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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2015)
APRIL 29, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM A6 WEDNESDAY, SPORTS PREP SOFTBALL • PREP BASEBALL• SCHEDULE Rising Bulldogs pluck Eagles Betz leads expectations Taylor Hermiston to first CRC win since 2013 P rogress. It’s a tough thing to quantify. Win-loss records can show improvement. 1XPEHUVDQG statistics can point to improvements, or we can simply use the eye test: “Does this team ORRNEHWWHUWKDQODVW year?” There’s another way to identify progress that is a little tougher to see from the outside, however. It’s expectations. Internal expectations, that is. Hermiston lacrosse team head coach Scott Hammond keeps talking DERXWKLVDWKOHWHV playing up to their potential, playing as well as they can. He said after Friday’s 10-1 win that if they play the EHVWWKH\FDQDJDLQVW a team like Summit, a team that’s rolling to the High Desert Division WLWOHDQGWKH\ORVHE\ VD\¿YHEXWSOD\HGWKHLU EHVWKH¶OOZDONDZD\ IURPWKDWJDPHVDWLV¿HG If they win and play poorly, however, he’ll EHXSVHW+HVDLGKH¶V not looking for wins, EXWORRNLQJWRIXO¿OOKLV expectations. The Bulldogs GRPLQDWHGMXVWDERXW every aspect of the game Friday, from offense to defense to scooping JURXQGEDOOVDQG\HW DVPLOHZDVQRWLFHDEO\ DEVHQWIURP+DPPRQG¶V face. Senior attackman 1RDK'DYLVGLGVPLOH after the win. After all, his team has more wins WKDQORVVHVIRUWKH¿UVW WLPHVLQFHKH¶VEHHQ a Bulldog. His team is in the thick of the playoff hunt, a concept foreign to him and his teammates. But Davis was also looking at what the Bulldogs could have GRQHEHWWHU,DVNHGKLP if it’s a little ironic that WKH\ZRQEXWDUH still focused on what they can improve at, where they can shave some mistakes off and leave a lean, aggressive team and style. “Hammond knows we weren’t playing at our level,” Davis responded. “We played La Salle Prep (last) Tuesday, and that was a way more intense game. It was down to the wire, goal for goal in that fourth quarter, and we came out on top. So he NQHZZHVKRXOG¶YHEHHQ GRLQJDORWEHWWHUDJDLQVW this team.” The internal expectations have risen. The players have shown the coaching staff what WKH\¶UHFDSDEOHRIDQG QRZWKH\¶UHEHLQJKHOG to that standard. It’s a sign the program is moving from the depths. Four years ago, Davis’ freshman year, the Bulldogs didn’t win a game. Four years later, they’re in the playoff hunt and shrugging off SAM BARBEE FROM THE SIDELINES Sports reporter BY SAM BARBEE 10-1 wins like they’re nothing. 7KDW¶VDELJGHDOIRU a program that doesn’t have much history surrounding it. That’s a ELJGHDOIRUDSURJUDP WKDWUHPHPEHUVKRZ important it was to ZLQDJDPHDWDOO1RZ they’re looking at their performances critically LQVWHDGRIMXVWEHLQJ KDSS\WREHSOD\LQJ winning, scoring or ZKDWHYHULWPLJKWEH The internal expectations have risen. But it’s not all harping on perfection. Hammond conceded that sometimes athletes GRQ¶WKDYHWKHLUEHVW days. I’m sure Jesse Owens had days where he wasn’t the fastest PDQRQWKHWUDFNEXW that didn’t stop him from dominating his events