BASEBALL
RECAPS
■ COTTAGE GROVE went 0-3 against Junction City last week. On Tuesday, they lost 10-0 to the Tigers. The Lions had 3 hits overall. Micah Spear went 2-for-3 and Evan Emmick went 1-for-2. The Lions lost 7-3 in Game One of their doubleheader on Friday, though Micah stole the show when he went 2-for-3 with a run and 3 RBIs. He also hit a home run in the top of the sixth inning. Nolan Spear and Taylor Klarr combined for 2 runs. The Lions lost 13-0 in Game Two with 4 hits. Micah went 2-for-2. Klarr and Nolan recorded the other 2 hits.
■ CRESWELL went 2-1 last week in the Mountain Valley Conference. It started with a 6-1 victory against Pleasant Hill on Tuesday, where the Bulldogs sealed the deal in the first inning with 5 runs. Kayden Roberts went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Matthew Jenkins earned 2 runs for the Bulldogs. On the mound, Jenkins, Colton Hartman, and Jaxon Pelham combined for 15 strikeouts. Then, the Bulldogs lost 5-3 in Game One in their doubleheader against the La Pine Hawks on Friday. The Hawks rallied for a 2-run lead in the top of the fifth. Colden Clark went 2-for-2. Deacon Edwards and Hartman recorded the other two hits. Edwards, Pelham, and Gavin Crowl scored the 3 runs for the Bulldogs. Jenkins and Hartman combined for 7 strikeouts on the mound. The Bulldogs then edged the Hawks for a 2-1 victory in Game Two. The Bulldogs had 10 hits. Hartman was 4-for-4 with an RBI.
■ PLEASANT HILL went 2-2 in the Mountain Valley Conference last week. The week began with a 6-1 loss to Creswell on Tuesday. The Billies recorded only 3 hits overall, which were earned by Landon Kelley, Kaden Fisher, and Will Sheava. On Wednesday, they lost 8-7 to out-of-league Santiam Christian in an intense game. Despite the Billies out-hitting the Eagles and exploding in the first two innings for a 5-run lead, the Billies struggled to record any runs for the rest of the game. Sheava stole the show when he went 3-for-4 with a run and 3 RBIs. Following him were Nolan Perkins and Judah Kelso, who both went 2-for-3. Kelso also recorded 2 runs. Sheava, Fisher, and Kelley combined for 10 strikeouts on the mound. The Billies then won 9-4 on 8 hits in Game One of their doubleheader against Harrisburg. Perkins went 2-for-4 with 3 runs and an RBI. Following him was Sheava, who went 2-for-4 with a run. Kelley allowed 5 hits, 4 runs and 6 strikeouts on the mound. The Billies followed with another win, 13-2, in Game Two. The Billies exploded with a 7-run first inning, sealing the lead for the whole game. Sheava went 3-for-4 with 2 runs and an RBI. Following him, Fisher and Cota Aanrud both recorded 2-for-3. Kelso surrendered 5 hits, 2 runs and struck out 8 on the mound.
Thurston wins 7th straight Midwestern League title
The Colts swept three games from Springfield last week, securing the league title.. “It’s been very special,” coach Dennis Minium said. “You get a good group of kids, good players coming through, they buy in, they do what they’re asked. They go out and play for each other. There are no selfish kids. They want the best for each other, and they’re a good group of kids off the field and in the classroom. And you know that translates to being good baseball players, and it’s been a special run for the last seven years.”
It began on Tuesday when the Colts won 13-0 against the Millers in five innings. Connor Molony went 3-for-3 with 3 runs and an RBI. Noah Blair also went 3-for-3 and recorded a run and 2 RBIs. On the mound, Grady Saunders had 9 strikeouts, allowing no hits, no runs and walked one. The Millers went hitless.
The Colts won 27-0 in Game One of their doubleheader on Saturday. They recorded 19 runs in the top of the sixth inning. “I mean, we just put the ball in play and executed,” Minium said. “There aren’t too many times when you can say you scored 19 runs in an inning. So that was pretty special.
“I don’t think we’ve scored 27 in a game, let alone 19 in one inning,” he said.
Brock Johnson went 3-for-3 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs. Blair went 3-for-4 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs. Bryson Bowser went 3-for-4 with 4 runs and 3 RBIs. Saunders recorded a home run in the top of the sixth that helped the Colts earn 19 runs.
