Sports News and Scores from Rogue Valley Magazine…
MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2019
Mariners over Blue Jays 7-0.
Big afternoon for Yusei Kikuchi of the Seattle Mariners, as the power left-hander who had looked so promising in the early going of his first season in the Majors.
The 28-year-old rookie from Japan fired a two-hit shutout in Sunday’s 7-0 victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, responding to rising questions and concerns after posting a 1-7 record and 7.50 ERA over his previous 14 starts.
It was the first complete game for Kikuchi this season, with his previous longest start being 7 2/3 innings in a 10-1 win over the Yankees on May 8. He threw 15 complete games in eight seasons in Japan, but none were under 100 pitches.
This gem needed just 96 pitches, and it was a remarkable turnaround after Kikuchi lasted just 3 1/3 innings on Tuesday in Detroit, allowing nine hits and five runs on 81 pitches.
Seahawks Lose to Vikings
It was a telling defeat last night for the Seattle Seahawks as they dropped a preseason game Sunday to the Minnesota Vikings, 25-19.
Seattle’s final two plays were a dropped pass by Jazz Ferguson and an interception thrown by J.T. Barrett — kicker Jason Myers’ four field goals, an 88-yard pick-six by DeShawn Shead, and a few nice plays by some of the team’s offensive and defensive starters was about all there was to cheer.
Seattle had all of its starters play two series, with some staying on the field for a third, playing the Vikings fairly evenly.
But when the backups took over, so did the Vikings, who dominated the final three quarters statistically as they outgained Seattle 409-221 and had 27 first downs to the Seahawks’ 13 to hold on for the victory.
RAIDER CLASSIC VOLLEYBALL TOURNEY
After knocking off Life Pacific in the first match of the season on Saturday morning, the Lady Owls Volleyball team kept that momentum rolling, improving to 2-0 on the year with a convincing 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-14) win over Simpson.
The Red Hawks fell to 0-4 on the year as they had no answer for Oregon Tech’s size as the Owls notched their second straight win Saturday night at the SOU Volleyball Invite at Lithia Motors Pavilion.
“Today was a good start to our season,” said Head Coach Andrew Clifton. “We have a few things to clean up before next week’s games, but I am happy with our overall effort. I am also very proud of Melody Edwards. She brought solid blocking and hitting to the court today. Her growth has been amazing to watch this last off season.”
Edwards, the Owls’ 6-foot-3 sophomore middle, went for 10 kills on just 16 swings for a .562 average. Camryn Johnson, the 6-foot junior outside, totaled eight kills on just 13 swings. Ashley Ripplinger, the 6-1 freshman middle, put down five more kills on seven attacks, lifting OIT to a collective .346 average compared to Simpson’s .000.
The Northwest Christian University volleyball team made a strong first impression on Saturday, sweeping their two game stint in the Raider Classic with victories over Simpson University and Life Pacific College.
NCU opened up the day with a 3-1 win over Simpson (25-18, 25-18, 26-28, 25-22) only faltering in a hotly contested third set. The Beacons hit .200 in the game, produced ten service aces and owned a 7-2 advantage on the block.
Soccer
Southern
Oregon’s bid for a second comeback in three days was thwarted at The Master’s
(Calif.) on Saturday afternoon when Mustangs forward Kyndel Borman punched in a
decisive 84th-minute goal in a 2-1 win at Reese Field.
Borman was responsible for both Mustangs scores. In the 17th
minute, she converted a penalty kick after Kayla Sims was taken down inside the
box, and her winner was assisted by Hannah Bahr.
The Raiders (1-1) – fresh off a 2-1 come-from-behind victory
Thursday at 25th-ranked Westmont (Calif.) – got freshman Madison Childers’
first collegiate goal for the equalizer in the 66th minute. Childers, who
assisted Aislinn Waite’s winner in the opener, deposited Waite’s pass this time
around.
Both teams totaled seven shots. The Raiders put three on
target.
SOU keeper Kailey Lemon made three saves in her first start
of the year.
The Raiders’ trip concludes Monday at 11th-ranked Vanguard
(Calif.). Kickoff is slated for 10 a.m.
Cross Country
Southern Oregon University sits in the top spot of both the Cascade Collegiate Conference Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Coaches’ Preseason Polls, announced Monday.
