PAGE A12, KEIZERTIMES, AUGUST 7, 2020
KEIZERTIMES.COM
McNary seniors get fi nal sendoff on the diamond
The
attendance
was
BY MATT RAWLINGS
capped at 250 and fans were
Of the Keizertimes
Even though they didn’t required to practice social
get their fi nal year of prep distancing. Masks were being
baseball, fi ve McNary se- worn in the dugout and balls
niors got to experience one were sanitized regularly. But
last hurrah on the diamond. even in the midst of a na-
Alex Simpson, Danny tional pandemic, both players
Okada, Ethan Patterson, and coaches found joy in the
Jamison Martin and Alex return to semi-normalcy.
“Honestly, it was actu-
Tavera all competed for
Team Lincecum last week- ally really nice just being
able to be in
end as Volca-
the
coach’s
noes Stadium
box
and
played
host “It felt really
talk to kids
to the 2020
when
they
senior day se- good to have
were coming
ries,
which the opportu-
around third.
featured more
It was fun. I
that 100 high nity to play
really enjoyed
school seniors
one last time
it,” said Mc-
from 48 dif-
Nary
head
ferent schools with guys that I
coach Larry
across
the
have known for Keeker, who
state.
was one of the
The prep years,”
coaches
for
baseball season
— Jamison Martin, the Lincecum
was canceled
McNary senior
squad.
in the spring
To begin
due to the
their opening
C OV I D - 1 9
pandemic, which prompted game against Team Sandoval,
the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Team Lincecum trotted out
to honor the seniors in a dif- an all McNary infi eld in the
ferent capacity — by giving top of the fi rst, with Oka-
them the opportunity to play da getting the start on the
with their high school jersey mound. Tavera and Simpson
played up the middle while
for the fi nal time.
“One of the most cher- Patterson and Martin took
ished events in high school position at the corners.
Scappoose coach Camer-
baseball is Senior Day at
the fi eld. It’s usually the last on Webb came up with the
home game of the season idea to have all Celtics in the
and provides a fi nal recog- infi eld in front of the home-
nition for the senior players town fans.
“Cameron told me that
and their parents who have
supported their efforts for we should fi ll the whole in-
so many years,” said Volca- fi eld to start the game with
noes CEO Mickey Walker, McNary kids and I said ‘that
who’s also an assistant coach would be fantastic’,” Keeker
for McNary. “COVID-19 said. “I wasn’t going to try to
destroyed this emotional infl uence the lineup, but he
opportunity, along with all was really gracious and rec-
high school games, this year. ognized that it would be a
We wanted to do something cool thing to do.”
Okada retired the fi rst
for the seniors, and providing
them an opportunity to take batter on a fl y-out to left
the fi eld again seemed to be fi eld then struck out the sec-
ond hitter with a nasty 3-2
the perfect scenario.”
The seniors were divided breaking ball. He gave up
into eight different squads, a bloop single later in the
named after Volcanoes and frame, but a sweet play from
San Francisco Giants leg- Tavera at short on a drib-
ends. Each team played two bling ground ball got Lince-
games in the round robin cum out of the inning.
tournament that was held
from July 31 to Aug. 2.
Please see MCNARY, Page A10
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
FROM RIGHT TO LEFT: Jamison Martin, Alex Tavera, Danny Okada, Ethan Patterson and Alex Simpson got to play one fi nal time
in their Celtics uniform in the senior day tournament at Volcanoes Stadium.
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
LEFT: Ethan Patterson goes from fi rst to third on a base hit. RIGHT: Alex Tavera hits a hard grounder in his second at-bat.
Offense carries Celts in victory over Woodburn
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
J.T. Vachter delivers to the plate in McNary’s 14-6 win over Woodburn.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary Youth Base-
ball 12U squad exploded for
four runs in the fi rst inning
and six runs in the fi fth on
their way to a 14-6 victory
over Woodburn on Wednes-
day, July 29.
While they played with a
mix of new kids and expe-
rienced players, the Celtics
proved to be in-sync for the
majority of the game.
“I was pleased with the
way that we played and com-
peted. We had a lot of kids
playing in different positions
and they all kept their focus
really well,” Celtics coach
Bob Wort said.
After giving up a leadoff
triple and a walk to begin
the contest, Celtics pitcher
J.T. Vachter fanned the next
two hitters he faced, then got
out of the frame unscathed
by forcing a groundout.
In the bottom half of the
inning, the Celtics bats got
hot immediately.
Bryce Felbob doubled to
center fi eld to start the in-
ning, which was followed by
another two-bagger by Hen-
ry Wort to give the Celtics
a 1-0 lead. McNary upped RBI-groundout and Tanen
their advantage to 3-0 when Swing scored later in the
Luke Allen hit a two-run frame after J.P. Herring
moonshot over the wall in reached on an error.
Felbob replaced Vachter
left fi eld.
on the bump
“We have
in the top of
the ability to
the third and
score in a hur- “ We have the
gave up two
ry. We have ability to score
runs in two
a bunch of
innings
of
kids that can in a hurry. We
work.
get on base, have a bunch
“Our guys
which really
don’t throw
helps
when of kids that can
super hard, but
you have a get on base,
they throw a
couple
kids
lot of strikes.
that can hit which really
That’s what
it out,” Wort helps when you
it’s all about
said.
at this level,”
Derek Ol- have a couple
said. “If
ivio
came
kids that can hit Wort
you can avoid
around
to
walks and free
score later in it out.”
passes,
you
the frame after
— Bob Wort, can do pretty
reaching on a
McNary coach
well.”
hit-by-pitch.
Felbob hit
Woodburn
his
second
came back to
score a pair in the top of the double of the contest to lead
second on a two-run bloop off the bottom of the third.
single, but the Celtics re- Henry Wort, the next batter,
sponded with two runs of followed with a towering
their own to keep their lead two-run bomb to left fi eld
to extend McNary’s lead to
at four.
Parker
DeMarco
knocked in a run with an
Please see MYB, Page A10