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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2015)
SPORTS LIONS CLAW BULLDOGS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM A7 PREP BASEBALL • PREP WRESTLING • PREP SOFTBALL • SCHEDULE Overcoming adversity A local baseball team is basically starting from scratch this season. This group has had more adversity in the past year than most teams endure in four, and the attitude is still positive. ,W¶VWKH8PDWLOOD baseball team, and they deserve some attention. Second-year head coach Corleone “Booter” /HZLV,ORYHWKDW QDPHZDVWKH¿UVWWR say his expectations in terms of winning and ORVLQJZHUHQ¶WWKDWKLJK They have other, more important, things to worry about than mere baseball games. You see, Umatilla had its season end last year because enough players had low grades so the team was ruled ineligible, and it had to forfeit the rest of the season. 3HUVRQDOO\,KDGQHYHU KHDUGRIWKDWEHIRUH,¶YH heard of seasons ended due to illegal activities but never a large portion of ineligible players. %XWWKDW¶VVRPHWKLQJ Umatilla is dealing with WKLV\HDU,ZURWHLQWKH spring sports tab that /HZLVVLJQHGDFRQWUDFW with his players at the end of last season, stating he would be back for this season, and he held up that promise. But the players agreed to take care of business in the classroom, and, thus far, WKHUH¶VQRLQGLFDWLRQWKH\ DUHQ¶W ,¶YHKDGDFKDQFH to check out a couple practices and take a look at the morale. Skills and things are great, but WKH\¶UHQRWKLQJZLWKRXW a good attitude — and the Vikings have a good attitude. They have fun. They laugh. They smile. ,I\RXKDGQREDFNJURXQG knowledge, you would WKLQNWKDWWKH\¶YHEHHQ a decent team the last IHZ\HDUV,W¶VSUHWW\ refreshing to see, actually. 7KH\¶YHEHHQ struggling in games, WKRXJK7KH\¶UHEXW their last game was a GHIHDWDWWKHKDQGV of Kennedy, a promising VLJQIRUDWHDPWKDW¶VMXVW trying to solidify. 7KH\¶UH\RXQJWRR 0DQWKH\¶UH\RXQJ They have one senior — SAM BARBEE FROM THE SIDELINES Sports reporter Gerardo Barrea — and IRXUMXQLRUV7KHUHVW are sophomores and freshmen, making for arguably the youngest roster in the area, probably in the league, maybe even in the state. When teams are that young, it takes time for WKHPWRDGMXVWWRWKH YDUVLW\OHYHO7KHJDPH¶V faster. The pitchers throw harder. The balls are hit KDUGHU,W¶VDVWHSXSLQ competition that some MXVWDUHQ¶WUHDG\IRU, ZDVQ¶W They have some SOD\HUV/HZLVUDYHV DERXWMXQLRU-RVK'HYHU who does everything for the Vikings. Sophomore Diego Soto is an inning- eater and has gone the distance on the mound once already this year. -XQLRU7ULVWHQ6DQJXLQR can swing it a bit and hits fourth, buoying the 9LNLQJV¶UXQSURGXFWLRQ %XW8PDWLOOD¶VVHDVRQ LVQ¶WGHSHQGHQWXSRQZLQV DQGORVVHV/HZLVPDGH that point early when we spoke a few weeks ago. +H¶VFRQFHUQHGDERXW getting his program on the right track, getting his players focused on the classroom as much — or more — than on the diamond. ,KDYHDORWUHVSHFWIRU /HZLV+H¶VLQDWRXJK VSRWDQGKH¶VWDNHQ everything in stride. Sure, he was disappointed with how last year went. Most people would be. But players take their cues from their coach, DQG/HZLVLVJLYLQJJUHDW FXHVULJKWQRZ+H¶V always positive. Even after a loss, he focuses on what the players did well and praises good SHUIRUPDQFHV+HGRHVQ¶W throw guys under the EXV+HGRHVQ¶WUDQWDQG rave about umpires and WKHLUFDOOV+H¶VDJRRG LQÀXHQFHDQGVRPHRQHWR look up to in the Umatilla baseball program. ,GRQ¶WNQRZKRZ good the Vikings will be WKLV\HDU,GRQ¶WWKLQN /HZLVNQRZVHLWKHU, West Linn shuts out Hermiston BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD On a windswept day DW $UPDQG /DULYH 0LGGOH School and with college baseball scouts