UMATILLA — Umatilla got back on the winning side of things with a 2-1 and 9-8 Eastern Oregon League sweep of Nyssa on Saturday, May 10, to improve to 4-4 in league play.
“They were gritty wins,” Umatilla coach Tracy Robertson said. “Not the prettiest, but we got it done.”
In the opener, with the score tied at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, Linkin Zamudio belted a walk-off double to left field to put the winning run across the plate.
Nyssa scored the first run in the top of the third inning, and held the lead until the bottom of the fifth when the Vikings tied the score as Carter Griggs scored a single by RJ Estrada.
Davis Raymond got the start for Umatilla (11-6 overall), allowing one run on three hits with eight strikeouts. Griggs came on in relief, pitching a shutout over 2 1/3 innings with four strikeouts.
“We struggled in the first game with the bat until the end,” Robertson said. “They threw a slow pitcher at us and we were ahead on everything until the eighth inning when we hit back-to-back doubles for the win. The guys got a little wakeup call.”
In the second game, the Vikings had a 9-4 lead after five innings, but the Bulldogs rallied for three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh before falling short.
“We scored some runs, but with the pitch count limits and a big game on Tuesday (against McLoughlin), I had to throw a young kid (Brian Younger-Morris).”
Carter Monahan went 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Vikings, while Griggs was 1-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Estrada, Griggs and Younger-Morris combine for eight strikeouts and three walks.
Julian Rios and Kevin Dorathy each drove in two runs for the Bulldogs (2-19, 0-11).
Estrada had three stolen bases on the day for a school record of 33, surpassing Levi Russell’s record of 32 set in 2009.
The Vikings have four big games left on their schedule, and need wins if they want to make the state playoffs. They host Mac-Hi on Tuesday, Burns for two games on Friday, and Riverside in a single game on May 20.
“We don’t have districts,” Robertson said. “They take the top 20 teams to state and we are 19th.”
Photos by Kathy Aney.
Umatilla's Dominick McAllister (2) dives safely back to first base as Nyssa's Joaquin Cuevas fields a throw on May 10, 2025, in the first of two Eastern Oregon League games.
Umatilla pitcher Davis Raymond (11) eyes a Nyssa batter on May 10, 2025, during an Eastern Oregon League home game.
Umatilla's Carter Griggs bats on May 10, 2025, in the first of two Eastern Oregon League home games against Nyssa.