Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (June 2, 2017)
PAGE2A10,2KEIZERTIMES,2JUNE22,22017 KEIZERTIMES.COM The2goal2is2 a2state2title LIFE OF W iley When I fi rst met McNary head softball coach Kevin Wise back in March before the Lady Celts played their fi rst game and he said he was probably going to play as many as fi ve freshmen, including starters at shortstop, catcher and right fi eld, I was expecting a long season. I could not have been more wrong. The Lady Celts went 19-4 during the regular season, in- cluding six straight wins to fi nish as co-champions of the Greater Valley Conference. Even with all the un- certainly that came with the freshmen, Wise said he thought McNary would reach the playoffs before the season started but his expectations grew after the Lady Celts de- feated Gresham and narrowly lost to Jesuit in a spring break tournament. Wise thought the girls be- gan to believe early in league play when McNary came from behind to win 9-8 at South Salem. As the No. 9 seed in the state tournament, McNary then defeated Grant and Lib- erty to reach the quarterfi nals, where the Lady Celts faced No. 1 Oregon City. Watching Morgan Horn- back, a junior pitcher, com- mitted to the University of Oregon, who struck out 25 batters in the fi rst two rounds, warmup before the game, I thought McNary was in for a long day. But again the Lady Celts continued to prove me wrong, leading 4-1 with two outs in the bottom of the fi fth. Playing on the road, one of the youngest teams in the state (pitcher Faith Danner is just a sophomore) had the fa- vorites to win the champion- ship rattled and on the ropes. However, McNary was unable to fi nish the job and Oregon City fought back to win 7-4. “They went way beyond my expectations,” Wise said af- ter the game. “I’m not trying to downplay anything but they just went way beyond what I thought they would do. Now next year coming into it, we know what the expectations are.” What are the expectations for next season? “For me, the goal is state championship,” Wise said. “I know that’s where we should be.” McNary must replace se- niors Hannah Carr and Nicole Duran, who were both leaders and two of the Lady Celts’ best and most clutch hitters. But with three freshmen, Alexa Cepeda in right fi eld, Haley Bingenheimer at short- stop and Courtney Roberts catching, another freshman in Kendly Jennings, who start- ed the season at second base before Carr took the job at South Salem and ran away with it, Danner in the circle, to go along with a talented ju- nior class of fi rst baseman Hal- ey Ebner, left fi elder Emma Kinler and Co-Greater Valley Conference Player of the Year Nadia Witt, all set to return, with an upcoming freshman class that Wise said is as good if not better than the crop be- fore it, who is going to argue with him? I know I’m not. The Lady Celts have proven this writer wrong enough. Derek Wiley is the associate editor of the Keizertimes. KEIZERTIMES/Derek2Wiley McNary2sophomore2Sabella2Alfaro2sparked2a2three-run2fi2fth2inning2with2a2double2to2left2fi2eld2in2the2Lady2Celts’2quarterfi2nal2playoff2 game2at2Oregon2City2on2Friday,2May226.2 Lady Celts fall in quarters By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes OREGON CITY—There wasn’t a dry eye, including coaches, as the McNary softball team gathered in the outfi eld here after a 7-4 loss in the quarterfi nals of the state playoffs on Friday, May 26. “They love each other,” an emotional head coach Kevin Wise said. “It’s just a great group of girls. They kind of become like sis- ters. I think when you’re family, you fi ght for each other. That’s what they did. “It’s a tough one.” The Lady Celts led for most of the game, jumping on No. 1 Oregon City and University of Oregon-bound pitcher Morgan Hornback for a run in the fi rst inning as Haley Ebner singled and then scored on a double by Hannah Carr. The Pioneers tied the contest at 1-1 in the bottom of the third, drawing a walk and then laying down back-to-back bunt singles off Faith Danner, who didn’t allow a ball out of the in- fi eld until there were two outs in the fourth. McNary broke the contest open in the top of the fi