at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. High school athletes also have down days. Perhaps Hermiston had a down day Friday. Hammond suggested it GLGEXWOLNHGZKDWWKDW created. ³:HREYLRXVO\GLGQ¶W have our energy (Friday QLJKWEXWRXUNLGV fought through that adversity and still got it done,” he said. “There’s DORWWREHVDLGIRUWKDW It shows a lot of growth E\WKHNLGVDVZHOO A lot of teams, when they don’t have their EHVWMXVWIROGLWLQDQG give away a game like WKDWEXWRXUNLGVGLGQ¶W GRWKDW7KH\EDWWOHG through that. I’m proud of that, for sure.” So two kinds of progress are on display here. First, the progress RIQRWVLPSO\EHLQJ happy that “we” scored more goals than “them.” The Bulldogs are now more focused on how they’re playing during wins than on merely winning. It’s a culture- changing mentality. One more sign of progress is just simply DQREVHUYDWLRQ0RUH and more people are EULQJLQJWKHLUIROGLQJ chairs to sit on the grass at Sunset Elementary and watch the Bulldogs. “The program’s moving in the right direction,” Hammond said. “We’re excited. The kids are excited. How many people (did) we have out here? A hundred? I mean, there are a lot of people out here. It says we’re doing something right and moving in the right GLUHFWLRQDQGUHDI¿UPLQJ what we’re doing here, that we’re doing the right things.” Too right, coach. Too right. — Sam Barbee is the Hermiston Herald sports reporter. He can be reached at sbarbee@ hermistonherald.com HERMISTON HERALD Hood River Valley’s VRIWEDOO XQLIRUPV DUH DOO QDY\ EOXH ZLWK ³62$5´ EROGO\VFUHHQSULQWHGDFURVV the chest, an overt reference to the school’s nickname — the Eagles. The Eagles’ wings were clipped Tuesday, however, E\ D GHVSHUDWH +HUPLVWRQ WHDP LQ ¿YH LQQLQJV EHKLQGDQRWKHUVWHOODUKRPH outing from Taylor Betz DQGWRSWRERWWRPUXQSUR- duction. %HW] SLWFKHG DOO ¿YH LQ- nings, allowing just two KLWV DQG VWULNLQJ RXW ¿YH Mikayla Kopacz went IRUZLWKDQ5%,GRXEOH LQ WKH ¿UVW LQQLQJ JLYLQJ Hermiston all the runs it would need. Ellery Jones also chipped in with a two- RBI single, and Ashley Moser scored the 10th run LQWKHERWWRPRIWKH¿IWK Hermiston head coach Kylee Lete was proud of the offensive and defensive effort in Hermiston’s (7-12, ¿UVW OHDJXH ZLQ LQ D season and a half. “The girls came out with energy,” she said. “That’s WKH ELJJHVW WKLQJ ZH WDON- HGDERXW0RQGD\DQGZH WDONHGWRWKHPDERXW7XHV- day). We tell them all the time, ‘We got the talent,’ and they just had it today. They had the look in their eye they weren’t going to let anything go.” “I think it was very im- SRUWDQW IRU XV EHFDXVH LW was way overdue,” Betz said of the win. “We knew WKDW ZH FRXOG EHDW WKLV team, and we knew what ZH KDG WR GR :H¶YH EHHQ saying what we need to do, EXW QRERG\¶V EHHQ DFWLQJ on it. (Tuesday), we just said, ‘We need to get it done,’ and we did.” The win ends a frustrat- ing stretch for Hermiston, ZLWK OHDGV EORZQ DQG RS- portunities missed. Tues- day, neither happened, and most of it started with Betz in the circle. It was actually Hood River who missed a major opportunity. In the top of the second, Betz plunked Jenni Packer to open the inning, and then Makena Zeller reached when the third strike found its way WR WKH EDFNVWRS JLYLQJ Packer time to take third. SAM BARBEE PHOTO Hermiston’s Jaime Hinkley pulls the bat back on a bunt attempt during the Bulldogs’ 10-0 mer- cy-rule win Tuesday over Hood River Valley at Rocky Heights Elementary. 