Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 27, 2022 -- ELEVEN
Mustangs compete in three pivotal league games
Golf competes in competitive tournament and softball grabs big wins
staff struck out 12 batters
in the game. The second
game Weston-McEwen was
able to control the game
from the first pitch, the Ti-
gerScots scored eight runs
in just the second inning
of play. Karver Wilkins
would attempt to spark the
Mustangs offense when he
got a hold of one and sent
it right over the right field
wall, making it 8-1. Weston
would respond with another
run in the same inning and
followed up with three
more runs in the next frame
to sweep the doubleheader
12-1. Heppner’s bat power
is looking impressive as
they have hit two home runs
in Heppner in three games.
Both the baseball and
softball teams would take
the road trip down to Baker
for two single game com-
petitions with the Baker/
Powder Valley co-op teams.
This non-league game was
a bit of a revenge game for
both teams as the Bulldogs
took all four games earlier
in the year.
The Mustang softball
team showed massive im-
provement as they compet-
ed with the Baker/Powder
Valley team who dominated
in a 16-0 win the last time
the two teams faced off.
Heppner kept it close but
came up short in a 5-0
Above: Heppner infielders
Cameron Proudfoot, Karver
Wilkins, Caden George,
Carson Eyenetich, Jake
Lentz and Toby Nation meet
on the mound.
Right: Toby Nation pitching
in game one vs Weston-McE-
wen this past Saturday.
-Photos by Susan Hisler
By Blake Carter
Both the Mustang
baseball and softball teams
hosted a game this past
Tuesday. The Lady Mus-
tangs competed in a non-
league matchup while the
baseball team took on Pilot
Rock in a big league game.
Heppner golf would head
to Union for a big 110 play-
er tournament, while the
baseball team would host
another big doubleheader
with Weston-McEwen. The
softball and baseball teams
rounded out the week in
Baker for tough non-league
games.
Heppner baseball is
looking to continue their
hot league stretch. The
Mustangs previously beat
the Rockets in their last
league game 15-3. Heppner
has continued to rise in the
OSAA rankings as they
have moved into the top
five. With a spotless 6-0
league record Heppner got
hot late and delivered a 12-2
run rule win behind a walk
off home run from senior
Toby Nation. Home runs
are hard to come by in Hep-
pner, with the constantly
changing weather, it takes
quite the hit to power one
out. Nation did just that in
the bottom of the fifth with
a couple runners on base.
But before they got to that
point, Heppner had some
work to do. The Mustangs
faced an early 1-0 deficit
after a passed ball allowed
the runner to come home.
The Mustangs returned the
favor as Carson Eyene-
tich stole home to tie the
ballgame. A self-inflicted
wound in the third inning
allowed another Rocket
run to cross the plate and
grab a 2-1 lead. Once again
Heppner would answer, as
Pilot Rock now committed
an error to allow Cameron
Proudfoot to score. The
Mustangs took off at this
point as they scored five
runs in the fourth inning.
Nation’s ground ball caused
trouble for the Rocket de-
fense as Caden George, and
Kason Cimmiyotti came
around to score and make
it 4-2 Heppner. Eyenetich
then stepped up to the plate
and brought home pinch
runner Brock Hisler and
defeat.
The baseball team was
able to spark their offense,
but they too came up short
in a 11-8 loss. A double in
the bottom of the first would
score a Bulldog runner
to give Baker a 1-0 lead.
In the second inning two
walks and an error allowed
Baker to load the bases
with one out. A single to
left field scored two more
for Baker as the 3-0 lead
was built. Another single
lead to a 4-0 deficit after
two innings. Heppner had
two runners on base after
a couple singles, with two
outs. Toby Nation would
send a rocket over the left
field wall to score three runs
and bring the lead down to
4-3. Two singles and an er-
ror allowed Baker to score
once again, after a passed
ball let another run score,
Baker used another single
to make the lead 7-3. Two
quiet innings led to an ex-
plosive sixth inning. Hep-
pner took their shot at the
plate and loaded the bases
with a walk, single, and hit
by pitch. Carson Eyenetich
ripped a double to the right
fielder to score Cameron
Proudfoot and Nation. After
two strikeouts, Heppner
used another walk to load
up the bases again. Caden
George would clear the
bases on a double to right
field as Karver Wilkins,
Eyenetich, and Ryan Lind-
say all scored. Heppner had
their first lead of the game
8-7. Baker would fire right
back in the bottom of the
frame, using a sacrifice fly
to score a runner and tie
the game at eight. An error
quickly dissipated the short
Heppner lead as Baker took
a 9-8 lead. A triple would
score two more for Baker
as the lead quickly became
11-8. Baker would close the
game out and take the win.
Heppner suffered self-in-
flicted wounds as six errors,
and nine strikeouts proved
to be the deciding factor.