fth. After Sabella Alfaro doubled, Ebner brought her home with a two-out single to right fi eld. Please2see2EIGHT,2Page211 KEIZERTIMES/Derek2Wiley McNary2third2baseman2Nicole2Duran2tries2to2tag2out2an2Oregon2 City2runner.2 McNary baseball team eliminated at West Linn By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes McNary needed to play a clean, mistake-free seven in- nings to upset No. 1 West Linn. With two critical errors in the bottom of the fourth, the Celtics came up short, falling 10-1 on Wednesday, May 24 in the second round of the 6A baseball state playoffs. McNary trailed just 2-1 after Jonah Geist singled and scored on a Tyler Covalt sacri- fi ce fl y to right fi eld in the top of the fourth. On the mound, Riley Hays got two outs with a runner at second in the bottom of the fourth. But after an intentional KEIZERTIMES/Derek2Wiley walk and hit by pitch loaded McNary2senior2Hannah2Carr,2with2head2softball2coach2Kevin2Wise,2has2signed2with2Clackamas2 the bases, a single and two in- Community2College.2 fi eld errors then led to four West Linn runs. “Against a really good team our margin for error in that game is just so small,” McNary It was expensive and she was ting injured. I had to sit out head coach Larry Keeker By DEREK WILEY said. “We have to make those never going to play in college. and it wasn’t fun.” Of the Keizertimes Carr even thought about type of plays to win that type McNary senior Hannah So what was the point? “I think it was just play- not coming out for her senior of game. That’s really what it Carr had to step back from the game she started playing as a ing so much because you play year at McNary. But want- comes down to or at least give 6-year-old to realize just how year-round basically,” Carr ing one more season with her us a chance to win.” The Celtics also had a dif- teammates, Carr decided to said. much she loved it. fi cult time adjusting to West “If you’re not playing, give it a try. Two years ago, Carr stopped Linn’s turf fi eld. playing softball in the summer. you’re practicing. I started get- Please2see2CARR,2Page211 Carr to play on at Clackamas “The turf is extremely fast so I think we had some prob- lems adjusting to the speed of the ball on the turf,” Keeker said. “Balls that would get by us in the gaps to the fence would normally probably be cut off for a single and they’d turn into a triple. You just have to make adjustments and we knew that was the case. But until it actually happens to you live, you don’t understand. It’s super fast. The balls just fl y on it.” At the plate, McNary had just three hits against Tim Tawa, who has committed to Stanford University. Geist was 1-for-3. Jacob Jackson and Joshua Benson were both 1-for-2. Caleb Kiefi uk-Yates added a pinch-hit double off of a re- lief pitcher in the seventh. “Their pitcher (Tawa) was really good,” Keeker said. “His fastball, he could ba- sically throw it wherever he wanted to so he did a really good job of throwing his fast- ball on the corners. The um- pire was generous not only on the corners but when the ball was down. I think his strike zone was a little bit lower than typical. That wasn’t the differ- ence but it makes him really tough to deal with. He’s tough already.” West Linn has won 20 games in a row after defeating Gresham 8-1 Friday, May 26 in the state quarterfi nals. The Lions then defeated Beaverton 3-1 Tuesday, May 30 in the semifi nals. They’ll play Clackamas Saturday, June 3 at Volcanoes Stadium. “They are certainly deserv- ing of that No. 1 seed,” Keeker said. The game was the fi nal one for McNary’s 10 seniors. “I’m extremely proud of the senior class,” Keeker said. “One of the indicators to me was at the end of the game how emotional a lot of the senior were that they knew it was fi nally came to and end and the time they invested in the last four years in the Mc- Nary baseball program was certainly something they felt strongly about. “A lot of these guys have been together for a long time so it was emotional for them. I was extremely proud of their efforts throughout the year. They were good teammates. They were good leaders. They have no regrets as far as I can see.”