in atten- GDQFH :HVW /LQQ VHQLRU .DUVRQ /LQGHOO GLGQ¶W GLV- appoint. He two-hit the Hermis- WRQ %XOOGRJV LQ D GH- FLVLRQ LQ ¿YH LQQLQJV LQ D non-league baseball game Tuesday afternoon. “When you look around and see the amount of VFRXWV WKDW DUH KHUH WKDW¶V DQ LQGLFDWRU WKDW WKH NLG¶V SUHWW\ GDQJ JRRG´ ¿UVW year Hermiston coach /DQFH +DZNLQV VDLG RI /LQGHOO³,MXVWZLVKZHEDW- tled a little bit more even though (we were) kinda RXWPDWFKHG ,¶P QRW LQWR lying to anybody or the NLGV,VDLGµ:HJRWWDFRP- SHWHUHDOO\KDUGWRGD\¶´ 7KH %XOOGRJV FHU- WDLQO\ GLGQ¶W KHOS WKHP- selves. Bulldog pitchers walked nine batters, hit one and Hermiston commit- WHG IRXU HUURUV LQ WKH ¿HOG JLYLQJWKH/LRQVIRXU extra runs. They also had two runners picked off by /LQGHOO ² DQG ¿UVW DQG DW second — killing potential run-scoring opportunities before they got started. SAM BARBEE PHOTO +HUPLVWRQKHDGFRDFK/DQFH+DZNLQVZDONVRIIWKHPRXQGDIWHUDQRIÀFLDOYLVLWWRSLWFKHU5- 5REOHVGXULQJWKHWKLUGLQQLQJRI+HUPLVWRQ·VORVVWR:HVW/LQQ7XHVGD\DW$UPDQG/DULYH Middle School. 5- 5REOHV VWDUWHG EXW FRXOGQ¶WJHWRXWRIWKHWKLUG inning, allowing seven runs that were all earned, and he ZDONHG ¿YH +D\GHQ (G- miston relieved him, eating two-plus innings and allow- ing four runs, three earned, on four hits, three walks Grand Canyon and through California. He wears a HERMISTON HERALD Harley-Davidson ring on First-year Hermiston his right hand. He has a EDVHEDOOFRDFK/DQFH+DZ- thin goatee on his chin and kins describes himself as a wears his cap pulled down different kind of leader. low. His arms are covered in His tattoos tell stories. WDWWRRV HYHQ WKRXJK KH¶V +H VDLG KH GRHVQ¶W JHW a teacher. He loves Har- inked for no reason. One of ley-Davidson motorcycles. his childhood friends died +H¶V EHHQ WR 6WXUJHVV DQG suddenly when Hawkins KH¶V ULGGHQ DURXQG WKH ZDVDQGRQHWDWWRRLVD BY SAM BARBEE Lacrosse Hermiston @ Hood River Valley, 7 p.m. Umatilla vs. Weston-McEwen, 4 p.m. BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD Thursday, April 2 Saturday, April 4 Golf Hermiston girls @ Redmond Tournament, 8 a.m. Lacrosse Hermiston @ Sisters, 12 p.m. Track Echo @ Sherman County, 11 a.m. tribute to him. He has two VRQV +H¶V JRW WULEXWHV WR them. His mother kept nee- dling Hawkins about put- ting her name on his arm, VR KH REOLJHG +H¶V JRW D Harley-Davidson logo in there, too. He puts his identity where all can see. ³,¶P D KLVWRU\ WHDFKHU , OLNH KLVWRU\´ KH VDLG ³, have history (on me). These Four of seven Bulldogs won matches at NHSCA nationals Wednesday, April 1 Golf Hermiston boys @ Ridgeview, 9 a.m. +HUPLVWRQJLUOV#5HGPRQGSP Echo @ Pendleton Tournament, 9 a.m. Lacrosse +HUPLVWRQ#5HGPRQGSP Softball +HUPLVWRQYV5H\QROGV'+SP Umatilla vs. Vale, 1 p.m. Echo vs. Riverside @ Echo Tournmanet, 1 p.m. Track Hermiston @ East County Classic (Gresham), 4 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOG#0F/RXJKOLQDP Echo @ Sherman County, 11 a.m. Baseball +HUPLVWRQ#'DYLG'RXJODVSP Umatilla vs. Vale (DH), 1 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOG5LYHUVLGH'+SP Tennis Umatilla vs. Riverside, 4 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOG#&RQGRQSP SEE BULLDOGS/A8 DUH DOO KLVWRU\ $QG LW¶V weird. People see them and WKH\VD\µ*RVK\RXWHDFK How can you (have those) DQG \RX WHDFK"¶ ,¶YH QHYHU been approached negative- O\0RVWRIWKHODVW\HDUV kids come up to me and say, µ2KP\PRP¶VJRWRQHRI WKRVH 0\ JUDQGPD¶V JRW RQH¶´ SEE HAWKINS/A8 Colbray a national champion, Hermiston wrestlers show well GO SEE IT Friday, April 3 done that twice for us now, ZKHUH ZH JR µ+D\GHQ JR get out on the bump and eat XS VRPH LQQLQJV¶ DQG KH GRHVLW,I\RX¶YHHYHUVHHQ +D\GHQ KH¶V QRW VPRNLQJ WKH EDOO DQG KH¶V QRW