For the baseball team
the road doesn’t get any
easier, the Mustangs will
be on the road at the power-
house Dufur/South Wasco
baseball team. The Rangers
sit at number five with a
single loss on the year to
the second ranked Kenne-
dy Trojans. The Mustang
softball team will also be
on the road in Pilot Rock
on Thursday for a pair of
big league games. The golf
team will be back at it in
Echo on Saturday. Heppner
will have one more tour-
nament before heading to
Pendleton for their district
golf tournament on May 9
and 10.
Bank of Eastern Oregon
announces 2022 academic
scholarships
Karver Wilkins. Eyenetich
came around to score off a
couple stolen bases and an
error to push Heppner out to
a 7–2 lead. The next inning
Heppner used back-to-back
doubles from George and
Cimmiyotti to increase the
Heppner lead to 9-2. Proud-
foot would walk in the next
at bat before Nation came
up and sealed the Rockets
fate with a three-run shot
over the scoreboard in left
field.
Coming off two big
wins on Monday Heppner
softball battled with Irrigon,
a team that they too had pre-
viously beat earlier in the
season. Heppner won 23-9
and looked to mirror the
same result in a non-league
matchup. Only four batters
came to the plate before the
rain forced the two teams to
cancel the contest. The two
teams will face off on May
2nd at 4 P.M in Heppner.
Saturday was a huge
doubleheader for the Mus-
tangs as they took on an
undefeated Tiger Scot team
who just missed the state
tournament last season.
The Tiger Scots were one
spot out in the league, be-
hind the Mustangs who
would go on to finish third.
Weston-McEwen came to
Heppner looking to prove
the state wrong and get back
at Heppner. It wasn’t an
easy road for the Mustangs,
Heppner was without two
starting outfielders, and lost
another player due to injury.
Heppner would hope to rely
on some guys to step up in
two big league games. Un-
fortunately, Heppner fell in
two run rule losses. Weston
grabbed an early one run
lead in the first inning.
Weston-McEwen added to
it in the third inning with
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a couple more runs on a
passed ball and a fielder’s
choice. Heppner trailed
3-0 headed into the sixth
inning where the TigerScots
began to see pitches well
and scored eight runs in
the inning, another shutout
inning gave Weston the
win, 11-0 in six innings.
The TigerScots pitching
Bank of Eastern Oregon
has selected its 2022 high
school senior scholarship
recipients. This scholarship
is awarded to students plan-
ning to enroll in agriculture
or business in college and
judging is based on schol-
arship, leadership and cit-
izenship. Applications are
accepted from graduating
seniors in the areas where
Bank of Eastern Oregon
and Bank of Eastern Wash-
ington branches and loan
offices are located.
Scholarships in the
amount of $500 were
awarded to Oregon se-
niors Allie Marker and Cali
Johnson, Sherman County
High School, Faith McCa-
rty and Javon Curiel, Echo
High School, Grace Ogden,
Haylie Peterson and Taylor
Rollins, Ione High School,
Grace Taylor, Justin Hodge,
Riley Robertson, and Sam
McCracken, Grant Union
High School, Hailey Cun-
ningham and Harley Ann
Anderson, Heppner High
School, Kailee Mansveld
and Maggie Jo Frisch, Cove
High School, Kendra Coun-
sell, Imbler High School,
Madaline White, Pendle-
ton High School, Madison
Whitmore, Dayville High
School, Makaila Lantis,
Riverside High School, and
Peter McBride, Vale High
School.
Additional $500 schol-
arships were awarded to
Washington seniors Tan-
ner Taylor, LaCrosse High
School and Brenda Moji-
ca, Pasco-Chiawana High
School.
“We wish these seniors
the best of luck as they
move on to college and
look forward to hearing of
their continuing success in
agriculture or business,”
said Bank of Eastern Or-
egon President and CEO
Jeff Bailey.
Ione MS track has good first showing
Four members of the
Ione MS track team had a
good first showing at their
first ever meet this past
week in Sherman County.
“We are few but mighty,”
said MS track coach, Mad-
ison Rietmann. “These kids
are working hard at practice
and are excited to be better
each meet.”
Each student compet-
ing earned a top 10 spot
in their respective events
with a first place discus
placing by 6 th grader, Gage
Heideman.
The group will practice
all week and compete in
Arlington on Friday.
Pictured (L-R): Leonardo Cambero (7 th ), Gage Heideman (6 th ), Haryss Padberg (5 th ) and Trae
McAhren (6 th )
Above: Ione 7 th grader, Leonard Cambero, gears up for the
men’s 400 meter dash at the Sherman County middle school
track meet.
Right: Ione 5 th grader, Haryss Padberg, competes in the long
jump at the middle school track meet in Sherman County.