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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 2018)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 A number of locals on college rosters this spring BASEBALL continued from Page A10 we should be giving up earned runs and errors are killing us,” Moore said. “In that first game we give up five unearned runs and we lose 5-0 because we played sloppy defense, vice versa, we played better defense the second game versus the first game.” The Bulldogs were cleaner their next time out, committing only two errors compared to the four from Game 1 and nearly quadru- pled their offensive output from four hits to 14. “I’m pretty happy with the way we finished the sec- ond game,” Moore added. On the offensive end, the victory was highlighted by an inside-the-park home run from Landon Jones. After an RBI single from Wyatt Noland put Herm- iston up 1-0 in the first inning, the two teams were scoreless nearing the half- way point. But in the bot- tom of the fourth, the Bull- dogs extended their lead and would reach their even- tual game-winning score. Joel Mendez started off the five-run inning with an RBI to center field. Jordan Ramirez followed with a ground ball to shortstop that gave Garron Anderson enough time to score. Now up 3-0 with two outs and two on, Landon Jones stepped up to the plate. Prior to his appear- ance in the fourth, Jones had reached base during his two previous at bats – the first on an infield single and the second after being hit by a pitch. This time, Jones’ line drive went deep down the right-field line, passed the glove of the Timberwolf and cleared the bases. “That’s one of the most exciting plays in baseball,” Moore said. Moore added that Jones’ quickness and the team’s willingness to continue their aggressive base run- ning put Hermiston in the position to execute the inside-the-park home run. The heavy hitting con- tinued as Noland was a per- fect 4-for-4 at bat and Lukas Tolan hit two doubles going 3-for-4 at the plate. Tolan transitioned that power when he was toe- ing the rubber. His perfor- mance on the mound was the highlight of the Bull- dogs’ defensive efforts. The four-year varsity player ROUNDUP Continued from Page A10 March 27 — the Knights (5-7) grinded out a victory to wrap up their long stretch of non-league play. Stanfield baseball sweeps Burns in EOL opener STANFIELD — After sweeping Burns on Friday, By ERIC SINGER HERMISTON HERALD By my count there are 45 former prep athletes from our region of Oregon sitting on a college roster for base- ball, softball, golf and track and field this spring at 17 dif- ferent colleges and univer- sities. I took a dive into the stat sheets for each athlete to update readers on what the local kids from Hermiston and surrounding areas are up to these days. Baseball and softball cumulative statistics are as of April 9: Softball STAFF PHOTOS BY E.J. HARRIS Hermiston pitcher Caden Schwirse throws from the mound in the Bulldogs’ 5-0 loss to Heritage on Friday in Hermiston. Hermiston’s Daniel Gossler gets tagged out at home by Heritage’s Xavier Ulrich as Andrew James looks on in the Bulldogs’ 5-0 loss to the Timberwolves on Friday. went the distance, throwing a complete game and only giving up four runs while striking out six and walk- ing three. “It’s a situation where we have a week off and I want Luke to extend a lit- tle bit,” Moore said. “I kept on asking him in between innings, ‘Luke, how are you feeling?’ And he goes, ‘I want it.’ When a kid is throwing that well and he wants to finish the ball game, I’m going to ride him into it. Tonight he went the distance.” Stanfield is now riding a three-game win streak after opening up league play. The pair of wins came after a 10-6 victory in Game 1 and a 13-5 defeat of the Hilan- ders (2-8 overall, 0-2 East- ern Oregon League) in Game 2. The Tigers (8-4, 2-0), however, fell behind 3-0 before commanding a lead they would never relinquish. A two-RBI double from Burns started off the scor- ing in the second inning and the Hilanders added to their total with another RBI dou- Hermiston will return to the diamond Saturday when the Bulldogs host the Hood River Valley Eagles for their league opener. ——— Game 1 R H E HERITAGE 011 021 0 — 5 6 1 HERMISTON 000 000 0 — 0 4 4 (HERI) B. Youkon. (HERM) C. Schwirse, G. Anderson (6) — . W — Youkon, L — Schwirse. 2B — C Hendy (HERI). Game 2 R H E HERITAGE 000 000 0 — 0 4 3 HERMISTON 100 500 X — 6 14 2 (HERI) N. Bacon, D. Gange (5). (HERM) L. Tolan. W — Tolan, L — Bacon. HR — L. Jones (HERM). 