ATHENA — Pendleton pounded out 12 hits and took advantage of 14 walks for a 16-5 victory over neighboring Weston-McEwen on Tuesday at Athena Memorial Ballpark.

“We played a solid Pendleton team today,” W-M coach Jeff Griggs said. “They were patient and productive at the plate. We, on the other hand, played some good team offense but stranded runners at key times.”

The Bucks (12-7),  ranked No. 8 in the 4A poll, jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Working with two outs, Cambria VanNice hit a two-run double, followed by a two-run single by Tatum Lambert.

The 2A top-ranked TigerScots (13-4) got two runs back in the bottom of the inning as Bre Ward blasted a two-run home run over the center field fence.

Pendleton came right back with five runs in the second, the first coming off a bases-loaded walk, the next two off the same error, a fly out by Lambert, and Shaylor Fisher wrapped up the scoring with an RBI single.

Ward added another two-run home run in the bottom of the third to pull the TigerScots within 9-4, but they would not get any closer.

Meanwhile, the Bucks just kept adding to their total, scoring three in the fourth and four in the fifth to invoke the mercy rule.

In the fourth, Avery Quaempts hit a two-run double and Kelsi Primus tacked on an RBI single as the Buck took a 12-4 lead.

Pendleton led off the fifth with a bases-loaded walk, followed by a two-run single by Quaempts and another RBI single by Primus for a 16-4 lead.

The TigerScots put one run on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Ward reached on an error that pushed Lily Langford across the plate.

“I believe this game was beneficial to us,” Griggs said. “Pendleton took the lead early and never let up, which is something we need to work on. Though we lost today, this can be fuel for future success.” 

Quaempts went 2-for-2 with a double, five RBIs and three runs scored for the Buck, while Primus went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored, VanNice had a double and an RBI, and Lambert drove in three runs.

Fisher picked up the win, giving up five runs on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

Ward went 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBIs for W-M, while Langford went 2-for-3 with a double. Ward has nine home runs and 33 RBIs this season.

Ward took the loss, allowing 16 runs on 12 hits while striking out four and walking 14.

HEPPNER 12, PILOT ROCK 10 — The No. 3 Mustangs broke open a tie game with three runs in the top of the seventh inning, then held on for a Blue Mountain Conference road win over the Rockets.

In the seventh, Cici Stefani hit an RBI double, Sarah Estes followed with an RBI single, and Maya Payne hit a sacrifice fly to put Heppner (14-3 overall, 6-2 BMC) out front 12-9.

Pilot Rock (13-8, 3-7) got one run back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Hailey Thieme with one out, but that would be all the Mustangs would allow.

The Rockets led 7-4 going into the top of the sixth inning, where the Mustangs hung five runs on the board for a 9-7 lead.

Three runs came off an Isa Payne home run, and the next two runs scored on the same error. It was the seventh home run of the season for Payne.

Pilot Rock tied the score in the bottom of the inning with a two-run home run by Thieme, her first of the spring.

Isa Payne went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBIs and four runs scored, while Stefani was 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and four runs scored, and Estes was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.

Maya Payne pitched a complete game, allowing 10 runs on 12 hits while striking out two and walking three.

Kashley Golden went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Thieme was 4-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs.

Jade Deist allowed eight runs on seven hits with five walks over five innings, with Coley Gibbs giving up four runs on six hits the last two innings of the game.

Baseball 

COVE/UNION 7, WESTON-MCEWEN 0 — Jonah Jayne and Kash Carreiro combined on a two-hit shutout, with 12 strikeouts, to lead CU Baseball to a Blue Mountain Conference road win over the TigerScots.

After two scoreless innings, CU Baseball (11-10 overall, 8-6 BMC) scored two runs in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly by Matt Blake and another off an error.

The TigerScots (3-13, 3-11) held CU Baseball scoreless until the seventh, where it scored five runs, highlighted by a two-run single by Carter Pansevicius.

Carreiro and Nixon Howell each had two hits for CU Baseball, which took advantage of four W-M errors, nine walks and five hit batters.

Aidenn Mahaffey and Bennett Cavalletto each had a hit for the TigerScots.

ELGIN/IMBLER 5, PILOT ROCK 4 — The Huskies overcame a 2-1 deficit with three runs in the four inning, then added one in the fifth to pick up a Blue Mountain Conference road win over the Rockets.

The Rockets added one run in the bottom of the sixth as Gage Williams stole home to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Kadin Allen went 3-for-3 with an RBI for the Huskies (3-11 overall, 3-11 BMC), while Bryce Johnson went 2-for-4 with a double. Allen also picked up the win, pitching a complete game with four strikeouts and three walks.

Lucas Thieme, Tate Thacker and Rhylan Hall each had two hits for Pilot Rock (8-14, 6-10), while Thieme, Thacker and Williams all had doubles.

Four Rockets combined for 12 strikeouts while allowing nine hits and six walks.

Tennis

Pendleton advanced all four of its girls’ singles players to the next round at the Special District 5 district tournament in Baker City.

McKinley Moore made quick work of Ontario’s Megan Daniels, while Kamryn Matteson topped Nysa’s Olivia Green 6-0, 6-0. Olivia Allen followed with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Leyla Castillo of Nyssa, and Noemi Alvarez-Barroso finished up singles play with a 6-2, 5-7, 10-3 win over Vale’s Kynisen Ellis.

Mac-Hi’s Isaira advanced with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Rhi Raymond of Four Rivers.

In doubles, Avery Brown and Avery Pitner advanced with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Ontario’s Abby Navarette and Celeste Trejo.

Madelyn Gunter and Jules Gunter dropped a 6-3, 6-4 match to La Grande’s Ella Lees and Zoey Meyers, and Amelia Thomson and Brady Coleman lost to Baker’s Camper Yencopal and MyKenzie Coley 6-4, 6-4.

For Mac-Hi, Alejandra Reyes Carranza and Ahri Villagomez moved on to the next round with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Keira Briner and Malea Armenta of Nyssa.

In boys singles, Pendleton’s Adam Harrison rallied for a 4-6, 6-2, 10-4 win over Vale’s Etienne Armstrong, but Sam Larsen dropped a 5-7, 6-4, 10-6 match to Vale’s Christian Rosales. Cooper Crosby also fell short, losing 6-2, 6-2 to Mac-Hi’s Grady Brown.

The Pioneers’ Luis Ledezma did not fare as well, dropping a 6-3, 6-3 match to Jarrin Bott of Baker.

In boys’ doubles, Pendleton’s Will Larsen and Thor Case beat Nyssa’s Brody Tuckness and Nicholas Conchas 6-1, 7-5, while Henry Pullen and Jordan Hantke lost a 6-4, 6-1 match to Mac-Hi’s Yael Lara Diaz and Erick Beltran.

Also for Mac-Hi, Cristobal Medina and Joaquin Medina lost to Vale’s Uriel Madrano and Jordan Bates 6-0, 6-2.

Action continues Friday and Saturday at Baker High School.