SPORTS
SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015
HERMISTONHERALD.COM
A7
YOUTH BASEBALL • PREP SOFTBALL • SCHEDULE
Mariners
look to past to
improve
their future
SAM BARBEE
FROM THE SIDELINES
Sports reporter
S
afeco Field is known as “The
House that Griffey Built,” and
that’s true, to a degree. But perhaps
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Mariners history is Edgar Martinez.
He utilized one of the all-time best
right-handed swings to create a Hall of
Fame career: .312/.418/.515/.933 slash
line; 514 doubles; 309 home runs; more
walks — 1283 — than strikeouts —
1202.
And now he’s back in the Mariners’
dugout as hitting coach.
I still can’t believe it. The television
cameras are attracted to him, and it’s
such an amazing thing. I’m waiting
for a hot day so Edgar won’t wear a
pullover but has his jersey exposed with
his iconic No. 11 on his back. The past
and present have joined.
But the over-arching question about
Martinez’s arrival as hitting coach is can
the Mariners actually hit?
I’m optimistic. I don’t see Martinez
turning around the offense right
away. Since his hiring last Saturday,
the M’s are 2-3 and have scored 18
runs. They’ve scored three or more
twice, both wins, and two or fewer in
the three losses. That doesn’t scream
improvement, but I can point to a
couple things that suggest improvement.
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23-year-old catcher has been frustrating is
an understatement. As good as the Florida
product is behind the plate, he’s just as bad
at the plate. After raking in spring training,
he fell off a cliff. He’s batting .165 as of
Thursday and has struck out in 83 of 200
at-bats. But he has hits in two straight
games, including a big RBI single in
Tuesday’s 7-0 win over Kansas City.
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thought he couldn’t reach, and then he
hit line drives from those spots. That
might not sound like a lot. It doesn’t help
with pitch recognition and hitting breaking
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knowing that you can take this stick made
of wood and make contact with a little ball
going 90 miles per hour. As anyone who
played the game knows, baseball is more
mental than physical. Martinez is going
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to where it was when he was a junior at
Florida and hit .322 with 19 jacks.
Overall, though, I think there will
be two major differences in Seattle’s
offense moving forward: consistency
and adjustments.
In the bottom of the 11th inning of
Game 5 of the 1995 Divisional Series,
Martinez saved baseball in Seattle with
The Double Heard ’Round the Sound.
He took a Jack McDowell forkball
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Cora and Ken Griffey Jr. to beat the
New York Yankees 7-6 and pencil
“Mariners” into the American League
Championship series against Cleveland.
What people forget is that McDowell
fanned Martinez with a forkball the last
time they had met, earlier that game.
Martinez knew it was coming, sat on it
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made the adjustment in game and made
millions of adjustments over the course
of his 14-year career.
The things the M’s struggle at most
is making adjustments and staying
consistent. Martinez, as demonstrated
by The Double, and his ability to hit
.320 or higher seven times, can help
them in those areas.
Don’t expect the Mariners to turn
into the Kansas City Royals and hit
.280 as a team. But expect the offense
to become a more recognizable Major
League offense, and look for the M’s to
start winning. Hopefully.
—Sam Barbee is a sports reporter
for the Hermiston Herald and East
Oregonian based in Hermiston. He
can be reached by phone at (541)
564-4542 or by email at sbarbee@
hermistonherald.com. Follow him on
Twitter @SamBarbee1 and Herald
Sports @HHeraldSports.
Sexton powers Hermiston to split
Rising senior
tosses five quality
innings, goes yard
BY SAM BARBEE
HERMISTON HERALD
Tyler Sexton, consistently the
loudest member of Hermiston’s
baseball team, with his recogniz-
able voice often coming from the
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base, had a lot to cheer about
Thursday.
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two-run ball and hit a two-run
home run, and Hayden Edmis-
ton hit a single in the bottom of
the sixth to plate Kody Moss
for a 12-2 Hermiston win in the
second game of an AAU double-
header over Mt. Spokane from
Washington. In an earlier game,
Mt. Spokane scored four times in
the third and went on to win 5-4.
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2-for-4 with a double, home run
and four RBIs. He also pitched
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striking out three and walking
none. RJ Robles was 3-for-4
with two steals, four runs scored
and a triple.
Hermiston was in full control
in the nightcap.
