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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 22, 2015)
S PORTS Hermiston A8 WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2015 3-on-3 tourney now a tradition SAM BARBEE FROM THE SIDELINES B y the time I got downtown on Saturday, Takin’ It to the Streets, Hermiston’s three-on-three basketball tournament, was already in full swing. The courts were full of participants playing or shooting. Lines had formed around all the food vendors and the bleachers placed carefully around the intersection of East Main and Third streets had no empty seats remaining. I saw people from all over: Prosser, Mabton, Yakima, Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, Pendleton, Irrigon, Stan¿ eld, Hermiston, Umatilla. Volunteers bustled around. Fans clapped, cheered, gasped and groaned. It became obvious during the specialty competitions — the slam dunk contest and three- point contest — that people take these things seriously, especially considering slam dunk champ Thane Pierson went between his legs on his ¿ rst ¿ nals attempt to decidedly win the title. But games were physical. A couple times it looked like the players might try to settle a dispute with closed ¿ sts, but the tension always relieved itself with a shake of hands and a few words. Takin’ It to the Streets was inspired and helped along by Hoopfest in Spokane. Actually, my friend, who attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, told me that it reminded her of the “biggest 3-on-3 on Earth.” But it’s easy to see why Takin’ It to the Streets has lasted much longer than its predecessor: Shake N’ Bake. For one, as long-time organizer Joe Thompson told me, Hermiston has just gotten better at wrapping itself around things like this. Businesses — regional, national and local — sponsored various aspects of the tournament from courts to teams to simply advertisements sprinkled around the venue. I saw Jake McElligott, Hermiston’s boys basketball coach, and Steve Hoffert, Hermiston’s girls coach, organizing and of¿ ciating games. I saw current and former area players volunteering or playing. Former Bulldog Abi Drotzmann and current Bulldog Jansen Edmiston were judges for the slam dunk contest along with Irrigon boys coach Mitch Thompson and Hoffert’s wife, Jenni. By including recognizable names in positions like that, it, at least, gives the impression that Hermiston is behind the event, that it’s excited to host something like this. Fellow Herald reporter Sean Hart told me it can be close to impossible to get a hotel room in town that weekend because of how many people À ood in for Takin’ It to the Streets. Above all else, though, it was fun. I had fun and all I did was talk to people and take pictures. In 10 years, Hermiston has certainly ¿ gured out how to run a good basketball tournament and how to make it enticing and attractive. Here’s to another 10 years of Takin’ It to the Streets. And hopefully another 10 years after that. — 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 follow Herald Sports @ HHeraldSports. HERMISTONHERALD.COM Echo Outrage ends summer with title By SAM BARBEE Staff Writer The Echo Outrage 18U ASA softball team won three of its four games this weekend and walked away with the top prize at the summer season-concluding tournament in McMinnville. Bolstered by a leadoff home run from Megan Bai- ley in the top of the seventh inning of the championship game against the host Mc- Minnville Grizzlies, Out- rage held on for a narrow 2-1 victory to take the tour- nament. McKenzie Gonzales threw her best game of the summer, coach Bryan Bai- ley said. The rising junior tossed a complete game, allowing one earned run on six hits while striking out ¿ ve and walking three. After Marissa Pratt dou- bled home Allison Rude in the top of the ¿ rst for a 1-0 lead and Bailey parked a solo shot in the seventh to put Echo up 2-0, Gonza- les found herself in a bit of trouble in the home seventh. After an error, strikeout and single, McMinnville had PHOTO COURTESTY BRYAN BAILEY The Echo Outrage 18U ASA softball team celebrates after winning the summer season-concluding McMinnville Tournament this weekend