Players and coaches spend so much time with one another during the regular season to the point of developing friendships and a togetherness. Such is the case for the Columbia Gorge Hustlers, who had their season cut short Saturday after two losses by scores of 7-2 and 13-2 to the Salem Dirtbags in American Legion Super Regionals baseball play at Dallas High School.
Columbia Gorge Hustler co-head coach Doug Sawyer said he can learn a lot about a team when they are faced with adversity. Over the past two weeks, the Hustlers re-shuffled their coaching staff, overcame injuries and departures, but managed to put together a streak of four wins in the past five games, capped by a 14-9 triumph over Pendleton Thursday in a one-game American Legion playoff matchup at Bob Williams Field.
Coming off two losses Sunday by a 24-5 margin to Mound Time, the Columbia Gorge Hustlers found a way to respond just 24 hours later in a 7-4 league win over the Northwest Stars Monday in an American Legion baseball game played at Wilsonville High School.
The Hood River Valley High School Athletic Department recently announced their Athletes of the Month for March and April: Parker Irusta (track), Ella Rand (girls lacrosse), Patrick Harvey (baseball), and Madè Vallejo (softball).
The two-time Columbia River Conference and defending 5A baseball state champion Hood River Valley Eagles begin their quest for a repeat when they host an OSAA first-round state tournament contest at 4:30 p.m. May 25.
The Hood River Valley Eagles baseball team bounced back from its worst defeat this year (a 9-1 loss to Hermiston, April 26) and swept a Columbia River Conference home doubleheader 4-1 and 9-0 over the The Dalles Riverhawks Friday.
HOOD RIVER – This is it – A four-game season. After losing two games Friday night by scores of 4-1 and 9-0, The Dalles baseball team is mired in a streak of six losses in the past seven contests to fall into last place in the Columbia River Conference. With some rebound performances, some help and continued togetherness, there is still a chance to climb back into the postseason mix.
The top-ranked HRV Eagles (15-3, 5-0 league) extended their Columbia River Conference win streak to five games after sweeping a doubleheader 3-2 and 19-9 over the Bulldogs (9-8, 2-3 league) on Saturday in Hermiston.
The HRV baseball team is clearly focusing on being a title contender again in 2016.
HRV’s game Wednesday against the Central Catholic Rams wasn’t on the schedule to start the season, with Eagles’ coach Erich Harjo adding the contest a few weeks ago with the intention of preparing his athletes for the playoffs by giving them extra practice against a highly competitive opponent.