On the mound, Kyle Miller allowed no hits and no runs; he struck out 7. The Colts then took an 11-0 win in Game Two. Saunders went 2-for-2 with a run and 3 RBIs. Dylan Leas recorded the only hit for the Millers when he singled in the bottom of the first inning.
PREVIEWS
#23 COTTAGE GROVE (16-7)
■ Leading off: The Lions closed out the Sky-Em League last week 0-12. They end their season with a doubleheader against out-of-league Klamath Union on Friday. Klamath Union is No. 28 in Class 4A with a similar record to the Lions. Watch standouts such as the Spear brothers and Anthony Eubanks for the Lions.
#17 PLEASANT HILL (12-11)
■ Leading off: The Billies seal off the Mountain Valley Conference this Friday away at Sisters. If the Billies can rally for a couple of wins this week and next week, they can potentially take La Pine’s place (7-5) at third in league or even Creswell’s place (8-4) in second in league. In addition, they can move up in rankings to receive a top-16 team spot for a playoff berth. Though they are going up against No. 5 Sisters, who are in line for first in league; it will be no walk in the park. Senior Alejandro Ziolkowski will need to get tricky on the mound.
#31 SPRINGFIELD (3-17)
■ Leading off: The Millers head to North Eugene for a doubleheader on Saturday. This is the Millers’ second-to-last week of the Midwestern League. They are currently tied with Ashland at 2-10. If the Millers are to avoid a last-place finish in league, they’ll have to tally some wins this week and next week. Look for plays of Dylan Leas and Clay Rhoades on Saturday.
SOFTBALL
RECAPS
■ COTTAGE GROVE went 1-2 with the Junction City Tigers in Sky-Em last week. Their week began with a 9-6 victory on Tuesday, where senior Addison Hitt recorded a grand slam to lead the Lions. She also went 3-for-4 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs. Jayda Bruner also went 3-for-4 and earned a run and 2 RBIs. Emily Pacheco surrendered 8 hits, 6 runs, and struck out 15 on the mound. The Lions then lost 2-0 in Game One of their doubleheader on Friday. CGHS then lost 11-5 in Game Two. Bruner stood out when she went 2-for-3 with 2 runs, an RBI, and a home run. Makya Alsup, Pacheco, and Hitt all went 2-for-4.
■ CRESWELL went 1-2 in the Mountain Valley Conference last week. The Bulldogs lost 13-7 to Pleasant Hill on Tuesday. Regan Gwaltney recorded a home run for Creswell. Savannah Rook and Elise Thackara both went 3-for-4. The Bulldogs totaled 10 hits. Then, they took a 5-3 win in Game One of their doubleheader against La Pine. Jordyn Marklin went 2-for-3 with 2 runs and an RBI. Rook went 2-for-4 with a run. The Bulldogs then fell 8-7 in Game Two when the Hawks earned 12 hits. Kaylee Waller went 3-for-4 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs. Waller and Thackara combined for 5 strikeouts on the mound.
■ PLEASANT HILL went 1-2 in the MVC. It began with a 13-7 victory on Tuesday against the Bulldogs. Kendall Carey went 4-for-5 with 4 runs and struck out 5 on the mound. Following her was Erin McAllister, who went 2-for-2 with 2 runs and an RBI. Lastly, Stella Carlton went 3-for-5 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs. The Billies then lost 21-3 in Game One of their doubleheader against the Harrisburg Eagles on Friday. The Billies then lost 16-5 in Game Two.
■ THURSTON went 3-0 with Springfield in the Midwestern League last week. It started with a 13-3 victory on Tuesday. The Colts scored 8 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the game. Rosie Montes went 2-for-4 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs. She also hit a home run for the Colts. Kassy Anderson went 2-for-3. Every Colts batter recorded a hit. For the Millers, Lillian Wobbe, Emma Patrick-Busby, and Isabella Sexton recorded the only 3 hits. The Colts then won 20-0 in Game One of their doubleheader on Saturday. Kendall Miller went 4-for-5 with 4 runs and 4 RBIs. THS then followed up with a 16-1 win in Game Two. Syren Ferguson went 4-for-4 with 4 runs and Anderson recorded a home run. Ogan struck out 11 on the mound.
PREVIEWS
#19 COTTAGE GROVE (10-10)
■ Leading off: The Lions closed out the Sky-Em League at 6-6 with third place. Now, the Lions turn their focus toward ending the season with a winning record, a long-standing goal that new coach Sarah Keefauver has highlighted. They play No. 30 Klamath Union in a doubleheader on Friday. Look for seniors Emily Pacheco, Addison Hitt, and Annie Basting.
