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Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 7, 2025 -- SEVEN Mustangs Hold Off Mustangs show strong at Centennial Invitational Lady Mustangs go 3A Hilanders 2-1 in exciting week of softball action Caleb George makes contact. -Photo by Brian Bunch Shad Greenup called “Game!” from right field, catching all three outs of the seventh inning late in the afternoon on Friday, May 2, in Heppner as the Heppner/ Ione Mustangs held off a comeback attempt by the Burns/Crane Hilanders. The Hilanders, mem- bers of 3A-Special District 2 and ranked #11 among 3A schools in the state of Oregon, made the road trip to Heppner for a non-league matchup on the warm May Friday. With a sunny first pitch and the dial in the mid-70-degree range with a slight breeze, the home- town crowd was ready for the best baseball weather of the season. Ryan Haugen got the start on the mound for the Mustangs and led them to a 4-0 lead after three innings. Caylan Proudfoot walked, then ran, for a run in the bottom of the first; batted in on an Alakae Ro- driguez RBI-double. R. Haugen would score on a Caleb George RBI-single before consecutive walks would score Keaton Coiner and Proudfoot again in the bottom of the second for the 4-0 lead. A scoreless third inning would see both defenses put in work as R. Haugen earned the only strikeout of the inning for either starting pitcher. R. Haugen would give up four straight singles to start the top of the fourth inning. Those four batters would go on to score; one with the help of an error and two on a sacrifice fly. With the game tied at four, R. Haugen would earn the third out with a four-pitch strikeout to end the half. Two fly-outs for the Mus- tangs would bring Rodri- guez to the plate to work a two-out walk before getting caught stealing at second to end the inning. R. Haugen’s outing on the mound would end after the fourth with 4.0 innings pitched, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits with one walk and earning five strikeouts. Rodriguez would take the mound in the fifth in- ning for the Mustangs, pitching 1.0 innings in re- lief, allowing one earned run on four walks. The Hilanders would take the lead after a lead- off walk would score on a passed ball, but Rodriguez would keep it close; earning two K’s along the way. A lead-off walk by Mason Orem in the bottom of the frame and R. Haugen get- ting on base with a two-base error set the Mustangs up with two runners in scoring position with no outs. A strikeout and a quick ground out would quickly make it two outs; still two runners in scoring position and the top of the order, George, coming to the plate for the Mustangs. The third pitch George saw, he hammered to the left field gap for a two-RBI double. G e o rg e w o u l d g e t stranded on second, but not before the Mustangs had regained the lead, 6-5. Coiner would close out the game for the Mus- tangs, pitching 2.0 innings of no-hit, no-run baseball; earning the Save. The top of the sixth inning saw two fly-outs to Orem in center field and a ground out to Proudfoot at second by the Hilanders. A 1-2-3 inning by the Hilander’s closer in the bottom of the sixth gave them one last hope to get back in the game in the seventh inning, down by one with the heart of their order due up. Coiner threw six pitch- es in the bottom of the seventh inning; the second pitch each batter saw would be hit to right field, where Greenup refused to let the ball hit the ground in a mas- terful display of defense. Game! 6-5 Mustangs. R. Haugen led the team with two runs on two hits, while George was the only other Mustang with mul- tiple hits, tallying one run and three RBI’s on two hits. Rodriguez, the only other Mustang with a hit, recorded two RBIs and two walks as well. Mustang pitching as a whole gave up five runs (two earned) on five hits with five walks and two defensive errors while earn- ing seven strikeouts with a combined .185 BAA (oppo- nent batting average). Mustangs Survive the Wind and the Rockets On Tuesday, April 29, the Pilot Rock Rockets made the trip to Heppner for a windy mid-week matchup against the Heppner/Ione Mustangs. Keaton Coiner got the start for the Mus- tangs, pitching 3.0 innings and giving up one hit and three walks while earning five strikeouts. Alakae Rodriguez pitched 4.0 innings in re- lief, allowing one run on three hits and earning three strikeouts. The Mustang bats were flapping in the wind as the offense man- aged two runs on zero hits with four walks while strik- ing out eight times. A Ma- son Orem