PAGE A16, KEIZERTIMES, MAY 17, 2019
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Celts crowned conference champs
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlihgs
The McNary softball team fl ashes the #1 sigh after defeatihg Behd 12-2 oh Saturday, May 11. The Celtics clihched the Mouhtaih Valley Cohferehce title with a 13-1 record ih league play.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary softball
team knew they had already
clinched the Mountain Val-
ley Conference title in their
previous game before they
took the fi eld against Bend
on Saturday, May 11.
But putting an exclama-
tion point on the conference
season on senior night was
still a sweet moment for the
Lady Celts.
Faith Danner pitched six
innings and gave up just sev-
en hits and one earned run to
along with her 3-for-4 day at
the dish, propelling McNary
to the 12-2 run-rule victory
against Bend.
“I knew this team was
capable to accomplish what
they just did,” McNary head
coach Kevin Wise said.
“I love this group. It all
comes down to their work
ethic and their willingness
to just fi ght over and over
again.”
Coming into the season
Danner, who is one of only
two seniors on the team,
knew that she had to step
up both on the fi eld and in
a leadership role for a roster
that has four sophomores
and three freshmen. But so
far, Danner has loved play-
ing with a team that is young
and hungry.
“It’s be really awesome to
play with this group,” Danner
said. “We have all been really
supportive of each other. I’m
going to miss them when
the season is over.”
McNary fi nishes MVC
play with a 13-1 record and
ended the regular season on
a 12-game win streak. They
also put up double-digit run
totals in all but one of their
league contests.
Even though they won
via mercy-rule, the Celtics
still had to deal with some
adversity in this game.
McNary held a 1-0 lead
when they took the fi eld
in the top of the second in-
ning thanks to an RBI-single
from Taylor Ebbs in the bot-
tom of the fi rst.
Bend’s Maya Eliff hit a
hard ground ball to Ebbs at
shortstop to begin the sec-
ond frame. Ebbs put herself
in perfect position to make
the play, but the ball took a
bad hop and hit her square
in the face.
After being tended to for
more than 10 minutes, Ebbs
had to be escorted off the
fi eld with a fractured nose.
It was diffi cult for the rest
of the McNary squad to see
their teammate and star slug-
ger in so much pain. But like
they have for much of the
season, the Celtics found a
way to be resilient.
“That sucked to watch,”
Danner said. “But we be-
lieved in each other and we
all wanted to win for Taylor.”
Bend tied the game with
a run in the top of the sec-
ond. McNary, however, re-
sponded by producing a pair
of runs in the bottom half of
the frame.
Hannah Ebner laid down
a perfect sacrifi ce bunt to
move Shaylee Cluster and
Kayelee Schwab into scoring
position after they were both
issued free passes.
Kamryn Miller brought in
Please see CELTS, Page A13
McNary tehhis battles at district tourhameht
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary girls and
boys tennis teams closed
out their respective seasons
last week at the Mountain
Valley Conference District
Tournament May 6-7. The
boys team competed at the
Salem Tennis and Swim
Club, while the girls played
in Sunriver.
“I am very pleased with
this season. There was im-
provement over the season
across the board. The girls
who put in the effort real-
ly developed and we have
set ourselves up to be even
more successful next year,”
McNary girls tennis coach
Sean Smith said. “I hope
even more girls try tennis
next year and we can contin-
ue to develop a competitive
program.”
Gina Munguia and Nata-
lia Gonzalez started off the
fi rst day for the Lady Celts
by winning their opening
match in thrilling fashion (6-
4, 4-6, 7-5) against Moun-
tain View’s top doubles squad
to move onto the second
round. The duo would drop
their second match 6-1, 6-3.
After losing their fi rst
round match, Jorie Skipper
and McKinsey Jarragin ral-
lied to win their fi rst round
consolation doubles match
8-5. Ashlyn Lyda and McK-
enzie Proctor also picked
up an a victory (8-4) on the
consolation side.
Even though it’s only her
fi rst year playing tennis, Lexy
McKay proved that she could
hang with some of the best
singles players in the MVC.
McKay picked up an easy
8-1 win in her fi rst conso-
lation match, then followed
it up with an 8-4 victory to
advance to the consolation
semifi nals — where she fell
8-4.
“It is amazing for a fi rst
year player to make it that
far in the bracket; so that was
very exciting. (McKay) has
great athletic ability and is
very coachable,” Smith said.
“She has the ability to get
to the ball and get it back,
which leads to success in our
league.”
Avery Haymowicz also
took home a win in her fi rst
consolation match (8-3),
helping the Celtics fi nish in
seventh place.
“I was impressed with the
attitude of the whole team.
They are all so positive and
come off the courts, win
or lose, excited about their
match and how they played,”
Smith said.
On the boys side, Luke
Skipper started off the tour-
nament with a dominant
6-0, 6-0 win against South
Salem’s Ben Byler in the fi rst
round of the singles tourna-
ment.
“Luke Skipper is a seri-
ous competitor. He is one
of those players that hates
to get beat. And he is crafty,”
McNary boys tennis coach
Marc McAvoy said. “He
plays a very patient and ce-
rebral game. A lot of his suc-
cess is related to his ability to
outlast his opponent. I have
seen him beat some very
quality players over the last
two seasons.”
Adam Graneto was the
Please see TENNIS, Page A12
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlihgs
McNary’s Graht Goesch competes at the Mouhtaih Valley Cohferehce district meet oh Mohday,
May 6.