at 6-4 to
crack the old high jump
standard of 6-3. The old mark
was set by Frank Halvorsen of
lone in 1968.
For Mom
Mother's
Washable Dearfoams-flat or wedge
sizes 5-10'2....$3.50-$7
Heppner 676 -
to potted plants. At Cole's,
roof
Allstott went 40 feet for the
first time, edging the tape at
40-3 for a first place and a
meet mark in the triple jump.
The old record, held by Rick
Emerick of Helix, was 37-8
and set last year.
Allstott also had a second
place finish behind Bryan
Marlin in the long jump. Both
men went 19-1 Mj, but second
best leaps determined the
winner.
Allstott had "6-6 made"
according to Conklin, but tick
ed the bar when his arch fell
short.
Heppner scored in every
event but two. In the pole
vault, Carl Christman had a
knee injury that plagued him
there. And, the Mustang sprint
relay squad was disqualified.
Dan Nix, a freshman un
known until this season,
among distance men, con
tinued to baffle distance run
ners in the CBC Saturday,
with an 11:04.8 clocking in the
(continued on page 7)
Day, May 8
5241
Main St.
of
Jt; J-'