PAGE A14, KEIZERTIMES, JULY 12, 2019
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Martinez earns All-American status
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Alizea Martinez has always
had a passion for softball. But
it wasn’t until recently where
she discovered how good she
really is.
Martinez got the opportu-
nity to play in the 12-U USA
Softball All-American Games
at the National Softball Hall
of Fame Complex in Okla-
homa City, Okla., which took
place June 8-10. She was one
of only six players from Or-
egon selected to compete in
the 12-U age bracket.
Martinez attended a tryout
for the event back in February,
which took place in Washing-
ton and featured more than
90 players. Just over a month
later, she found out she was
one of 15 players that was se-
lected for the tournament to
represent region nine (Ore-
gon, Washington, Alaska and
Montana).
“I honestly cried when
I fi rst found out,” Martinez
said. “To say that you’re an
All-American player is just a
crazy feeling.”
There were 10 regions
featured in this tournament,
which featured players from
all across the country — some
regions had multiple 15-play-
er teams.
Martinez was required
to raise her own funds from
the trip, but thanks to selling
beef jerky as well as valuables
on various auction apps, col-
lecting pop cans and receiv-
ing generous donations from
family friends and members
of the Keizer community, she
was able to gain the funds
required for travel and hotel
accommodations for her and
her family.
When Martinez got to the
fi eld for practice the day be-
fore the tournament began,
she was in awe.
“When you fi rst walk into
the stadium, it’s the most
beautiful thing ever,” Marti-
nez said of the fi eld that plays
host to the Women’s College
World Series. “When you
realize that this is the place
where all the amazing softball
players have played, it just hits
you.”
During the fi ve-game
tournament, Martinez played
third base and shortstop and
helped region nine win three
out of their fi ve tournament
games. Her biggest contribu-
tion came in the fourth game
as her two-run single in the
fi rst inning gave region nine
a 3-0 win over region seven
(red).
“It was cool to go against
some of the really good girls
from places like California and
Texas,” Martinez said. “It’s cra-
zy to know that you’re playing
against girls from everywhere
in the United States.”
While she was thrilled to
show her skills against some of
the best talent in the country,
Martinez also greatly enjoyed
the friendships and bonds that
she formed with many of the
other players at the tourna-
ment.
“I got to know a lot of the
girls. They were all really wel-
coming,” Martinez said. “We
had some really good con-
nections. I had actually played
against some of my Oregon
teammates in the past, but I
never thought I was going to
be buddy-buddy with them.”
Even though she is only
going into eighth grade
at Claggett Creek Middle
School, Martinez already has
her sights set on playing major
college softball.
Martinez takes hitting les-
sons from former Oregon
Duck star Alexa Peterson, but
after visiting Oklahoma City
and seeing that UCLA has
won 13 National Champion-
ships, she now has shifted her
focus to hopefully one day
become a Bruin.
“I have always wanted to
play for the Ducks, but after
seeing how many World Se-
ries that UCLA has gone to, I
kind of started to change my
mind while I was over there,”
Martinez said. “Knowing that
UCLA is a big college, I know
that I’m going to have to work
even harder to get into it.”
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
Alizea Martinez was one of six players from the state of Oregon to compete in the 12-U USA
Softball All-American Games in Oklahoma City, Okla. in June.
Bulldogs blank Celts
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
McNary pitcher Alex Simpson went four innings in the Celtics 10-loss to West Albany.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
McNary could only muster one hit on the
evening as the Celtics D1 summer ball team
team fell to West Albany 10-0 in six innings
on Wednesday, July 3.
Despite the offensive woes throughout the
contest, McNary still had great opportunities
in almost every inning.
After one-out walks from Alex Simpson
and Eric Olsen, the Celtics couldn’t cash in as
Griffen Hubbard fanned and Erik Sorenson
grounded to the pitcher to end the top of
the fi rst.
Simpson, who got the start on the mound
for McNary, gave up a early run but retired
the next three hitters to get out of trouble.
Even with a pair of errors in the frame,
Simpson was on the verge of getting out of
trouble again. But with two outs and the bases
loaded, Simpson beamed a West Albany hitter
with an 0-2 change-up to bring in a run. He
would also issue free passes to the next two
hitters, putting the Bulldogs on top 4-0.
The Celtics string of missed opportunities
continued in the top of the third as, for the
third consecutive frame, McNary had a run-
ner in scoring position but couldn’t cash in.
West Albany took advantage in the bottom
half of the frame with a two-out, RBI-sin-
gle, extending their lead to 5-0. Simpson,
however, was able to throw a scoreless fourth
frame, which ended up being his fi nal inning
of work.
Simpson was replaced on the mound by
Logan Ready, who threw a scoreless inning
in the bottom of the fi fth.
McNary’s best chance to push one across
came in the top of the sixth when Olsen
legged out an infi eld single for the Celtics
only hit of the game. Olsen advanced to third
when the throw to try and get him at fi rst
sailed into right fi eld.
But with a runner 90 feet away, both Hub-
bard and Sorenson struck out. Mayer then
fl ew out to right fi eld as the Celtics were
turned away once again.
The Bulldogs struck for fi ve runs in the
bottom of the sixth to end the game early via
run-rule.
McNary’s D1 team plays in the McMin-
nville Tournament this weekend. Their next
summer league game will be at North Salem
at 5 p.m.
Volcanoes continue hot streak against Canadians
BY HERB SWETT
Of the Keizertimes
A 6-1 victory for the
Salem-Keizer
Volcanoes
opened a three-game home
series with Vancouver on
Thursday, July 4.
The crowd of 5,443, the
best in fi ve years, saw the
usual Independence Day
pregame ceremonies and
post-game fi reworks. Start-
er Kervin Castro was the
winning pitcher with a 2-1
record, and Sean Roby and
Ricardo Genoves led the
attack for the Salem-Keizer
offense.
The game was scoreless
until the bottom of the fi fth
inning. After Yorlis Rodri-
guez fl ew out to left fi eld
with a drive that just missed
being a home run, Kwan
Adkins tripled to right fi eld.
Vancouver starter Grant
Townsend was replaced
by Parker Caracci, who
walked Simon Whiteman.
Whiteman stole second base,
and Roby walked as well
to load the bases. Ricar-
do Genoves then doubled
to right, driving in all three
runners.
Townsend became the
losing pitcher at 1-2.
Castro went six innings,
striking out four, allowing
two hits, and walking four.
Chris Roberts pitched the
seventh and eighth innings.
In the seventh, the Volca-
noes scored the rest of their
runs. Alex Canario hit a one-
out single to center. Roby
drove him in with a triple
to center. Genoves drew a
base on balls. A wild pitch by
Joshua Almonte scored Roby.
Franklin Labour doubled to
left, driving in Genoves.
The Canadians got their
lone run of the game in the
ninth off of Bryce Tucker.
Luis de los Santos reached
fi rst base on a force out and
went to second on an error
by second baseman, Rodri-
guez. Trevor Schwecke drove
de los Santos in with a single
to center.
Asked how the Volcanoes
had been improving their
overall play lately, manager
Mark Hallberg said it was a
combination of things.
“Sometimes a team turns
itself right around,” he said.
“We just have fun,” was
Labour’s reply to the same
question. “We have good
chemistry.”
Most of the improvement
has been in the pitching. Cas-
tro, primarily a fastball pitcher,
Please see SKV Page A 10
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
Kwan Atkins (10) greets Beicker Mendoza at home plate after Mendoza scored on a RBI-single
by Yorlis Rodriguez in the Volcanoes 13-3 win over Vancouver on Friday, July 5.