Started by solid pitching from
Sexton, Mt. Spokane didn’t get a
base runner until the third, when
Sexton plunked a batter with one
out. Meanwhile, Hermiston got
on the board early and often.
Robles walked on four pitches
to lead off, stole second and then
one out and scoring a couple RBI
singles to cut Hermiston’s lead to
8-2.
The boys in purple wouldn’t
let Mt. Spokane get closer.
Robles, who never failed to
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a single and was followed by an
Edmiston walk. Anderson was
then tagged in the helmet, send-
ing Sexton to the plate with the
bags packed. He grounded out,
but Robles scored on the play
for a 9-2 lead. With Tolan at the
plate, Anderson came home on a
wild pitch for an 11-2 lead. Tolan
walked, but a 6-4-3 double play
ended the inning before Hermis-
ton could end the game.
The players didn’t have to
wait much longer, however.
Schwirse singled with one
out, and Robles reached on
an error with two away. This
brought up Edmiston with a
SAM BARBEE PHOTO chance to put Hermiston up
Hermiston’s Tyler Sexton smiles as he greets teammate at home plate
10 runs and send Mt. Spokane
after launching a two-run home run Thursday afternoon against Mt.
packing. He did just that, lining
Spokane in an AAU baseball game. Hermiston won 12-2.
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Schwirse to trot home and end
moved to second on a ground WRULJKW¿HOGDQG(GPLVWRQZDV the ballgame.
———
out. He then scored on a wild plunked, giving Hermiston run-
pitch for a 1-0 lead. Then Garron ners at the corners with no outs.
HERMISTON 12,
Anderson singled and Sexton $QGHUVRQÀHZRXWWROHIWSODWLQJ
MT. SPOKANE 2
doubled, giving Hermiston two Robles and putting Hermiston
000
200 — 2 6 2
runners in scoring position with up 5-0. Then Sexton mashed his MTSP
HERM
431
031 — 12 12 0
just one away. Anderson scored second dinger of the summer Davis and Johnson; T. Sexton, S. Gritz and H.
on a passed ball with Lukas To- RYHUWKHOHIW¿HOGIHQFHFOHDULQJ Edmiston.
T. Sexton (HERM). 3B: R. Robles (HERM). HR: T.
lan at the dish, and Tolan plated it by a good four feet. It drove in 2B:
Sexton (HERM).
Sexton two pitches later on a sin- Edmiston and gave Hermiston a
———
gle for a 3-0 lead. An error and commanding 7-0 lead.
out later, Caden Schwirse sin-
Hermiston tacked on another
MT. SPOKANE 5,
gled home Tolan for a 4-0 lead.
in the third when Robles walked
HERMISTON 4
It was all Hermiston would and scored on an Anderson
004
010
0 — 5 2 0
need, but it didn’t stop there.
single. Mt. Spokane, though, MTSP
HERM
000
003
1 — 4 5 4
Robles led off the second showed some life in the visitor’s Cain and Johnson; R. Robles and J. Poznanski.
with a screaming stand-up triple fourth by loading the bases with 2B: Johnson (MTSP).
Cougars’ Christopher makes all-state list
She was named to the all-
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-XQLRUFHQWHU¿HOGHU-HQQLIHU earning the distinction.
Christopher was Echo’s lone
Santiam Christian senior in-
representative on the Class 3A ¿HOGHU .DO\HH %XKUNXKO ZDV
All-State softball teams, which voted Player of the Year, Rain-
were voted on by coaches and ier junior Sarah Probasco was
released on Tuesday.
Pitcher of the Year, and Dayton
Christopher batted for a .325 Pirates skipper Rob Umbenhow
average for the Cougars and led as named Coach of the Year.
the team with 27 hits and 30
Other representatives on the
runs scored.
all-state rosters from Echo’s
EO MEDIA GROUP
Eastern Oregon League includ-
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Tolman and Vale senior desig-
nated player Corlynn Perry; on
the second team, Grant Union
senior catcher Babe Nash, Vale
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Trenkel, Elgin/Imbler senior
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Vale sophomore utility Lexi
Mulvaney; on honorable men-
tion, Vale junior pitcher Kelsey
Hawley, Elgin/Imbler junior
pitcher Karigan Wilhelm, Vale
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Mizuta,
Enterprise/Joseph/
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baseman Kendra Cleaver, Vale
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Reever and Grant Union senior
utility Sydney Stearns.