UH- +DZNLQV¿QDOO\DWWKHKHOP SEE ADVERSITY/A8 Tennis 6WDQ¿HOGYV,RQHSP and a strikeout. Hawkins said he was impressed with how the sophomore battled through the tough assign- ment. ³+H¶V D NLG WKDW FDQ JR through the lineup once, maybe twice,” Hawkins VDLG RI (GPLVWRQ ³+H¶V EO MEDIA GROUP FILE PHOTO +HUPLVWRQ·V6DPXHO&ROEUD\JHWVUHDG\WRÁLS$OEHUWR0H]DRI &HQWUDORQWRKLVEDFNDQGSLQKLPDWWKH2UHJRQ26$$:UHVWOLQJ 6WDWH&KDPSLRQVKLSV7KHYLFWRU\JDYH&ROEUD\WKHVWDWH$WLWOHLQ WKHSRXQGZHLJKWFODVV+HUHFHQWO\FODLPHGDQRWKHUFKDPSL RQVKLSWLWOHDWDQDWLRQDOWRXUQDPHQWODVWZHHN At the National High School Coaches Associa- tion high school wrestling nationals in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Thursday and Fri- day, Sam Colbray accom- plished something no other Hermiston wrestler ever did. He won a high school national championship. Colbray topped Blake 5\SHORI,QGLDQDLQWKH MXQLRUVEUDFNHW7KH+HUP- iston product had Rypel pinned in the second peri- od, Hermiston head coach Shaun Williams said, but WKH RI¿FLDO VWRSSHG WKH PDWFK EHFDXVH RI LQMXU\ concerns for Rypel. Once the match resumed, Col- bray dominated the rest of the way. “He wrestled pretty well,” Williams said of Col- bray. “He had some tough PDWFKHV DQG , WKRXJKW KH GLGDJRRGMRERIPDQDJLQJ WKH PDWFKHV ² MXVW EHLQJ smart about it. He got the SEE COLBRAY/A8 Summit downs Hermiston in extras The Hermiston softball team got a good pitching performance from IUHVKPDQ-XOLVVD$OPDJXHUEXWFDPH XSVKRUWLQDQH[WUDLQQLQJDIIDLU at Summit on Tuesday. +HUPLVWRQ WRRN DQ HDUO\ OHDG DQG XSSHG LW WR DIWHU IRXU DQG D half innings of play, but Summit ral- OLHG IRU VL[ LQ WKH ¿IWK WZR LQ WKH sixth, one in the seventh and one in the eighth to earn the walk-off victory. 6XPPLWVFRUHGWKHUXQVZLWKRXW an extra base hit but was helped by three Hermiston errors. 7KHORVVLV+HUPLVWRQ¶VVHF- RQGVWUDLJKWDQGIRXUWKLQ¿YHJDPHV Summit (4-2) has now won three VWUDLJKW DIWHU ORVLQJ WZR RI LWV ¿UVW three. Almaguer went four-plus innings and struck out four in the no-decision. 0LND\OD .RSDF] ZHQW IRU ZLWK two doubles for the Bulldogs, and (OOHU\-RQHVFKLSSHGLQZLWKWZRKLWV as well. +HUPLVWRQ¶V WZR LQ WKH ¿UVW FDPH ZKHQ -DLPH +LQNOH\ZDONHG DQG VWROH second and third during the next two at- bats. Kopacz doubled with two outs to GULYH LQ WKH VSHHG\ VHQLRU IRU WKH ¿UVW run of the day. After moving to third, Kopacz then trotted home on a wild SLWFKWRXSWKH%XOOGRJV¶OHDGWR The score would stay there until WKH ¿IWK ZKHQ +LQNOH\ DQG $VKOH\ Moser both reached on errors to lead off the inning, and then Abi Drotz- mann was beaned to pack the pillows. .RSDF]UHDFKHGRQD¿HOGHU¶VFKRLFH WKDWSODWHG+LQNOH\-RQHVÀLHGRXWWR right to plate Moser and then Almagu- HUKHOSHGKHUVHOIZLWKDQ5%,VLQJOH Summit got its six in the bottom of WKH¿IWKWRWDNHDOHDGDQG+HUP- iston answered with two of its own in the sixth. Bobby Hofbauer reached on a hit- by-pitch, Hinkley singled and Drotz- mann was hit by a pitch an out later to load the bases. Kopacz mashed her VHFRQG 5%, GRXEOH SODWLQJ +RIEDX- HUDQG'URW]PDQQWRWDNHDOHDG Breyanna Naylor, in for Almaguer, then led off with a walk. An out lat- er, she scored on a single. Two batters later, with the bases loaded, Moser ZDVEHDQHGWRSODWH+HUPLVWRQ¶VQLQWK DQG¿QDOUXQ “We competed well,” Hermiston KHDG FRDFK .\OHH /HWH VDLG ³:H made some mistakes on the bases, EXWWKHJLUOVGLGDJRRGMRERIEDWWOLQJ and keep coming back when (Sum- mit) would score runs. We have some things to work on, but every team does so (we need to) hit the drawing board tomorrow and correct those mistakes.” ——— 6800,7 +(50,6721 HHS 200 032 20 — 9 9 3 SHS 000 062 11 — 10 10 3 H. Nelson and A. Clemans. J. Almaguer, B. Naylor and J. Hinkley. 2B: M. Kopacz 2 (HHS).