A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2019
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Bulldogs split nonleague games
BY HERMISTON HERALD
Hermiston made easy work of
Southridge on Saturday before
meeting its match against Lake
City Junior Academy in Richland.
The Bulldogs took down the
Suns in a fi ve-inning, 17-3 blow-
out to start the day, but suffered a
fi ve-inning loss when Lake City
shut them out 11-0.
Against Southridge, Samantha
Atilano went 2-for-2, driving in
four runs and scoring two..
Hermiston buried the Suns
early, scoring 10 runs in the fi rst
inning. The high-scoring streak
was highlighted by Grace Studer’s
two-run double and Ashley Cam-
eron’s three-run home run.
Suns pitcher Kendra Monteith
couldn’t contain the Bulldogs, giv-
ing up 15 runs on 14 hits in just 2⅓
innings. Hermiston Janelle Alma-
guer threw four innings and tallied
six strikeouts, walking just one.
Bailee Noland went 3-for-4
with a double, a triple and two
RBIs. Sydney Stefani hit two dou-
bles, and Halle Pennington drove
in three runs.
Lake City scored all of its runs
in two innings, getting fi ve in the
second and six in the fi fi th.
Noland allowed 11 hits and fi ve
runs in three innings of work. The
Timberwolves had 18 hits in the
game. Ashlynn Allen led Lake
City with a a two-run homer in
the fi fth inning, and a double. She
drove in four runs.
Hermiston (13-5, 10-4 MCC)
returns to Richland on Tuesday for
a Mid-Columbia Conference dou-
bleheader against the league-lead-
ing Bombers. It will be the Bull-
dogs’ fi nal games of the regular
season. First pitch is at 4 p.m.
HERMISTON
10-17,
WALLA WALLA 8-7 — The No.
2 Bulldogs made quick work of
their Walla Walla visitors on Fri-
day afternoon, knocking down a
pair of Mid-Columbia Conference
victories.
Janelle Almaguer scattered
eight Walla Walla runs over 12
hits, but the Bulldogs scored a run
at the bottom of the fourth inning
to break an 8-8 tie and stay ahead
for good.
Even though Hermiston gave
up fi ve runs in the fourth inning of
game two, they collected 13 hits to
down the Knights once again. Pull-
ing away for the long haul in the
second inning, Kalei Smith drew
a walk to score a run, Samantha
Atilano hit an RBI-single, Ashley
Cameron a two RBI-double, and
Bailee Noland grounded out, scor-
ing a run to aid in a fi ve-run affair.
HERMISTON 7-5, CHI-
AWANA 16-4 — Hermiston’s
allowed Chiawana 18 hits to open
Tuesday’s Mid-Columbia Confer-
ence doubleheader in Pasco with a
16-7 loss, but the Bulldogs recov-
ered to end the day on 5-4 win.
The Bulldogs ran out to an
early 4-0 lead in the top of the fi rst
inning of the opening game, but
Chiawana made some distance
with six runs in the bottom of the
second. Bailie Bunger and Kaisha
White both had RBI-doubles to aid
in the comeback.
Annalisa McKinney was nearly
unstoppable, hitting 4 for 5 with
two runs and fi ve RBIs for the Riv-
erhawks. Bailee Noland was the
Bulldogs’ top batter, going 3 for 4
at the plate with a run and an RBI.
On Hermiston’s mound, Janelle
Almaguer allowed nine runs, and
Noland gave up 7 runs. The two
collected just three strikeouts for
the game.
In Game 2, McKinney hit a solo
homer at the bottom of the sixth to
knot the score at 4-4. Grace Stud-
er’s RBI single in the seventh
clinched the win.
Studer hit a perfect 4-for-4, driv-
ing in fi ve runs. Alamguer went
3-for-4 with three runs scored.
BASKETBALL
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Umatilla brings home
medals at classic
HH File Photo
Preuninger
Preuninger takes over
Hermiston boys program
By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Tymesha Douglas, of Umatilla, competes in the triple jump Friday during the Buck Track Classic at Pendleton High School.
The Vikings had a good showing at Friday’s meet. Umatilla’s Julian Gutierrez tied for fi rst place with Pendleton’s Shawn
Yeager in the high jump event. The Vikings also got a fi rst-place fi nish from senior Zayne Troeger, who set a season record
in the 800-meter with his 2:01.89 fi nish. Junior Mark Quinnonez set a personal record in the discus, clearing 125-10 and
taking home another fi rst-place win for Umatilla. Umatilla sophomore Chantal Lemus earned two fi rst-place honors with
her PR in the the shot put (33-01) and the discus (104-05; another PR).
Drew Preuninger is
coming home, so to speak.
Preuninger, who was
hired last week to coach
the Hermiston boys basket-
ball team, lived seven years
in the Hermiston-Umatilla
area as a young boy.
His family moved away
when he was 8 years old.
“My
dad
(Scott)
coached in Umatilla (he
led the Vikings to a state
title in 1997), but we lived
in Hermiston,” Preuninger
said. “There’s still a few
families there my parents
talk to.”
Preuninger, 29, takes
over for Casey Arstein,
who stepped down after
the season for personal
reasons. In three seasons,
Arstein had a 43-28 record.
Along with Arstein, the
Bulldogs also lose six tal-
ented seniors, leaving the
cupboard a bit bare for
Preuninger.
“Throughout my coach-
ing career, I’ve built from
the ground up,” Preuninger
said. “We start with the
fundamentals and get them
to play as a team.”
Preuninger comes to
Hermiston with an impres-
sive portfolio.
He played high school
basketball at Camas, and is
the all-time career leader at
Camas with 380 assists and
88 games played.
He then played four
years at Concordia Univer-
sity, where he fi nished his
career on top of the career
list for made 3-pointers
for the Cavaliers with 213
(in 103 games). He also
set a single-season record
at Concordia with 89
3-pointers his senior year
(2011-12).
He also holds the sin-
gle-season record for free
throws made at 90.9 per-
cent (40 of 44).
In 2015, he was hired as
the head coach of the Her-
itage boys team, taking
over for his dad, Scott. He
stepped down in 2017 for
personal reasons.
Preuninger dabbled in
real estate for a year, but
he missed the game and
coaching.
Shoot360, which is
based in Vancouver, Wash-
ington, asked if he would
like to work with their pro-
gram in Indiana.
“I jumped at the oppor-
tunity to get back into what
I love doing,” he said. “The
timing was perfect because
it led me to teaching again
and now to Hermiston.”
He’s only been in Indi-
ana for nine months, but
Preuninger is ready to get
back to the Northwest.
“School is out May
28 here, then I’m coming
back,” he said. “I’ll live
with my aunt in Kennewick
until I get settled.”
Preuninger said he
knows he is inheriting a
young team, but believes
he is the right man to lead
the program.
“I’m only 29,” he said.
“I think I can bring excite-
ment every day. I’m a gym
rat.”
Preuninger, who is
teaching math in Indiana,
will do the same at Hermis-
ton until a full-time PE job
opens up.
He said he also is
excited to become part of
the Hermiston community
again.
“I haven’t met (ath-
letic director) Larry Usher
in person, but I can tell we
will get along fi ne,” Preun-
inger said.
“And, I’m going to dive
into their youth basketball
program. That’s where it
all starts.”