run in the second and a Rodriguez run in the fourth would power the Mustangs to the 2-1 win over the Rockets. Mustangs Resume League Play After the non-league win against Burns/Crane, the Heppner/Ione Mustangs (11-5 overall, 7-3 league) returned to 2A/1A-SD7 play as they hosted the league-leading Prospec- tors (10-8, 9-1) from Grant Union/Prairie City/Mon- ument Tuesday afternoon. With another chance to move up, the Mustangs will host the Bobcats (13- 3, 7-3) from Union/Cove on Friday, May 9, for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. These will be the last home games of the regular season for the Mustangs as they finish the season on the road, traveling to Grant Union/Prairie City/ Monument on May 13 for part two of the home-and- home series between the two. They will then finish the regular season visiting Weston-McEwen/Griswold on May 16 for a double- header. We are due for some exciting baseball down the back stretch of the regu- lar season; make sure you catch this team on the home field while you can! GRESHAM — The Heppner Mustang track and field teams competed at the 59 th Centennial Invi- tational on Saturday, May 3, delivering a strong showing against larger programs and posting a number of person- al records. Junior Chris Hum- phreys led the boys with a standout third-place finish in the javelin, launching a personal-best 163 feet, 9 inches. He also placed 11 th in the discus with a throw of 120 feet, 3 inches. Senior Marty Medina continued his solid season, placing 21 st in both the 800 meters (2:09.54 PR) and 1500 me- ters (4:34.46 PR). In the sprints, Hayden McMahon ran 12.00 in the 100 meters and 25.24 in the 200. The boys 4x100 relay team—Medina, Joseph Al- bitre, Nick Wenberg and McMahon—finished 19 th in 47.98 seconds. Gage Heideman, a freshman, threw a person- al-best 35 feet, 8.5 inches in the shot put. Landon McMahon added a PR in the discus at 119 feet, 3 inches. Albitre cleared 5 feet, 10 inches in the high jump to finish seventh, while Wenberg placed 16 th in the long jump at 18 feet, 7.75 inches. On the girls’ side, senior Hallee Hisler had a strong day, placing fifth in the 400 meters (59.50 SR) and sixth in the 200 meters (26.61). Lily Nichols finished fifth in the 800 (2:26.13) and sixth in the 1500 (4:58.68). Riley Archer and Brooklyn Hendricks each recorded personal bests in both the 1500 and 3000 meters. Laia Puelles also notched two PRs, running 18.92 in the 100-meter hurdles and 58.63 in the 300-meter hurdles. Teagan Kelton threw a person- al-best 82 feet, 10 inches in the javelin. With a wave of sea- son-best performances, the Mustangs are gaining momentum as they ap- proach the final stretch of the spring season. Full Centennial Invita- tional stats are as follows: Men’s Results 100 Meters Varsity - Finals 49. Hayden McMahon (12) – 12.00a (1.4) 59. Nick Wenberg (12) – 12.23a (2.0) PR 200 Meters Varsity - Finals 39. Hayden McMahon (12) – 25.24a (2.9) 800 Meters Varsity - Finals 21. Marty Medina (12) – 2:09.54a PR 1500 Meters Varsity - Finals 21. Marty Medina (12) – 4:34.46a PR 4x100 Relay Varsity - Finals 19. Marty Medina (12), Joseph Albitre (11), Nick Wenberg (12), Hayden Mc- Mahon (12) – 47.98a Shot Put (12lb) Varsity - Finals 30. Gage Heideman (9) – 35’ 8.5” PR 33. Chris Humphreys (11) – 35’ 1” 52. Landon McMahon (11) – 30’ 0.75” Discus (1.6kg) Varsity - Finals 11. Chris Humphreys (11) – 120’ 3” 12. Landon McMahon (11) – 119’ 3” PR 63. Gage Heideman (9) – 66’ 2” Javelin (800g) Varsity - Finals 3. Chris Humphreys (11) – 163’ 9” PR 58. Austin Willis (11) – 84’ 9” PR 59. Lucas King (9) – 83’ 11” High Jump Varsity - Finals 7. Joseph Albitre (11) – 5’ 10” Long Jump Varsity - Finals 16. Nick Wenberg (12) – 18’ 7.75” Joseph Albitre (11) – DNS Women’s Results 100 Meters Varsity - Finals 16. Hallee Hisler (12) – 13.12a (-0.5) 35. Healy Hisler (10) – 13.64a (-0.2) SR 64. Teagan Kelton (11) – 15.01a (-1.5) 200 Meters Varsity - Finals 6. Hallee Hisler (12) – 26.61a (1.7) 21. Healy Hisler (10) – 28.10a (2.0) 46. Teagan Kelton (11) – 31.65a (0.1) 400 Meters Varsity - Finals 5. Hallee Hisler (12) – 59.50a SR 10. Healy Hisler (10) – 1:02.75a SR 800 Meters Varsity - Finals 5. Lily Nichols (11) – 2:26.13a 1500 Meters Varsity - Finals 6. Lily Nichols (11) – 4:58.68a 11. Riley Archer (11) – 5:20.00a PR 24. Brooklyn Hen- dricks (10) – 5:37.06a PR 3000 Meters Varsity - Finals 8. Riley Archer (11) – 11:38.46a PR 11. Brooklyn Hen- dricks (10) – 11:57.37a PR 100m Hurdles (33”) Varsity - Finals 26. Laia Puelles (10) – 18.92a (1.0) PR 300m Hurdles (30”) Varsity - Finals 9. Lily Nichols (11) – 50.87a 34. Laia Puelles (10) – 58.63a PR Javelin (600g) Varsity - Finals 19. Teagan Kelton (11) – 82’ 10” PR Hunter ed field day June 14 A hunter education field day is scheduled for June 14 in Lexington. The one-day class is a field day only. Students are required to take an ap- proved online course before attending the field day and to bring their course certif- icates to the field day. Class begins at 8 a.m. at the Lexington Gun Club, 66290 Marquardt Road. Cost is $10. Instructions for signing up can be found at http:// vem.myodfw.com/event- profile/174. For more information, contact instructor Jim Mar- quardt at 541-969-4845. For help signing up, contact 855-868-1055 or odfw- help@payitgov.com. Housing authority to meet The next meeting of the Senior Center lobby. Heppner Housing Authority For more information, for the Heppner Senior Cen- contact KayRene Qualls at ter will be Tuesday, May 13, 541-980-2836. at 4 p.m. in the St. Patrick’s Maya Payne pitching. -Photo by Sandy Matthew CiCi Stefani hitting. -Photo by Sandy Matthew The Heppner Lady Mustangs put together a strong week on the dia- mond, bookending a tough home loss with two impres- sive wins—one of them in dramatic walk-off fashion. Payne dominates in road win over Pilot Rock/ Nixyaawii On Tuesday, April 29, pitcher Maya Payne turned in a brilliant performance as Heppner defeated Pilot Rock/Nixyaawii 5-2. Payne threw a no-hitter, striking out 15 and allowing only three walks and two runs in seven innings. The Lady Mustangs built an early lead in the second inning with a flurry of offense. Delaney Stefani, Ciciley Stefani and Ava Gerry each drove in runs, with Gerry plating two on a single. Heppner collected sev- en hits in the game, with Kadie Henrichs and the Stefani sisters tallying two hits apiece. Gerry led the team with two RBIs. Pi- lot Rock struggled against Payne’s dominant pitching and could not overcome early errors. Payne shines at the plate, but Lady Mustangs fall to Vale in game one Back at home on Fri- day, May 2, the Lady Mus- tangs dropped the first game of a doubleheader to Vale, 6-4, despite another stand- out effort from Payne—this Katie Spivey fielding. -Photo by Sandy Matthew time with the bat. The senior went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a dou- ble, and a single, account- ing for much of Heppner’s offense. Ciciley Stefani also added three hits, but the team left too many runners stranded. Vale capitalized on a big first inning, scoring four runs, including a two- run homer from B. Blake. Heppner out-hit Vale 9-7 but couldn’t close the gap. Payne pitched a com- plete game, allowing sev- en hits and six runs (four earned) while striking out eight. Walk-off magic lifts Mustangs in game two thriller The second game of Friday’s doubleheader had all the makings of a classic. Tied at 12 in the bottom of the seventh, Ava Gerry delivered the game-winning single to seal a dramatic 13-12 victory for the Mus- tangs. Ciciley Stefani had a huge day, driving in four runs with a pair of hits, in- cluding a three-run double. Isabel Payne added a solo home run, and Henrichs and Keeley Nairns delivered key RBIs during a wild sixth-inning rally. Maya Payne again took the ball for Heppner, grind- ing through seven innings as the Mustangs and Vi- kings traded leads late in the game. Though she gave up 16 hits and 12 runs (10 earned), the offense picked her up with 14 hits of their own. Gerry led the team at the plate, going 3-for-5, and Payne, Henrichs and Stefani each added multiple hits. The team also turned a double play defensively. The Lady Mustangs re- turn to the field on Tuesday at home against Pilot Rock/ Nixyaawii in a rematch. Sunday men’s play Eighteen participated in men’s play on Sunday, May 4, at Willow Creek Country Club. The results are as follows: KP #4/13, Jerry Gen- try, 6’. KP 2 nd shot, #6/15 Dave Pranger, 6’4”. Net—1 st , Curt Day 56; nd 2 , Tom Shear 57; and 3 rd , Rick Britt 59. Gross—1 st , Charlie Ferguson 66; 2 nd , Jeff Wat- kins 69; and 3 rd , Jared Hud- dleston/Dennis Peck 70. There will be no orga- nized play on May 11 as the WCCC men celebrate their mothers. The next organized play will be on May 18. The event will be the two- man shootout, hosted by Dave Gunderson and David Allstott. Seniors Matter May Menu May 6 - Baked Pasta, Garden salad, Garlic bread and dessert May 13 - Hot Turkey Sandwich, Mashed potatoes, Pea salad, Dessert May 20 - Taco Bravo Bar, Spanish Rice and Dessert May 27 - BBQ Beef Sandwich, Jojo potatoes, Coleslaw and Dessert Ad sponsored by Bank of Eastern Oregon