2Q WKH ¿UVW SLWFK WR .D\- lin Winans, Zeller swiped second, giving Hood River runners at second and third with no outs and no hits. 7KHQ %HW] ERUH GRZQ She struck out Winans swinging, coaxed an easy foul-territory pop-out to EDWWHU\ PDWH -DLPH +LQ- kley, and then fanned Jessi- ca DeHart to end the threat. DeHart lined a hanging change-up down the left ¿HOG OLQH EXW LW IHOO IRXO E\ LQFKHV JLYLQJ %HW] WKH chance to sneak another change-up past the nine hit- ter. “It made me really dig deep and know that I’m in this position for a reason and that my team has con- ¿GHQFHLQPHDQG,QHHGWR KDYHFRQ¿GHQFHLQP\VHOI´ Betz said of that second in- ning. “After that, I knew myself and my team could get out of any situation we needed to.” Hermiston had already led at that point 2-0 thanks WR .RSDF]¶V GRXEOH DQG D VDFUL¿FHÀ\IURP-RQHV 7KH %XOOGRJV EOHZ WKH WKLQJRSHQLQWKHERWWRPRI the second, however, with ¿YHUXQVRQWKUHHKLWVZLWK help from two Hood River errors. )LUVW %UH\DQQD 1D\ORU DQG 0DNHQ]LH -XXO ERWK singled with one out, and then Hinkley struck out EXW JRW WR ¿UVW ZKHQ WKH EDOODJDLQVOLSSHGSDVWWKH FDWFKHUDOORZLQJ1D\ORUWR cruise across for a 3-0 lead. An out later, Alex Bar- ron walked, and two runs scored when Hood Riv- er shortstop Kelsey Wells misplayed a sharp grounder IURP .RSDF]$ EDWWHU ODW- er, Jones stung one into left ¿HOG SODWLQJ %DUURQ DQG Kopacz and putting Herm- iston up 7-0. The Bulldogs have had ELJOHDGVEHIRUHWKLVVHDVRQ They carried a four-run lead LQWRWKHERWWRPRIWKHVHY- enth at The Dalles and gave XS¿YHWRORVH7KH\KDGQR VXFKSUREOHP7XHVGD\ :HOOV GRXEOHG RII WKH left-center fence with two outs in the fourth for +59¶V ¿UVW KLW RI WKH DI- WHUQRRQ EXW %HW] IRUFHG DFRPHEDFNHUIRUWKHWKLUG out. The Eagles had a chance to extend the game LQ WKH ¿IWK ZKHQ WZR RI WKH ¿UVW WKUHH EDWWHUV RI the inning singled. Wells VKRW D EXOOHW XS WKH PLG- GOH EXW VHFRQG EDVHPDQ %REEL +RIEDXHU SOD\HG LW perfectly for the second out. Betz tagged Breanna :HHNO\ WR ORDG WKH EDVHV ZLWK WZR RXWV EXW %HW] JRW3DFNHUWRORERQHLQWR center, where the speedy Moser coasted under it and retired the side. In the home half of the ¿IWK XS 0RVHU DQG 1D\ORUZDONHGWRVWDUWWKH IUDPHDQGERWKPRYHGXS RQD¿HOGHU¶VFKRLFH0RV- er scored an out later on a wild pitch to send Hermis- SAM BARBEE PHOTO Hermiston’s Taylor Betz comes home with a delivery during the Bulldogs’ 10-0 mercy-rule win over Hood River Valley Tuesday at Rocky Heights Elementary. ton home happy. ³7XHVGD\¶V ZLQ ¿QDOO\ just got us riled up,” Kopacz said. “From going what, 0-4, 0-5, to just 10-running (Hood River), it just got us so ready and pumped for Friday ... I just think it’s really starting us off.” Hermiston hosts the Pend- OHWRQ %XFNDURRV LQ ERWK WHDPV¶ ¿QDO &5& GRXEOH- header Friday at Rocky Heights Elementary. