Lady Pros still dominant on diamond

JOHN DAY — The third-ranked Grant Union/Prairie City softball team still looked every bit the part of a top team in the state last week, scoring 17 or more runs in three dominant wins.

A Tuesday, April 25, home showdown with league foe Elgin/Imbler was a 17-0 shutout that lasted a mere three innings.

The Lady Pros started hot with homers by Halle Parsons and Sivanna Hodge capping a 12-run first inning. The Lady Pros would keep the offensive pressure on in the second inning, adding another five runs to take a 17-0 lead into the top of the third.

Drew Williams would shut the Lady Bobcats down, striking out all three batters in the top of the third to end any hopes of a comeback bid. The 17-run lead after the top of the third triggered the mercy rule, with the Lady Pros being awarded the lopsided victory.

Parsons continued her spectacular 2023 campaign at the plate, finishing a perfect 3-3 with a home run and four RBIs to her credit. Hodge finished the game with the same stat line as Parsons, 3-3 at bat with four RBIs and a home run.

Addy Northway had a great game as well, finishing 2-3 at the plate with three RBIs. Williams pitched a no-hitter for the Lady Pros while striking out six batters.

Three days later, on Friday, April 28, the Lady Pros made their way to Heppner for a doubleheader with the Heppner/Ione/Condon Lady Mustangs, leaving with a pair of lopsided league wins.

The first game was a high scoring 20-13 win that saw the Lady Pros jump out to an early lead before a third inning Lady Mustang rally.

The Lady Pros used a six-run third inning to go ahead of the Lady Mustangs 10-0 headed into the bottom of the third in what looked to be another early game for the Lady Pros.

Heppner/Ione/Condon would get a two-run home run in the bottom of third inning en route to an eight-run third that put them right back into the game at 10-8 headed into the fourth inning. The Lady Pros would put some distance between themselves and the Lady Mustangs via a Northway two-run single in the top of the fourth inning to take a 12-8 lead headed into the fifth.

The Lady Pros would add another five runs in the sixth, highlighted by a Reece Jacobs two-run double, and another three in the seventh to take a commanding 20-8 lead headed into the bottom of the seventh inning.

But the Lady Mustangs wouldn’t go away.

Heppner/Ione/Condon added five runs to their tally in the bottom of the sixth before the Lady Pros got the third out they needed, stopping the rally and winning the first game 20-13.

Raney Anderson had herself a game in the first half of the doubleheader, finishing 3-5 at the plate with a game-high five RBIs. Savannah Watterson, Lilly Rockhill and Jacobs all finished with three RBIs.

Williams pitched the entire game for the Lady Pros, surrendering eight earned runs while striking out nine batters.

The Lady Pros returned to form in second game of the twin bill, a dominant 21-3 victory that saw both Anderson and Williams blast homers.

Already up 12-0 in the fourth inning, Williams would hit a towering three-run homer to center field to put the Lady Pros up 15-0 to cap a 10-run fourth. The Lady Pros would do it all over again in the fifth, scoring six runs in the inning powered by a grand slam by Anderson to give the team a commanding 21-2 lead.

The Lady Mustangs would add a run in the bottom of the fifth, but it wasn’t enough to escape the mercy rule and a 21-3 victory by the Lady Pros. Anderson was again the pacesetter for the Lady Pros, finishing with five RBIs on 2-3 batting.

Williams finished 1-5 at the plate while knocking in three RBIs. Parsons continued her solid season, finishing 2-4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs.

Parsons and Williams split time in the circle, with Parsons pitching two innings and Williams pitching three. Parsons surrendered three hits while striking out one batter, and Williams gave up two hits while also striking out two batters.

The trio of wins puts the Lady Pros at 15-1 on the season with a perfect 12-0 mark in league play. The Lady Pros will be in action again on Friday, May 5 when they welcome Weston-McEwen/Griswold to John Day for a doubleheader.

The games are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. start times.

Grant County track teams compete in Union

UNION — The Grant Union, Prairie City and Dayville track teams all made strong showings against larger schools at the 14th annual Pepsi Invite on Saturday, April 29, at the Union Athletic Complex.

The Grant Union boys and girls left with the best finishes in the county, with the girls placing eighth out of 18 teams and the boys finishing seventh out of 20 teams. The Prairie City girls finished 17th and the Prairie City boys finished just behind Grant Union in eighth place.

The Dayville girls team didn’t score any team points. The boys finished in 20th place.

Prairie City’s 4×100 relay team, made up of Cole and Maison Teel along with Tucker and Eli Wright, led the way for Grant County in track events, earning a second place finish with a time of 46.14. Grant Union’s Brady Dole finished fourth in the 1,500 meter race with a time of 4:34.35.

Landon Boyd also picked up a fourth place finish in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 46.56. Prairie City’s Trey Brown got things going for Grant County in the field events via a fourth place finish in the shot put with a throw of 41 feet, 2 inches.

Eli Wright continued the trend, placing third in the javelin for the Panthers with a throw of 159 feet, 9 inches. Wright would also log the only first place finish in any event by a Grant County competitor following his 6 foot, 2 inch high jump.

Grant Union’s Quinn Larson would take second in the pole vault following a jump of 11 feet even. Cole Teel’s second place finish in the long jump rounded out top county finishers on the boys side. Teel’s jump was 19 feet, 4 inches.

The Grant County girls took home four top four finishes at the meet, all of which occurred in field events. Grant Union’s Mallory Lusco and Morgan Walker finished third and fourth in the discus, respectively.

The Lady Pros would get another pair of placers in the same event when Maddie Bailey and Heidi Jackson placed third and fourth in the pole vault.

Prairie City’s Brooke Teel was the highest finisher for the Lady Panthers. Teel finished fifth in the triple jump with a jump of 28 feet, 7½ inches.

The Grant Union boys and girls track teams will be in action next at the Big Cat Invitational on Friday, May 5, in Stanfield. First events are scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

The Prairie City track squads will also be in action on Friday, May 5, when they travel to Burns for the Oster Burns Lions Invite. First events there are scheduled to start at noon.

Quinton wins Burns Invite; Panther boys third

JOHN DAY — Prairie City’s Sawyer Quinton shot a 75 to take first place overall in the boys competition at the Burns Invitational Golf Tournament held at the John Day Golf Course.

Quinton was 10 shots better than second place Colton Miller of Burns, who shot an 85. The Prairie City boys ended the day in third place with a score of 396.

Second place Vale finished with a score of 383, and boys tournament winners Burns finished the competition with a score of 377.

On the girls side, neither Prairie City nor Grant Union produced a top three finisher. The Grant Union girls team finished second with a score of 551. Girls tournament champion Dufur finished the event with a score of 378.

Both the Grant Union and Prairie City golf teams will be in action again on Friday, May 5, for the Enterprise Invite at Alpine Meadows Golf Course in Enterprise. Start time is scheduled for 11 a.m.