in McMinnville. runners at the corners with one away. Gillian Bonnett then tripled off Gonzales to drive in the Grizzlies’ only run of the day and cut Echo’s lead in half, but Mc- Minnville got greedy trying to send the runner from ¿ rst, and catcher Erika Parks tagged out the runner to re- cord the second out of the inning. Gonzales induced an easy ground ball to seal the win and the tournament. Earlier on Sunday, Echo beat Walport 11-4 behind a solid offensive effort. Ken- zie Blankenship (3 for 3, triple, three runs) and Jaime Christopher (2 for 2, two RBIs) led the way offensive- ly, but Parks (2 for 3, two RBIs), Rude (2 for 3, two runs), SOFTBALL Pratt (2 for 3, double, two RBIs) and Monique Montoya (two RBIs) con- tributed heavily, as well. Bailey started in the cir- cle and tossed six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and fanned six. Gonzales tossed a perfect seventh. On Saturday, Echo split its two games. Salem May- hem eased past Outrage 18-1 in Saturday’s opener with an 11-run ¿ fth inning. Kelly McLaughlin and Be- atriz Aguilera were the lone bright spots with 2-for-2 days. Echo rebounded with a 4-3 win in Saturday’s nightcap over the Hills- boro Thunder. McLaughlin put the team out front with two-run shot in the top of the third to give Echo a 3-2 lead. Hillsboro loaded the bases in the bottom half of the third against Bailey, but the right-hander bowed her back and got an in¿ eld À y, ¿ elder’s choice and easy pop up to left ¿ eld to end the threat. Echo tacked on a much-needed insurance run in the seventh when Bailey scored on a throwing error, and it proved huge as Hills- boro pushed across a run of its own in the home seventh to come within a run at 4-3. But Bailey again worked out of trouble and coaxed two ground balls to put away the Thunder. “Overall, it was a suc- cessful summer season for all players involved,” Bai- ley said. “I’ve seen vast improvement from many players.” ——— ECHO OUTRAGE 2, MCMINNVILLE GRIZZLIES 1 ECHO 100 000 1 — 2 6 1 MCMG 000 000 1 — 1 6 4 M. Gonzales and E. Parks; Taylor and B. Malldave. STAFF PHOTO BY SAM BARBEE +ermiston 11-\ear-old &hase Elliott Á iSs to second base with his glove while taking ground balls during the Tri-&it\ <outh %aseball &linic on Sunda\ at *esa Stadium in Pasco. Pros put on a clinic Try-City team coaches 30 young ballplayers from northeast Oregon By SAM BARBEE Staff Writer Growing up in West Co- vina, California, Tri-City Dust Devils ¿ rst baseman Ty France BASEBALL attended Rancho C u - camonga Quakes games often, and participated in a number of clinics and camps, getting opportunities to work on the same ¿ eld as profes- sional ballplayers and learn- ing from them. Sunday, the tables turned. No longer was he looking up to the players. He was one now, and he spent two hours teeing up balls on Sunday for children from all over south- east Washington and north- east Oregon at the Tri-City Dust Devils Youth Baseball Clinic at Gesa Stadium in Pasco. “It’s cool being able to now be in our position where we can give back to these lit- tle kids and help them out,” he said. “It’s fun.” Teammate Mason Smith, an out¿ elder, agreed. “I think it’s just a great opportunity to work with little kids who love the See CLINIC, A9 STAFF PHOTO BY SAM BARBEE A camSer from +ermiston gets an autograSh from Tri-&it\ 'ust 'evils outÀ elder Mason Smith after the <outh %aseball &linic on Sunda\ at *esa Stadium in Pasco. GO SEE IT Wednesday, July 22 Men’s Softball Winner Game 1 @ #1 Preferred Realty, North softball fi eld, Theater Sports Park, 6 p.m. Winner Game 2 @ Winner Game 3, South softball fi eld, Theater Sports Park, 6 p.m. If Game, South softball fi eld, Theater Sports Park, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25 Tuesday, July 28 City of Hermiston Junior Golf Tournament, Echo Hills Golf Course, 8:30 a.m. No events scheduled No events scheduled Thursday, July 23 Sunday, July 26 No events scheduled Water Volleyball Hermiston Family Aquatic Center, 6-8 p.m. Friday, July 24 Monday, July 27 No events scheduled No events scheduled *If you have any events you’d like to see on the sched- ule, email submissions to Sam Barbee at sbarbee@hermiston- herald.com GOLF