PAGE A14, KEIZERTIMES, MAY 3, 2019
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Celts sweep Summit in doubleheader
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
All season long, the Mc-
Nary baseball team has
shown that they have a fl air
for the dramatic, and that
theme didn’t change in their
doubleheader against Sum-
mit last week.
A walk-off single by Rob-
ert Benson gave the Celtics
a 3-2 win in the opening
game. In game two, after fall-
ing behind 5-2, McNary ral-
lied for four runs in the bot-
tom of the fi fth and defeated
Summit 6-5 to pull off the
series sweep on Friday, April
26.
“All-in-all, we’re feeling
pretty good about getting a
couple gutsy wins,” McNary
head coach Larry Keeker
said. “We came up big in big
moments.”
After game one went
scoreless through three in-
nings, Summit struck for a
pair of runs in the top of the
fourth to take a 2-0 lead. But
that was the only damage the
Celtics gave up for the con-
test as starting pitcher Ren-
nick Jeffries gave up just two
runs (one earned) on two
hits while fanning nine in his
six innings of work.
The Celtics were getting
no-hit for for the fi rst four
innings by Summit pitcher
Hank Tobias. But Ty Covalt
fi nally got McNary off the
schneid with a leadoff single
to center fi eld to start the
top of the fi fth.
Covalt showed off his
wheels by stealing second
moments later, and then
eventually came into score
after a pair of wild pitches.
The offensive jolt for
McNary continued in the
bottom of the sixth as Ben-
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
Alex Tavera squares to bunt in game two of McNary’s doubleheader against Summit. The Celtics defeated the Storm 3-2 in the
fi rst game and 6-5 in the second game.
son began the frame with a
double to left fi eld. Benson
moved up 90 feet after a bunt
by Jamison Martin and then
tied the game at 2-2 after a
sacrifi ce fl y from Covalt.
Nigel Harris came in re-
lief of Jeffries on the hill in
the top of the seventh. While
Harris has struggled with his
command at times this sea-
son, the senior right-hander
pitched a 1-2-3 frame to
give his team a chance to
win it in the bottom half of
the inning.
“I have more confi dence
in what I’m throwing,” Har-
ris said. “It’s huge for me
when I take my time and
gain my balance.”
Harris also started the of-
fensive threat for the Celtics
in the bottom of the seventh
with a one-out walk, which
was followed by another free
pass to Devon Bedoya. After
a strikeout by Ian Martin,
Benson came to the plate
with two on and two out and
a chance to win the game.
Benson worked the count
to 2-1, then went the oppo-
site way with an outside fast-
ball and hit a sharp single to
right fi eld. Harris, who has
great speed, was able to score
easily to send the Celtics off
to the 3-2 win.
“I knew when I came up
McNary takes over top spot
in conference standings
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
With a chance to solidify
themselves at the top of the
league, the McNary softball
squad proved that they are
indeed the team to beat in
the Mountain Valley Confer-
ence.
The Celtics had a dou-
ble-digit run total in their
sixth consecutive game as
they pulled off the season
sweep against West Salem,
defeating the Titans 11-1 in
six innings via run rule, and
taking sole possession of fi rst
place in the MVC.
“They just keep raising
their level of play. Now, the
challenge is to keep it going,”
McNary head coach Kevin
Wise said.
While it was business as
usual for the McNary of-
fense, the Celtics also got a
great performance in the
circle from Faith Danner —
who pitched one of her best
games of the season against
the Titans.
The senior right-hander
gave up just one run on six
hits in six innings of work as
she looked to be in complete
command for the majority
of the contest.
“She came out and she
was dealing,” Wise said. “I
don’t think she missed on
any pitches I called all game.
It was a dominant perfor-
mance.
A single by Abbi Covalt
— who went 3-for-4 with a
pair of RBIs — and a one-
out double off the right fi eld
wall from Taylor Ebbs started
the Celtics threat in the bot-
tom of the fi rst.
Covalt would come in to
score after Danner ground-
ed to shortstop as McNary
went on top 1-0.
After the two teams trad-
ed runs in the second frame,
McNary broke the game
wide open in the bottom of
the third.
Covalt led off the in-
ning with a double to left
fi eld. With fi rst base empty,
West Salem head coach Ty
Nicholson elected to issue
an intentional walk to Ebbs
— who is hitting over .600
this season — to face Danner
and to keep the double play
in-tact.
When she walked up to
the dish, Danner was intent
on making the Titans pay for
the free pass to Ebbs.