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. ——— HERMISTON 10, HOOD RIVER VALLEY 0 (5) HRV 000 00 — 0 2 4 HHS 252 01 — 10 7 2 K. Winans, M. Zeller and Z. Munn; T. Betz and J. Hinkley. 2B: K. Wells (HRV), M. Kopacz (HHS). HRV soars past Hermiston Larive Middle School. Hermiston (8-9, 1-5 CRC) has now lost four straight OHDJXH JDPHV DQG ¿YH RI six overall. The Bulldogs jumped on BY SAM BARBEE the Eagles early, plating six HERMISTON HERALD UXQV LQ WKH ERWWRP RI WKH The Hermiston Bulldogs ¿UVW EXW WKH OHDG ZRXOGQ¶W ZHUH DKHDG WKHQ EHKLQG last. HRV got three in the then tied, then very far WKLUGDQG¿IWKLQQLQJVWRWLH EHKLQG 7XHVGD\ LQ D ZLOG things at six and took the &ROXPELD 5LYHU &RQIHU- lead in the top of the sev- HQFHEDVHEDOOJDPHDJDLQVW enth on a single from Sky- Hood River Valley. ler Hunter. The Eagles topped the Hermiston responded Bulldogs 18-9 at Armand with a two-out RBI sin- Eagles plate 11 in 10th inning JOH RII &KDVH 5RRW¶V EDW to plate Landon Gam- mell and send the game to extras, where the score remained knotted at 7 until the top of the 10th inning. Then Hood River com- pletely exploded. After Ea- gles clean-up hitter Kellen Duffy was ejected in the ninth for saying something to the umpire, his replace- ment Riley Wilson tripled WRWKHOHIW¿HOGIHQFHLQKLV ¿UVWFDUHHUYDUVLW\DWEDWWR score three runs and open WKHÀRRGJDWHV+59VFRUHG 11 runs on 11 hits that in- ning with 17 Eagles taking turns at the plate. +HUPLVWRQ JRW RQH EDFN in the home half of the tenth, closing the scoring at 18-9. Hermiston visits De- Sales (Washington) at 4:30 p.m. Thursday for a non- league matchup and hosts 3HQGOHWRQ )ULGD\ LQ WKH ¿- QDO &5& GRXEOHKHDGHU RI the season. First pitch for the War on 84 is set for 4 p.m. GO SEE IT Wednesday, April 29 Friday, May 1 Girls Golf Hermiston @ Corvallis, 8 a.m. Boys Golf Hermiston @ Hood River, 10 a.m. Track and Field Hermiston @ Viking-Grizzly-Knight-Bulldog Invita- tional @ Kennison Stadium, 4 p.m. Umatilla @ Viking-Grizzly-Knight-Bulldog Invitation- al @ Kennison Stadium, 4 p.m. Tennis Hermiston girls @ Bend Tournament, 1:30 p.m. Umatilla @ Ione, 12 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOGYV6KHUPDQ&RXQW\SP Softball Hermiston vs. Pendleton (DH), 3 p.m. Umatilla vs. Riverside (DH), 1 p.m. Baseball Hermiston vs. Pendleton (DH), 4 p.m. Umatilla vs. Riverside (DH), 1 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOGYV1\VVD'+SP Thursday, April 30 Tennis Umatilla @ Helix, 4 p.m. Softball Echo vs. Weston-McEwen, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2 Girls Tennis Hermiston @ Bend Tournament, TBD Umatilla @ Helix Tournament @ Hermiston, 10 a.m. 6WDQ¿HOG#+HOL[7RXUQDPHQW#+HUPLVWRQDP Boys Tennis Hermiston @ Madras Tournament, 9 a.m. Umatilla @ Helix Tournament @ Hermiston, 10 a.m. 6WDQ¿HOG#+HOL[7RXUQDPHQW#+HUPLVWRQDP Track and Field Hermiston @ Central Valley (Spokane, Wash.), 9 a.m. Echo @ Portland Christian @ 1A Track Classic (quali- ¿HUDP Echo @ Joseph, 1 p.m. Lacrosse Hermiston vs. Mountain View, 3 p.m. Softball (FKRYV1\VVD#(FKR7RXUQDPHQWSP Golf Echo @ Union @ Buffalo Peaks, 10 a.m.