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Sports Local Sports Babe Ruth action heats up at Pioneer Park
Babe Ruth action heats up at Pioneer Park
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 MIDNIGHT MADNESS: A Wallowa Valley pitcher throws in their first of two games. The second would not end until 12:39 this morning. - The Observer/PAUL HARDER There were plenty of dramatics on the first day of the three age group tournaments on and off the field. Play was delayed just four hours into the tournament for two hours because of rain and nickel-sized hail. Wallowa Valley’s 15-year-old team had its first game of the tournament come to an abrupt end in the sixth inning with Harney County. Wallowa began making a small rally as the rain began to fall, but the game was called in Harney’s favor, 12-4. Wallowa Valley was supposed to begin its second game at 6:30 p.m. on Lions Field. But after the two-hour delay it was getting dark quick and Lions Field does not have lights. So the game was moved to Optimist Field after the completion of of the 7 p.m. game, which started at 7:48 p.m. Wallowa Valley and the Snake River Valley Nationals began their game at 10:25 p.m. Thursday and ended at 12:39 this morning. The Snake River Valley Nationals won in six innings, 17-3. Union County’s teams had mixed results Thursday and let some chances slip away. The 13-year-old team fell to the Snake River Valley Nationals, 8-5, in their opener.
 GAMBLING MAN: Union County 13-year-old Josh Gambill drives a ball to right field during Babe Ruth action Thursday evening - The Observer/BARRETT HENDERSON “It’s tough to keep a young group like this focused during that kind of delay. They get sitting around and start thinking about girls and everything else not baseball.” The 15-year-old team from Union County edged out the Snake River Valley Americans in its first game, 3-2, but fell in extra innings to Harney County, 10-8. “That was a tough way to end the day,” Union County manager Arnie Peasley said. “Especially after a great game by us this morning. Both teams just hit the ball great though. Harney County had some really nice hits, but so did we. It was just a great baseball game. “We’re just going to go home and get some rest since it’s 10 o’clock. We’ll put some ice on and just be ready for tomorrow.” After losing its 2-1 lead in the third inning, Union County responded with a three-run fifth inning. Derrick Peasley, Jordan Rogers and Weston Spencer all had RBI singles land in the Harney County outfield and gave Union County a 5-4 lead. With seemingly all the momentum in its favor, Union County imploded in the top half of the six inning. With two outs a routine throw to first base for the final out turned into an error and Harney County took the lead back scoring four runs after that. Union County had its own two-out heroics in the bottom of the sixth. Logan Lankford drove in Erik Jacobs with a single and Derrick Peasley advanced Lankford to third with a single. Lankford would score off of a throwing error by Harney County at third base. Buck Arnoldus made most of his work on the mound for Union County pitching seven innings, but he drove in the tying run with a bloop single in the sixth. Neither team scored in the seventh inning after some great defensive plays. Harney’s Nolan Stampke hit a one out single to left field that advanced Casey Heinz to third. A single and another throwing error later and Heinz and Stampke both scored. Union County got a runner on in the bottom of the eighth, but failed to score.
W L Snake River Nationals 2 0 Harney County 2 0 Union County 1 1 Baker County 1 1 Wallowa Valley 0 2 Snake River Americans 0 2 Thursday’s games Union County def. SRV Americans, 3-2 Harney County def. Wallowa Valley, 12-4 Baker County def. SRV Americans, 12-9 SRV Nationals def. Baker County, 10-0 Harney County def. Union County, 10-8 SRV Nationals def. Wallowa Valley, 17-3 Today’s games Wallowa Valley vs. Baker County, 1 p.m., Optimist Field SRV Americans vs. Union County, 3 p.m., Lions Field Harney County vs. SRV Americans, 6 p.m., Lions Field Saturday’s games Wallowa Valley vs. Union County, 3 p.m., Lions Field SRV Nationals vs. SRV Americans, 4 p.m., Optimist Field Harney County vs. Baker County, 6 p.m., Lions Field Sunday’s games Game 26: No. 1 seed vs. No. 4 seed, 11 a.m., Optimist Field Game 27: No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed, 10:45 a.m., Lions Field Game 30: Winner of Game 26 vs. Winner of Game 27, 5 p.m., Optimist Field Game 31: Loser of Game 26 vs. Loser of Game 27, 4:15 p.m., Lions Field
14-YEAR-OLDS W L Snake River Nationals 0 0 Grant Union 0 0 Union County 0 0 Today’s games Union County vs. SRV Nationals, noon, Lions Field Grant Union vs. SRV Nationals, 4 p.m., Optimist Field Grant Union vs. Union County, 7 p.m., Optimist Field Saturday’s games Game 19: No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed, Optimist Field, 1 p.m. Winner of Game 19 vs. No. 1 seed, Optimist Field, 7 p.m.
W L Snake River Nationals 1 0 Baker County 1 0 Snake River Americans 0 1 Union County 0 1 Thursday’s games Baker County def. SRV Americans, 18-3 SRV Nationals def. Union County, 8-5 Today’s games SRV Nationals vs. Baker County, 9 a.m., Lions Field SRV Americans vs. Union County, 10 a.m., Optimist Field Saturday’s games Baker County vs. Union County, 10 a.m., Optimist Field SRV Nationals vs. SRV Americans, noon, Lions Field Sunday’s games Game 24: No. 1 seed vs. No. 4 seed, 8 a.m., Optimist Field Game 25: No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed, 8 a.m., Lions Field Game 28: Winner of Game 24 vs. Winner of Game 25, 2 p.m., Optimist Field Game 29: Loser of Game 24 vs. Loser of Game 25, 1:30 p.m., Lions Field |