#30 CRESWELL (9-12)
■ Leading off: The Buldogs close out the Mountain Valley Conference and their season against Elmira on Friday. Watch senior star Kaylee Waller as she ends her last season with the Bulldogs.
#28 PLEASANT HILL (5-14)
■ Leading off: The Billies seal off the Mountain Valley Conference on the road against Sisters on Friday. No. 39 Sisters has struggled in league this year and has recorded only two wins. This should be a good opportunity for the Billies to receive a fourth-place spot in league.
#29 SPRINGFIELD (4-17)
■ Leading off: The Millers head to North Eugene for a doubleheader on Saturday. The Millers are still winless in league at 0-12. Though, North Eugene is only 3-9. This may be a good opportunity for the Millers to rally for a win. Look for Lillian Wobbe, Chloe Sankey, and Nadia Plumb.
TRACK AND FIELD
RECAPS
■ Cottage Grove boys placed fourth and the girls took 10th in the Marist Catholic Classic last Saturday (11 schools among 1A-6A). Carter Bengtson broke the CGHS 41-year-old record in the 3000 meters at 8.34.55; Micah Hanke (800m), 2nd, 1.59.44; Seth Hill (shot), Clayton Dewitt (discus), and Lucas O’Hara (high jump), 3rd-place finishes; Makya Alsup (javelin), 2nd; Ella Cardwell (3000 meters) and Carly Knutson (800 meters) earned 4th-place finishes.
■ Creswell boys placed last, and the girls placed third among Churchill, Harrisburg, and Springfield last Wednesday. On the boys side, Connor Nguyen (100m), 2nd, 11.45 (PR) and third in the 400 meters, 56.60 (PR); Logan Rich (200m), 3rd, 23.58; Lincoln Criddle (3000m), 2nd, 10.31; Logan Cox (shot put), 3rd; Caleb Lybarger (discus), 1st; Mason Schartz (high jump), 1st; Noah Cranson (triple jump), 2nd. On the girls side, Journey Meyer (200m), 1st, 26.33 and the 400 meters (1.01); Brooke Moehlmann (400m), 2nd, 1.05; Jordyn Lee (800m), 1st, 2.34.38 (PR); Kylie Leonard (800m), 2nd, 3.25.09 (PR); Mila Nguyen (100m hurdles), 2nd, 17.08; the 4×100 relay team of Nguyen, Meyer, Lee, and Vika Gabrio, 1st, 52.14; Kiannah Bailey (high jump), 3rd; Gabrio, 2nd in long jump and 3rd in triple jump; Creswell also competed in the Marist Catholic Classic, where the boys took 10th and the girls placed ninth. Lybarger took second in the discus with a PR and Schartz took second in the high jump with a PR. On the girls side, Lee took third in the 400 meters with a season’s best of 1.00.15. Mila took third in the 100-meter hurdles with a PR of 16.78. Leonard took the 300-meter hurdles at 47.39. Gabrio took second in the long jump.
■ Pleasant Hill boys and girls finished first in hosting the Far West League (Sutherlin, Oakland, Glide and Lowell) meet last Wednesday. On the boys side, Marcus Martinez (100m), 1st; 11.49 (PR) and 1st, 200m, 23.16 (PR); Gage Roper (800m), 2nd, 2.14 and won first in the 1500 meters (4.28); William Carricaburu (3000m), 3rd, 12.05 (PR); Evander Ruiz (100m hurdles), 2nd, 19.11 (PR); Andrew Taylor (300m), 2nd, 45.52 (PR);the 4×100 relay team of Martinez, Taylor, James Hoopman, and Dhanesh Naidu, 2nd, 46.33; Andrew Portillo (discus), 3rd; Cody James (javelin), 1st; Reid Kinman (javelin), 3rd; Aidan Navarro (high jump), 1st; Kyler Seratte (triple jump), 2nd. On the girls side, Jolie Heacock (100m), 1st, 13.35; In the 200 meters, Isabel Hammond-Mendez (200m), 2nd, 28.21 (PR) and Hayley Miles (200m), 3rd, 30.46 (PR); Soleis Jones (400m), 1st, 1.00.97; Hammond-Mendez (400m), 2nd, 1.06; Ellie Epperson (800m), 3rd, 2.40; Epperson (1500m), 2nd, 5.17.88 (PR); Nellie Smith (1500m), 3rd, 5.18.68 (PR); Smith (3000m), 1st, 12.02; Piper Wilson (3000m), 3rd, 2.55.75 (PR); Trinity Smead (300m hurdles), 1st, 51.27 (PR); Smead (100m hurdles), 3rd, 19.09 (PR); the 4×100 relay team of Heacock, Jones, Hammond-Mendez, and Ellie Thebo, 1st, 51.43; 4×400 relay of Hammond-Mendez, Epperson, Smead and Jones, 1st, 4.29. Ashlyn Johnson (javelin), 3rd; Sarenity Peters (long jump), 3rd; Heacock (triple jump), 1st.
