Home 
Sports Local Sports Bobcats bring home the big trophy
Bobcats bring home the big trophy
|
 UNION JUBILEE: The Union Bobcats baseball team celebrates after winning the district title Friday. The Observer/PAUL HARDER The Bobcats baseball team rallied past Joseph for the district tournament championship Friday. “It’s a great feeling,” Union senior Cody Billman said. “We’ve been stuck the last few seasons. For some reason we just couldn’t get the tournament title.” The last two seasons the Bobcats have either won the regular season title or shared it. Both times they settled for less than the first seed.That looked like the case in Joseph. The Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead, playing as the visitors on their home field. “We didn’t play very well from the beginning,” Union head coach Greg Poor said. “I’m not sure what it was, they didn’t seem nervous. I wasn’t too worried until we got behind by more than three runs.” The Eagles grabbed a 5-1 lead by gradually adding on runs in the fourth, fifth and six innings. The third-time charm came in another fashion in the sixth — the third time through the line-up. Austin Wooward and Jeremy Moore jump-started the inning with back-to-back singles. Calvin Stout brought home the first two runs of the inning with a single, scoring Woodward and Moore with one out. “This is a pretty good line-up. Trenton (Neil) did a great job keeping us off balance. “But when this group gets to see what a pitcher has more than once, they’re going to figure it out.” That’s exactly what Union did, connecting for nine hits in the inning, including four straight through the nine-run inning. “The top of the line-up has been doing a great job all season long,” Billman said. “Today the bottom of the line-up did a great job too. They got some big hits, and kept the pressure coming. We all knew we had to step up and get the job done.” Billman picked up the win in relief of Woodward. He pitched 2 1/3 innings striking out three, while allowing an unearned run. Moore finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Union will host a first-round game May 26. Cougars clinch final playoff spot JOSEPH — With a state playoff game on the line Wallowa secured its spot with a 13-5 win against Elgin. Andrew Wilson sparked the offense with a 4-for-4 day, driving in five runs, while hitting a home run and a double. G.T. McKenzie picked up the win on the mound. He struck out seven and walked one. McKenzie helped his own cause with three hits. He scored four times. Tyler Harshfield also had three hits. However, the Cougars didn’t have enough to clinch the second seed. Wallowa gave up a 7-4 lead in the seventh inning. Joseph scored four times in the final frame to pick up the win. Cody Greene and Price Booth picked up RBIs. Joseph will host a second-round playoff game May 26. Wallowa will travel to the Special District 3 third seed May 22.
Joseph 200 111 0 — 5 8 2 Union 001 009 x — 10 11 3 W — Billman. L — Neil. 2B— J, DeBoie. 3B- U, Billman.
Wallowa 040 012 0 — 7 6 3 Joseph 000 301 4 — 8 6 1 W — Edison. L — Harshfield. 2B— J, Masters, Edison.
Elgin 110 010 2 — 5 7 2 W — McKenzie. L — Je. Harris. 2B— W, Wilson. HR— W, Wilson.
|