2B — L. Tolan 2 (HERM). ble to hold their brief lead. Stanfield finally responded in the third with four runs highlighted by RBI singles from Brody Woods and Shayne Keltz. Both Woods and Keltz were at it again in the fifth when Woods hit an RBI tri- ple to center field and Keltz sent a line drive to the same spot for a double that scored TJ Smith. Michael Connell added an RBI of his own and later scored on a wild pitch to put the Tigers up 9-3. Stanfield’s final run of McKay Creek Estates FREE Cognitive Screening Is Mom a little more forgetful lately? There are many early warning signs of a potential memory disorder, such as Alzheimer’s disease. That’s why we’re offering a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL cognitive screening. We encourage anyone who is concerned about cognitive decline to take this short, in-person screening. The screening is administered by a qualified health care professional. To schedule your cognitive screening today, please call (541) 704-7146. McKay Creek Estates 7607 Southgate Pl. Pendleton, OR 97807 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A11 SPORTS www.PrestigeCare.com There are currently three former Bulldogs who have continued playing softball at the collegiate level. Join- ing the trio is a graduate of Stanfield High and a former Echo Cougar. ● Ellery Jones (Hermis- ton), Idaho State, fr. — Jones has played in 24 games and started nine for the Bob- cats, tallying a .071 batting average with one hit in 14 at-bats, while also scoring four runs. ● Mikayla Kopacz (Hermiston), Columbia Basin College, soph. — Kopacz has been one of CBC’s top hitters, sporting a .416 average with eight home runs and 25 RBI, seven doubles and 26 runs scored. ● Allie Rude (Hermis- ton), Whitworth University, sr. — A senior catcher, Rude holds a .291 average with one home run, eight RBI and two doubles in 32 games. ● Kenzie Gonzales (Stan- field), Blue Mountain CC, fr. — Gonzales has had a rough year at pitcher for the Tim- berwolves, too, with a 16.71 ERA in 34 1/3 innings over 11 appearances. She also has one home run and four RBI as a hitter. ● Sam McQuown (Echo), Blue Mountain CC, fr. — She is third on the team with a .225 average in 40 at-bats, with thre runs scored and four RBI. Baseball There are currently eight players Hermiston, Stanfield and Irrigon playing in the college ranks this season. ● RJ Robles (Hermis- ton), Treasure Valley CC, soph. — The former Herm- iston star pitcher has been the first game came off the bat of Makiah Blankenship, who grounded into a field- er’s choice that gave Smith enough time to safely reach home plate. After three scoreless innings, Burns tried to rally in the top of the seventh. The Hilanders managed to add three more runs to their total off a two-RBI double and a score on a wild pitch, but their late efforts weren’t enough to catch up to the Tigers. Smith pitched Stanfield to victory after 4 2/3 innings of work. Smith allowed six hits and three runs while striking out one batter. In Game 2, the Tigers didn’t hold back, building an early advantage and get- ting out to a 7-3 lead after the first three innings. Woods, Smith, Connell and Blankenship aided in Stanfield’s first four runs. Woods and Smith hit RBI doubles; Connell grounded out for the Tigers’ second out and third score of the inning; and while Blanken- ship was at the plate, Keltz scored on a wild pitch. Burns squeezed in a lone run off an RBI double before Stanfield increased its lead in the bottom of the second. Damien Curial high- lighted the three-run inning with an RBI single to right field. The Hilanders would score four more runs — two in the third and two more in the sixth. Woods and Smith were responsible for a combined four of Stanfield’s next five runs and Dillon Dunlap capped off the scoring in the dominant in his second year with the Chukars, posting a 2.67 ERA in 30 1/3 innings over seven starts with 36 strikeouts. ● Chase Root (Hermis- ton), Blue Mountain CC, soph. — Following a solid freshman season at pitcher, Root’s second year with the Timberwolves has been a bit of a struggle with a 7.71 ERA in 16 1/3 innings this season between six total appearances and three starts. ● Tyler Sexton (Herm- iston), Blue Mountain CC, soph. — The 6-foot-5 righty has appeared in 11 games this season with a .263 bat- ting average with five runs scored, four RBI and two doubles in 38 at-bats. ● Nychal Gritz (Hermis- ton), Blue Mountain CC, fr. — Arguably the best start- ing pitcher for the Timber- wolves this season, Gritz has a 4-0 record with a 3.11 ERA in 34 2/3 innings spread over six starts. He also has a team-high 30 strikeouts. ● Slade Gritz (Hermis- ton), Blue Mountain CC, fr. — Known more for his catching prowess as a Bull- dog, Gritz has made an early impact as a pitcher for BMCC. He has five relief appearances totaling 4 2/3 innings with a 3.85 ERA. ● Dylan Grogan (Stan- field), Yakima Valley Col- lege, fr. — Consistent play- ing time has been hard to come by for Grogan. He has appeared as a hitter in five games with one hit, three runs, three walks and two RBI in 12 at-bats. On the mound, Grogan has thrown 10 innings with 18 strike- outs and five walks in four appearances. ● Tony Flores (Stan- field), Blue Mountain CC, fr. — Flores has appeared in eight games with only three at-bats, where he recorded one hit, two walks and one run scored. ● Austin Rice (Irrigon), Whitworth University, fr. — In Rice’s first year at the Division III level, he has appeared in eight games with one start on the mound, with 16 strikeouts and a 6.00 ERA in 18.0 innings. Track & Field Hermiston has produced several tremendous track and field athletes over the past few years, and now bottom of the sixth with an RBI single. Woods was given the vic- tory on the pitcher’s mound after surrendering three runs on three hits over four innings. Wood struck out seven. ——— Game 1 R H E BHS 021 000 3 — 6 8 7 SHS 004 051 X — 10 9 2 (B) C. Tiller, L. Bailey (5). (S) T. Smith, A. Renner (4). W — Smith, L — Tiller. 3B — B. Woods (S). 2B — B. Goss, L. Bailey, M. Winn, E. Aamodt (B); S. Keltz, T. Smith (S). Game 2 R H E BHS 012 002 0 — 5 5 3 SHS 430 321 X — 13 15 3 (B) M. Winn, G. Swindlehurst (4). (S) B. Woods, D. Curial (5). W — Woods, L — Winn. 2B — M. Winn (B); B. Woods, A. Renner, T. Smith (S). Knights thump Vikings in first league baseball doubleheader IRRIGON — In both team’s league openers, Irri- gon had the home-field advantage against Umatilla and handed the Vikings (4-3 overall, 0-2 Eastern Oregon League) two tough losses. The Knights (6-3, 2-0) got out to an early lead in both games, taking the first, 11-4, and the second, 13-3 — which enforced the 10-run rule. In Game 1, Nate Gum- bert started off the scoring with an RBI single and later stole home to put Irrigon up 2-0 after the first inning. James Wilson hit a sacri- fice fly for Umatilla to help cut its deficit to a single run, but the Knights doubled their run total in the next two innings. those athletes are making names for themselves in col- lege. The Bulldog alums have a heavy presence at EOU. ● Alex Cisneros (Herm- iston), Portland State, r-Jr. — Cisneros has competed twice this spring season, finishing first in the 5,000 meter run (14:28.96) at the L&C Spring Break Open on March 17, as well as a 15th place finish in the 10,000- meter run (29:54.96) at the SF State Distance Carnival on March 30. ● Makayla Akers (Herm- iston), Eastern Oregon, fr. — Competing in javelin, Akers set her best throw of the season during the EOU Team Challenge in Herm- iston on March 17, record- ing a distance of 135-feet, 4-inches — fifth best in the NAIA. ● Abby Johnston (Herm- iston), Eastern Oregon, r-Jr. — Competing in 100-meter dash and hurdles, Johnston’s best finish was a fourth place in the 100 hurdles at the EOU Team Challenge on March 17. ● Ebony Wilson (Herm- iston), Eastern Oregon, fr. — Currently holds the top mark for EOU in 100-meter dash (12.79), long jump (5.35 meters), and triple jump (11.07 meters). ● Jose Macias (Hermis- ton), Concordia, jr. — So far in his junior season, and first year at Concordia, Macias had a top-10 finished at the Ash Creek Invite. The dis- tance runner finished in seventh place after clock- ing a 19:09.4, and then ran a 26:56.83 at GNAC’s and a 32:53.3 at Regionals. Golf A lone Bulldog has moved on to continue her golf career at the next level. ● Madison Welch (Herm- iston), Concordia Univer- sity, jr. — In her sophomore season, Welch was named to the Department of Ath- letic’s Honor Roll and was also selected to make up the GNAC All-Academic Team. In the 2016-17 sea- son, Welch played in two tournaments, her best was a 185 that she recorded a two separate invitationals. ———— Did we miss a player? Email sports@eastorego- nian.com and let us know. Lino Covarrubia hit an RBI double in the bottom of the second and Zack Hen- richs singled to score Adrian Roa. Irrigon went up 4-1 after three innings of play. Another lone run — this time off the bat of Kole Keller — would put the Vikings on the board again, but for every Umatilla run, Irrigon scored just a few more. The Vikings went on to score one run in the fifth and sixth innings off a Cody Samson single and Wilson grounder, respectively. The Knights scored seven more runs over the final two innings. A Gumbert RBI double started the action in the fifth and a run on a wild pitch capped off the excite- ment in the sixth. In Game 2, Irrigon again got out to an early lead and was up 11-0 after just three innings. A sequence of stolen bases, a balk, and a passed ball ended up putting the Knights up 5-0 after the first inning and an RBI double from Covarrubia showcased the scoring in the third. Umatilla tried to mini- mize the damage by chip- ping away at its deficit in the fourth and fifth innings. A walk with the bases loaded brought in the Vikings only run in the fourth, but the 10-run rule was still in effect. Irrigon added to its total in the bottom of the inning to go up 13-1. In Umatilla’s final chance to get the game going, it was only able to bring in two runs — both off a bases loaded hit by pitch.
