PAGE A12, KEIZERTIMES, MAY 17, 2019
Sandy spoils McNary’s senior night TENNIS,
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
After dropping their fi nal
four games in Mountain Val-
ley Conference play, McNary
was hoping to get back on
the right foot before postsea-
son play begins next week.
But in the fi nal home game
of the season, the Celtics had
their senior night spoiled by
the Sandy Pioneers, as Mc-
Nary was non-competitive
for the majority of the game
in their 13-2 loss on Tuesday,
May 14.
Needless to say, this was
not the way the Celtics want-
ed their home season to end.
“At this point, we’re just
going to have to try and fl ush
this effort,” McNary head
coach Larry Keeker said.
McNary’s downfall in the
beginning of the contest was
on the defensive side. The
Celtics made six errors in the
fi rst two innings and allowed
Sandy to jump out to a 5-0
lead.
While the Celtics were
dealing with some injuries
and made some lineup ac-
commodations to get all the
seniors more playing time,
Keeker acknowledged his
displeasure with the defen-
sive miscues.
“Our defense was very
poor. There was no excuse
for it.,” Keeker said. “We just
didn’t play well.”
Nigel Harris, who was
coming back from a high
ankle sprain, pitched the fi rst
two innings for the Celtics.
Harris came out for the top
of the third, but was replaced
by Alex Simpson after giving
up back-to-back doubles and
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
McNary pitcher Nigel Harris unleashes a fastball towards the
plate in the Celtics 13-2 loss to Sandy.
not recording an out in the
frame.
Simpson hasn’t got a lot of
time on the bump this sea-
son, but still provided some
quality innings for the Celt-
ics in his outing. The junior
right-hander threw three
innings and gave up only
one run, keeping his team in
striking distance.
“In the few innings he’s
had this season, Alex has
shown us that there is some
potential there,” Keeker said.
Sandy increased their lead
to 6-0 in the top of the third,
but McNary was able to re-
spond in the bottom half of
the frame.
Jacob Jackson started the
inning off by reaching on an
error by the Sandy shortstop
– he was pinch run for by
Alex Tavera. Simpson earned
a free pass on the next at-
bat and both runners would
move into scoring position
on a wild pitch just moments
later.
Tavera scored on another
wild pitch to give McNary
their fi rst run of the game.
Simpson would come home
when Robert Benson roped
an RBI-double that one-
hopped the wall in left fi eld,
cutting the Sandy lead to 7-2.
The Celtics had several
other opportunities to con-
tinue to cut into the Sandy
lead, but could never take
advantage.
After leaving a pair of run-
ners stranded in the bottom
of the fourth, McNary load-
ed up the bases in the fi fth.
But after working the count
to full, Sandy pitcher Tanon
Main struck out Darren Kin-
naird to end the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth,
McNary would once again
pack the bags after drawing
a pair of walks to go along
with a single from Simpson.
Noah Bach, however,
couldn’t come through for
the Celtics as he grounded
into a fi elder’s choice.
“We faced some quality
high school pitchers tonight,”
Keeker said. “We have to be
really focused and have our
competitive juices in place
in order to deal with quality
teams because our margin of
error is so small.”
“We can’t afford to be
lackadaisical.”
Benson, who came in to
pitch in the top of the sixth,
threw a scoreless inning to
start his outing. But Sandy
teed off on him in the top of
the seventh, pushing six runs
across the board to go up by
double-digits.
Despite fi nishing below
.500 this season, McNary
was still able to qualify for
the playoffs this season. Their
fi rst-round game will be on
the road on Monday, May 20
and will likely come against
one of the top fi ve ranked
teams in the state.
“We have to commit and
be fully prepared for Mon-
day because we’ll be get-
ting ready to face a top-tier
team,” McNary catcher Ty
Covalt said.
continued from Page A16
other McNary boys to pick
up a win on the singles side
ans he defeated Grant Burk
from Mountain View 8-5 in
the fi rst round of the conso-
lation bracket.
The freshman doubles
team of Grant Goesch and
Jaden Rhines won McNary’s
only other match in the fi rst
round of the consolation
doubles tournament (8-6).
“Grant and Jaden both im-
proved by leaps and bounds
the last three weeks of league
play. They also played their
best tennis at districts and
started to have some fl ashes
of greatness,” McAvoy said.
“I think they got a glimpse
of what they could do with
more experience and prac-
tice. I am hoping to build on
that next year.”
“They have a huge upside
and I look forward to see
them develop as players and
as young men the next three
years.”
The McNary boys team
had to break in a lot of new
players this year, but McAvoy
was pleased with the fi ght
that they showed every day.
“The word for the season
was courage. Kids showed a
lot of courage to come out
and try a new sport and then
to have to go out day after
day and play versus com-
petition that was at a pretty
high level. But nobody quit
and nobody complained. I’m
proud of them,” McAvoy
said.
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
McNary’s Jorie Skipper attempts to send a backhand shot over
the net in a match from earlier this season.
Wilson honored
Former Keizertimes G.I. Wilson won fi rst place in the humor
category of the Excellence In Craft competition at the annual
Northwest Outdoor Writers Association Conference last week
in Wenatchee, Washington. The article, which ran in the Keizer-
times in December of 2018, is titled Buford and the Willamette
Sturgeon.
WorshipDirectory
These Salem-Keizer houses of worship invite you to visit. Call to list your church in our Worship Directory: (503) 390-1051
KEIZER CLEAR LAKE
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
a member of Open Door
Churches of Salem-Keizer
REV. ALYSSA BAKER, Lead Pastor
Services are Sunday at 10 am
(Nursery & Sunday School for Children)
7920 Wheatland Rd N • 503-393-2402 • www.kclumc.org
PEOPLESCHURCH
4500 LANCASTER DR NE | SALEM
503.304.4000 • www.peopleschurch.com
Father Gary L. Zerr, Pastor
Saturday Vigil Liturgy: 5:30 p.m.
Sundays: 8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
La Misa en Español: 12:30 p.m.
SUNDAY
SERVICES
4505 River Road N, Keizer • 503-393-4507
www.FLCkeizer.org
Sunday School - 9:00 am
Worship Service -10:00 am
452 Cummings Lane North • 393-0404
8:30 am • 10 am • 11:30 am • 6 pm
Faith Lutheran Church , ELCA
Pastor Linda Matz Easterling
John Knox Presbyterian Church
JOIN US FOR
SUNDAY WORSHIP
9:00 am
Children’s Programs, Student and Adult Ministries
1755 Lockhaven Dr. NE Keizer
503-390-3900
www.dayspringfellowship.com
and
10:45 am
www.KeizerChristian.org
Rev. Dr. John Neal, Pastor
Worship - 10:30 a.m.
Education Hour - 9:15 a.m.
Nursery Care Available
www.keizerjkpres.org