Nave, Meyers propel Outlaws to doubleheader sweep

Published 12:03 pm Monday, May 1, 2023

A huge day at the plate for Cooper Nave and for Aimee Meyers in the pitcher’s circle helped extend the Wallowa Valley softball team’s winning streak.

Nave had seven RBI in the Outlaws’ 13-4 win in the opener of a doubleheader sweep over Riverside on Friday, April 28, and Meyers tossed a gem in the nightcap, a 16-0 romp. The wins were the seventh and eighth in a row for Wallowa Valley.

Nave, who has swung a hot bat for the Outlaws all spring, continued her torrid pace. She went 4-for-5 with two doubles while driving in more than half of her team’s runs. The effort comes on the heels of a four-RBI performance in the April 25 opener against Baker, and a week after a three home-run weekend against McLoughlin.

She wasn’t alone in the offensive output, either, as the team collected 17 hits in the win.

Then the nightcap belonged to Meyers. The junior adjusted after allowing four unearned runs in the opener to keep the Pirates off-balance and, ultimately, off the scoreboard. She struck out five in the win after fanning nine in seven innings in the opener. Offensively, the team pounded out 13 more hits, and spread the wealth, as nine players collected a hit, nine players scored and seven registered an RBI.

The Outlaws (13-4, 6-2 Special District 4), who have not lost since playing Burns on April 7, continue a six-game road stretch with two contests in Umatilla on May 5.

BaseballThe Wallowa Valley baseball team is closing in on a district championship.

The Eagles hammered Riverside in two road games Friday, April 28, by scores of 17-1 and 17-0, with the second game featuring a no-hitter by starting pitcher Drew Beachy.

The wins were the third and fourth in a row for Wallowa Valley, which continues to hold a one-game lead over Burns in Special District 3 play. The Eagles have four games remaining, both against teams that currently have league and overall records below .500 — Umatilla and Nyssa.

The Eagles staked Beachy to a 15-0 lead in the first inning of the second game, and he took control from there. He walked three and struck out eight in the five-inning no-hitter, one that required just 64 pitches.

Blade Suto, who led the team with four RBI, was one of five players with multiple hits in the win. In all, the team had 13 hits, was walked seven times, had seven hit batters and took advantage of seven errors by the Pirates.

In the opener, Wallowa Valley broke a 1-1 tie with eight runs in the second and rolled from there to an easy 16-run victory.

Jaxon Grover tossed a one-hitter, walking one batter and striking out seven. The team had 11 hits and 11 RBI, with Kyler McQuead driving in a team-high three runs.

The Eagles (12-5 overall, 7-1 SD3) visit Umatilla May 5 to continue a six-game road trip.

TrackOwyhee Harguess and Nevaeh James were at it again for the Enterprise girls track and field team.

And this time they had company.

The dynamic duo each had three individual wins as the Outlaws collected nine event victories to dominate the Pepsi Invitational on Saturday, April 29, in Union.

Harguess won the 100, 200 and 400-meter runs in times of 13.19 seconds, 26.87 and 58.80, setting a personal best the the 400. James won the long jump (16 feet even), the triple jump (32 feet, 8 inches) and shattered her personal best in winning the 300 hurdles (47.61).

Maddie Nordtvedt added a seventh individual victory in taking the 800 in 2:38.37, which was a PR for the senior. The trio helped the Outlaws sweep the relays, too. All three ran a leg on the winning 4×400 relay, with McKenzie Harguess joining them to win the race in 4:16.47. Nordtvedt, McKenzie Harguess, Althea Komiskey and Mercy Peters won the 4×100 in 53.42.

Piper Harvey added a third in the 1,500 in 5:34.92, and a fourth in the 3,000 in 12:38.37, and Komiskey was fourth in the high jump at 4 feet, 6 inches.

The No. 2 team on the girls side Saturday also resided in Wallowa County, with Joseph scoring a pair of wins and several second-place finishes to score 88 points, behind only EHS and its 126 points.

Victories came from Basey Dawson in the high jump at 4 feet, 10 inches, and Annie Rose Miller in the pole vault at 8 feet, 6 inches. Dawson’s win was part of a busy day that saw her take third in the triple jump (31 feet, 9.5 inches) and fourth in the javelin (101 feet, 10 inches). Molly Curry was second in the triple jump for the Eagles at 32 feet, 1.5 inches, and Mary Hellinger was second in the 3,000 in 12:25.94. In third in the 400 was Caleigh Johnson at 1:07.14, with Miller fourth in the 300 hurdles in 52.59.

And Joseph’s relay teams both took second — Camdyn Weer, Curry, Miller and Johnson in the 4×100 in 53.70, and Emerson Hook, Curry, Miller and Johnson in the 4×400 in 4.22.52.

On the boys side, Joseph placed fourth with 52 points, with Kale Ferguson posting two big numbers to lead the way. Ferguson won the discus with a throw of 146 feet, 2 inches, and was second in the javelin after uncorking a throw of 165 feet, 10 inches, both of which were personal bests. Jett Leavitt was second in both the 1,500 (4:26.96) and the 3,000 (9:34.07), and Jonah Lyman was fourth in the 3,000 (10:07.73).

The EHS boys were led by Lute Ramsden, who won the 400 (52.81), was third in the 200 (23.95) and fourth in the 100 (11.88). Ransom Peters was a spot ahead of Ramsden in the 100 in 11.76. Also in the top four was Tanner Kesecker in the discus at 120 feet, 11 inches, and Ezra Storlie in the triple jump at 37 feet, 9 inches, both placing fourth.

The Enterprise boys finished fifth with 49 points.

GolfKimber Stein scored a 112 to lead the Enterprise girls golf team to a second-place finish at Echo Hills Friday, April 28.

Stein’s score paced the Outlaws to a total of 489, which trailed just Dufur, but by nearly 100 stokes as the Rangers posted a 391.

Jordyn Stonebrink shot a 115 for the Outlaws, with Jordan Jennings shooting 125 and Ashlynn Greer 137.

On the boys side, Nathan Lamb led the way for Enterprise with a 106, just ahead of Gunner McDowell at 109 and Parker Siebe at 121. At 134, and fourth on the team, was Sam Gonnella.

Enterprise didn’t post a team score due to a golfer posting a 10 on their round, which prohibited them from being added to the team total.

Wallowa/Joseph was led by Owen Gorham at 106, with Jonas McKee turning in a 113 and William Clark carding a 129.

The team next competes in Enterprise on Friday, May 5.

John L. Braese/easternoregonsports.com

RIVERSIDE – The Outlaw softball team comprised of Enterprise/Joseph/Wallowa is holding down the sixth slot in the recent Oregon School Activities Association’s rankings after a pair of victories over Riverside on Friday, April 28 in Riverside.

The Outlaws downed the Pirates 13-4 in game one and followed it up with a shoutout win 16-0 in a three-inning second game.

Enterprise/Joseph/Wallowa (13-4 overall, 6-2 3A Special District 4) will have some days on the practice field before once again boarding a bus for a road game. The Outlaws travel to Umatilla (4-14 overall, 3-6 3A Special District 4) on Friday, May 5 for a two-game day.