Please see CELTICS, Page A11
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
McNary’s Kylie Dean gets set to throw the shot.
Celtics prepare for districts
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
Faith Danner went six innings and gave up just on run on six
hits, leading McNary to the 11-1 victory over West Salem.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary track team
came up just short in their fi -
nal two dual meets of the sea-
son on Wednesday, April 24, as
the girls fell to McKay 75.33-
50.66, while the boys lost to
the Royal Scots 75-50.
But with the Mountain
Valley Conference district
meet just weeks away, McNary
head coach Frank Gauntz likes
where his team is at as a whole.
“I feel really excited about
where we’re at right now,”
Gauntz said. “I don’t think
we’ll compete for a title or
anything, but the kids have put
themselves in the best position
to place or make the fi nals.”
While there were several
impressive performances on
both sides, McNary sprint-
er Bryan Hernandez stole the
show in this one.
The junior easily won
the 100 meters in 11.37 sec-
onds, then turned around and
smoked the competition in the
200m with a time of 23.17.
Both times were personal
records for Hernandez.
“My coaches have been
helping me a lot with my
craft,” Hernandez said. “I knew
that I had good races.”
Hernandez fl ew a little un-
der the radar before the sea-
son started, but through a lot
of training, he has now estab-
lished himself as one of the top
sprinters in the conference.
“We’ve always known he’s
had talent, but this year, Bryan
has come out and he has want-
ed to work,” Gauntz said. “I’m
looking for him to put himself
in a position to make it up to
state.”
Even though he is running
better than ever, Hernandez
still has some lofty expecta-
tions for himself before the end
of the season as he prepares for
the district and state meet.
“On the 100, I’m trying to
break 11 (seconds). And in the
in my last at-bat that I want-
ed to go the other way and it
just worked out and my me-
chanics came through,” Ben-
son said. “It’s a great feeling
when you get to fi rst base
and then your whole team
mobs you.”
Summit grabbed the ear-
ly advantage in game two
with fi ve runs in fi ve innings
off Bedoya — who got the
start on the mound for the
Celtics. But despite facing a
three-run defi cit, the Celtics
offense picked things up in
the bottom of the sixth.
Jacob Jackson doubled
to center fi eld to begin the
frame and then advanced to
third on a wild pitch. A one-
out sacrifi ce fl y from Covalt
then cut the defi cit to 5-3.
Alex Simpson kept things
going with a two-out double
to the right center fi eld gap
and was knocked in thanks
to a RBI-single by David
Allen.
Harris followed with a
seeing-eye single to the right
side to put the go-ahead run
on base.
“We just kept grinding,
it’s a mentality for us,” Harris
said. “We don’t want to give
up. That’s the character of
this team.”
On Harris’ single to right
fi eld, Allen tried to push the
envelope and go from fi rst
to third. The aggressive play
worked as the throw from
Summit’s Drew Steelham-
mer got past the third base-
man and Allen was able to
score on the error to tie the
game up while Harris ad-
vanced to second.
Soon after tying the game,
Harris swiped third base to
Please see BASE, Page A11
200 I’m trying to get below 23
(seconds),” Hernandez said.
The McNary boys also got
an impressive performance
from McLean Schmitt.
Schmitt took second in the
100-hurdles and set a new per-
sonal-best (16.38). Schmitt was
also victorious in the 300-hur-
dles (43.93).
“McLean is a technician.
He’s has been steady for us the
whole season. It’s really excit-
ing to see how he is running,”
Gauntz said.
Elio Carella took home a
win in the 800m (2:14.39) and
Gavin Gasperini fi nished fi rst
in the 3000m (10:23.68). The
Celtics also picked up wins in
both relay races.
Caitlyn Kiefi uk Yates and
Isabella Walker have been the
two most consistent and versa-
tile athletes for the Celtic girls
this season, and they proved it
once again in this meet.
Yates earned her top mark
of the season by winning the
100-hurdles in 17.13. She also
earned a victory in the long
jump with a seasonal-best leap
of 15-feet-3.75 inches.
Walker, on the other hand,
claimed her second win of
the conference season in the
300-hurdles (50.74).
“We’re hoping to get both
of them to peak at the right
time,” Gauntz said. “They both
really like to compete and
they’re here every single day
working hard.”
Audrey Williams pulled out
a win in the 800m (2:44.32)
while Brandi Grunberg pulled
out a victory in the pole vault
with her nine-foot jump.
McNary will travel to Bend
to compete in the MVC Dis-
trict meet starting on May 16
at Summit High School.