The Raider women, who took second last year at the conference meet and fourth at the NAIA National Championship, picked up 91 total points and four first-place votes, although it was a close race.
Defending NAIA and CCC Champion Oregon Tech sits in second place with three first-place votes and 86 total points, just edging out College of Idaho in third, also with three first-place votes and 85 total points. Last year, the Yotes took third at the conference meet and went on to place 11th at nationals.
Another familiar face at the NAIA meet was Northwest Christian University, which took 17th as a team. The Beacons enter the preseason ranked fourth in the conference, while Eastern Oregon University rounds out the top-five with 63 points.
The Oregon Ducks football team held its second preseason scrimmage Saturday in Autzen Stadium.
The Ducks practice included about 110 plays, head coach Mario Cristobal said, beginning with a full-contact period for the offense, defense and special teams that last about 50 minutes, followed by situational work at “thud” tempo for which a couple thousand season-ticket holders were on hand before the team’s 2019 uniforms were revealed.
The Ducks will be back in action Tuesday, and Cristobal said depth-chart decisions will be finalized in the coming days, with many of the guys held out Saturday — including Breeland, McCormick, Darrian Felixand George Moore — back as early as Tuesday.
Eastbank, Louisiana defeated Sprague Little League of Salem, 3-2, Saturday, putting the Oregon team out of contention for a championship.
The Oregon and Northwest champions from Salem will remain in Williamsport for at least a few days. Players will get to take part in festivities involving the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates being in town for Sunday’s third annual MLB Little League Classic at Bowman Field, a minor-league park.
There will be at least one more game, a Tuesday 11AM international exhibition game at Lamade Stadium against Emilia Romagna, the Europe and Africa Region champion from Bologna, Italy.
MLB Scores (from Sunday, August 18)
| Chicago White Sox | 2 | Final |
| Los Angeles Angels | 9 |
| W | Griffin Canning (5-6) |
| L | Dylan Cease (2-6) |
| San Francisco Giants | 1 | Final |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 6 |
| W | Merrill Kelly (9-12) |
| L | Madison Bumgarner (8-8) |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 3 | Final |
| Atlanta Braves | 5 |
| W | Anthony Swarzak (3-3) |
| L | Dustin May (1-2) |
| S | Mark Melancon (4) |
| Baltimore Orioles | 7 | Final |
| Boston Red Sox | 13 |
| W | Marcus Walden (8-2) |
| L | Paul Fry (1-5) |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | Final |
| Cincinnati Reds | 4 |
| W | Jack Flaherty (7-6) |
| L | Alex Wood (1-2) |
| S | Carlos Martinez (14) |
| Miami Marlins | 6 | Final |
| Colorado Rockies | 7 | (10) |
| W | Carlos Estevez (2-2) |
| L | Jeff Brigham (2-2) |
| New York Mets | 11 | Final |
| Kansas City Royals | 5 |
| W | Jeurys Familia (4-1) |
| L | Kevin McCarthy (2-2) |
| Cleveland Indians | 8 | Final |
| New York Yankees | 4 |
| W | Mike Clevinger (8-2) |
| L | CC Sabathia (5-7) |
| Houston Astros | 4 | Final |
| Oakland Athletics | 1 |
| W | Zack Greinke (13-4) |
| L | Brett Anderson (10-9) |
| S | Roberto Osuna (27) |
| San Diego Padres | 3 | Final |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 2 |
| W | Joey Lucchesi (8-7) |
| L | Jared Hughes (3-5) |
| S | Kirby Yates (35) |
| Chicago Cubs | 7 | Final |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 1 |
| W | Jose Quintana (11-7) |
| L | Mitch Keller (1-2) |
| Detroit Tigers | 4 | Final |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 5 |
| W | Jose Alvarado (1-5) |
| L | Joe Jimenez (3-7) |
| Minnesota Twins | 6 | Final |
| Texas Rangers | 3 |
| W | Sam Dyson (5-1) |
| L | Emmanuel Clase (0-2) |
| S | Taylor Rogers (19) |
| Seattle Mariners | 7 | Final |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 0 |
| W | Yusei Kikuchi (5-8) |
| L | Wilmer Font (3-3) |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 8 | Final |
| Washington Nationals | 16 |
| W | Erick Fedde (4-2) |
| L | Chase Anderson (5-3) |