■ Springfield girls took first and boys second at the Creswell, Harrisburg, and Churchill meet last Wednesday. On the boys side, Hayden Sayre (100m), 3rd, 11.49 (PR); Jeyder Espino Sosa (1500m), 1st, 4.36; Elijah Hebert (300m), 3rd, 46.61; Noah Solo (shot put), 1st (tie); Kai Brusasco (shot put), 1st (tie); Solo (discuss), 2nd; Brusasco (discuss), 3rd; Lachlan Vaught (javelin), 2nd; Khamani James (high jump), 2nd; Bryton Kelly (triple jump), 3rd; On the girls side, Ellen Auxier (800m), 3rd, 2.37.41 (PR); Natalie Landeros (1500m), 2nd, 6.35.02 (PR); Annika Kimball (3000m), 1st, 13.11; Sailor Hall (shot put), 1st; Hall (discus), 1st; Leila Kammerzelt-Murphy (shot put), 2nd and (discus), 2nd; Violet Maron (javenlin), 1st; Natalie Bell (pole vault), 2nd; Audrey Sommerville (triple jump), 1st and (long jump), 3rd. Springfield also competed in the Dean Nice Invitational, where the girls placed 14th (21 schools). Hall (shot put), 1st; Maron (javelin), 4th; Bell (pole vault), 4th.
■ Thurston girls won and the boys took second at the Sheldon, Thurston, Elmira and Crow meet last Wednesday. On the boys side, Caleb Jones (100m), 3rd, 11.63; Justin Fisher, 2nd, 23.58 (PR); Ryan Roser, 3rd, 23.77; David Stone (400m), 3rd, 58.03 (PR); Carson Buergey (800m), 1st, 1:56; Owen Smith (3000m), 1st, 9.26; Brady Whitney (110m hurdles), 2nd, 18.08, and the 300-meter hurdles, 2nd, 45.99 (PR); Treyson Hill (300m hurdles), 3rd, 48.38; Kylan Gray (shot put), 3rd; Talon Nilsen (high jump), 2nd; Logan Fine (pole vault), 3rd; Tyler Raven (long jump), 2nd; Sebastian Hernandez-Reja (long jump), 3rd; Bo Willis (triple jump), 1st; On the girls side, Brooklyn Anderson (100m), 1st, 12.50 (SR); Emmie Gerdrum (200m), 1st, 27.34 (PR); Kelsie Raven (200m), 2nd, 28.17 (PR); Addison Nelson (200m), 3rd, 28.44 (PR). Jenni Newell (400m), 1st, 1.04.56 (PR); Nyah Marchant (200m), 2nd, 1.06; Taylor Suiter (200m), 3rd, 1.07.70 (PR); Nathalie Parker (800m), 1st, 2:31.41 (PR); Genevieve Woodward (800m), 3rd, 2:32.99 (PR); Raven (110m hurdles), 1st, 16.22 (PR); Macy Taylor (110m hurdles), 3rd, 16.84 (SR); Scotlyn Curtis (shot put), 1st; Curtis (discus), 2nd; Kylee Skinner (shot put), 3rd; Skinner (triple jump), 2nd; Suiter (high jump), 3rd; Suiter (long jump), 2nd; Raven (long jump), 1st. Thurston also competed in the 75th Grants Pass Rotary Invitational on Saturday, where girls earned fifth overall and boys took sixth (25 schools). Buergey (800m), 3rd, 1.59.20; Raven (100m hurdles), 1st, 14.80 (PR); Raven (long jump), 2nd; Raven (triple jump), 2nd; Anderson (100m), 2nd, 12.45; Anderson (200m hurdles), 2nd, 14.93; Anderson (long jump), 1st; 4×400 relay team of Marchant, Parker, Woodward, and Newell, 3rd, 4.27.61.