SPORTS IN BRIEF
6tan¿eld alumni
baseball game this
weekend
YLGHGDQGWKH¿HOGZLOOEHRSHQ tures three divisions: youth,
competitive 6 foot and under
at 2 p.m. for batting practice.
and Coors Light men’s open.
It costs $100 for a three-man
Early bird
youth team, $120 for a 6 foot
6WDQ¿HOGLVKRVWLQJLWVIRXUWK three-on-three
and under team and $140 for
annual alumni baseball game
the men’s open. After today,
Sunday at Madigan Field in registration ends soon
another $20 is added to the ex-
The early bird registration pe- isting prices. Participants may
6WDQ¿HOG,WLVRSHQWRDOO6WDQ-
¿HOGDQG(FKRDOXPQLDQGFRVWV riod for the 10th Annual Takin’ it register until noon July 10.
$25. Included in the cost is a to the Streets three-on-three bas-
Brackets are available for sec-
T-shirt and food after the game. ketball tournament ends today.
ond-graders through high school
The tournament, which runs seniors as well as for adult men
First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Any gear needed will be pro- on Main Street July 18-19, fea- and women. Men’s brackets
will be divided among skill lev-
els, with the best players being
placed in the open division. The
Weekend Warriors is a recre-
ational “fun in the sun” set-up.
Visit
http://www.hermis-
ton3on3.org/registration.html
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a team. A PayPal account is re-
quired to pay the entrance fee.
Pre-tournament packet pick-up
is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. July
17 at Grace & Mercy Lutheran
Church, 164 E. Main St.
GO SEE IT
Saturday, June 27
Auto racing
Johnny Appleseed Super Late Model
125, 7 p.m.
9/10 year-old softball districts
Hermiston vs. Milton-Freewater (Game
1) @ Irrigon, 8 a.m.
LaGrande vs. Pendleton (Game 2) @ Ir-
rigon, 10:30 a.m.
10/11-year-old softball districts
Hermiston vs. Columbia (Game 1) @
Irrigon, 1 p.m.
11/12-year-old softball districts
Baker vs. Hermiston (Game 1) @ Irri-
gon, 3:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock vs. Pendleton (Game 2) @
Irrigon, 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 28
9/10-year-old softball districts
Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
(Game 3) @ Irrigon, 8 a.m.
Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 (Game
4) @ Irrigon, 10:30 a.m.
10/11-year-old softball districts
Winner Game 1 vs. Loser Game 1 (Game
2) @ Irrigon, 1 p.m.
11/12-year-old softball districts
Winner Game 1 vs. LaGrande (Game 3)
@ Irrigon, 3:30 p.m.
Winner Game 2 vs. Pendleton (Game 4)
@ Irrigon, 6 p.m.
5), 1 p.m.
Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 3 (Game
6), 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 30
Men’s softball
Preferred Realty @ Elite, North softball
Monday, June 29
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Competitive co-ed softball
Elite @ Preferred Realty, North softball
TRCI/Java Junkies @ Riverside Sports ¿HOG7KHDWHU6SRUWV3DUNSP
%DU 1RUWK VRIWEDOO ¿HOG 7KHDWHU 6SRUWV 9/10-year-old softball
Park, 6 p.m.
Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5
Untouchables @ Purosho, South softball (Game 6) @ Irrigon, 10:30 a.m.
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11/12-year-old softball districts
Riverside Sports Bar @ TRCI/Java
Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
-XQNLHV 1RUWK VRIWEDOO ¿HOG 7KHDWHU (Game 7) @ Irrigon, 1 p.m.
Sports Park, 7:30 p.m.
Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
Purosho @ Untouchables, South softball (Game 8) @ Irrigon, 3:30 p.m.
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9/10-year-old softball districts
Wednesday, July 1
Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 (Game
9/10-year-old softball districts
5) @ Irrigon, 10:30 a.m.
Game 7 (if necessary) @ Irrigon, 10:30 a.m.
10/11-year-old softball districts
11/12-year-old softball districts
Game 3 (if necessary), TBA
Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 7 (Game
11/12-year-old softball districts
Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 4 (Game 9) @ Irrigon, 6 p.m.