Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2012

HERMISTON - The Hermiston Lady Bulldogs split a doubleheader with the Gladstone Gladiators on Friday, March 30, 2012. Gladstone won the first game 2-1. Hermiston won the second game 9-4. It was a dreary day. The wind blew and rain fell steadily in the first game and lightened to a drizzle for the second game. The 10 to 15 mph wind and rain made for cold fingers and required constant cleaning and drying off of the game balls. The pages of the notebook I was using became soggy in the first inning with the ink blurring due the diffusion of the ink on the wet pages.

Game 1
The Gladiators lead off batter, Nena Dudley hit a grounder to get on base. Fiona Burrell then flew out to left field but that gave enough time for Dudley to score for Gladstone. The Gladiators put two more runners on base but they weren't able to score.

It was three up and three down for the Dawgs in the bottom of the first inning. A strike out and two ground outs took care of Hermiston. Gladstone led 1-0 at the end of the first.

The second and third innings were scoreless even though both teams had runners on base.

Gladstone scored one run in the top of the fourth inning. Megan Kirchem led off the inning with a walk. Maria Campos struck out. Andra Breshears then hit a liner to center field. Meghan Winkle then to centerfield driving in Kirchem and giving Gladstone the 2-0 lead. Hermiston's Paige Long then struck out the next two batters to end the top of the fourth.

There was no scoring between the bottom of the fourth to the bottom of the sixth when Hermiston got on the scoreboard. Paige Long led off the bottom of the sixth with a hit to left field. Two batters later Cheyanne Lawson laid down a bunt and made it safely to first base. Melina Rodriquez then hit to centerfield with two out driving in Long and cutting Gladstone's lead to 2-1.

Gladstone put a runner on base in the top of the seventh but was unable to score when a double play ended the inning for them. Hermiston put a runner on base with two out but wasn't able to get a score before the third out. Gladstone won the first game 2-1.

Game 2
The rain let up somewhat by the time game two started. My notes are much easier to read since the ink didn't run nearly as much in the later game. The clouds may have brightened slightly but it's still a heavy overcast.

Gladstone's lead off batter, Nena Dudley walked. She was followed on base by Ashley Martin. A hit into centerfield scored Dudley. Next Ashlee Muller walked then Megan Kirchem hit a grounder to third base that was bobbled allowing Martin to score. A Gladiator then scored on a pass ball giving Gladstone a 3-0 lead.

The next scoring came in the bottom of the second. Lead off batter Courtney Howard was hit by a pitch and given first base. Melina Rodriguez then hit a homerun over the left field fence giving her two rbi's. Then came a ground out, a fly out and a strike out to end Hermiston's scoring in the second inning.

Hermiston's next scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the third inning. Gracie Flyg led off with a hit to center field. Paige Long then hit to a fast grounder to center field. Cheyanne Lawson then grounded out moving Flyg and Long around the bases. Senior Maloree Moss then hit to center field driving in Flyg and Long to give the Dawgs a 4-3 lead.

Gladstone went three up and three down int he top of the fourth.

The Dawgs scored two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Andrea Waters led off with a bunt and made it safely to first. Jennifer Paxton then hit a roller making it safely to first and pushing Waters to second. Mykel Liebe then his to right field scoring Waters. Gracie Flyg then hit a grounder to second base who fired it home to get Paxton out. Paige Long then laid down a bunt and made it safely to first and Liebe scored from third giving Hermiston the 6-3 lead.

The next scoring in the game came in the bottom of the sixth with Hermiston scoring three runs. Mykel Liebe led off the sixth with walk. Gracie Flyg then hit a shot down the third base line. Paige Long then came up and hit a three run homer driving in Liebe, Flyg and Long and giving Hermiston the 9-3 lead. A ground out and to pop outs finished the inning for the Dawgs.

Gladstone scored one run in the top of the seventh. Erica Ward led off the inning with a hit to right field. Then Ashley Martin flew out to right field. Then Erica Ward came in as a pinch runner. A balk was called which meant that the pinch runner, Lexi Chandler who was on third was given home. Scoring the fourth run for Gladstone. There were a couple hits followed by a ground out and pop out for the second and third outs for the Gladiators. Hermiston won the game 9-4 for a split with the Gladiators.

Photos by Terry Aichele