Granite Falls defeats Archbishop Murphy in softball

Published 11:39 pm Monday, April 19, 2010

EVERETT — Someone’s got a case of the Mondays.

For the third week in a row the Archbishop Murphy softball team came out flat on the first day of the week, this time dropping a 12-0 decision to Granite Falls in five innings.

Undefeated Granite Falls took advantage of a Murphy team that looked sloppy and intimidated — a far cry from the Wildcats that gave the Tigers all they could handle in a 9-8 thriller less than a week ago.

“We just didn’t come out ready to play,” Murphy coach Stephanie Arland said. “I have no idea what happened to us. Between Thursday and today a different group of girls came out.

“Mondays have not been our day … I don’t know what it is. Not ready, not fired up. Not ready to knock them off as an undefeated team.”

Alyssa Arndt surrendered six runs to Murphy Thursday, but was a phenom in the circle Monday, allowing one hit and striking out nine.

“We were all energized and we came ready to play,” Arndt said. “Last time we were a little bit tired.”

Because of games rescheduled due to rain, this was the Tigers sixth straight school day with a game. Coach Candi Reeves sat her senior ace down at the end of Thursday’s game and during Friday’s win over Coupeville in an attempt to get Arndt back to full strength. Arndt said she wasn’t back to 100 percent but the flailing Tiger batters didn’t seem to notice.

“I thought she did a great job … she’s mixing the pitches around,” Reeves said. “She did an excellent job keeping them from getting on base.”

Arndt did allow five walks, including loading the bases in the second inning but the Wildcats made it easy to escape the jam, chasing strike three for the final two outs of the inning. In the fourth, Chelsea Newgard broke up the no-hitter with a one-out single. After a walk and a passed ball, Murphy was in business with two runners in scoring position. However, a baserunning error turned a 6-3 groundout into an inning ending double play when Newgard was caught in a rundown.

Arland was puzzled with her offense, which averaged 12 hits per game last week including facing Arndt.

“She’s hittable,” Arland said. “We hit her just fine on Thursday. (We) came out almost looking intimidated.”

On the contrary, the Tiger bats were patient against Archbishop’s Amber Manuel, who had bouts of difficultly finding the strike zone. She walked seven and struck out four, going the distance.

The second was when the wheels came off for Manuel. After loading the bases with two walks and a bunt single, she got Chelaina Crews to ground into a fielder’s choice with a force at home.

Cacia Stevens, who hit 2-for-4 with two runs scored, popped a ball into the gap on the edge of the outfield beyond second base. Murphy shortstop Anna Whitehouse had the best shot at the ball and nearly collided with the runner leaving second base, but the ball fell between three defenders and the run that scored proved to be the only one the Tigers would need.

Arland protested that the runner interfered with Whitehouse, but after a several minute conference with the umpires, the play stood. After the controversial play, Manuel seemed rattled and allowed the next five batters to reach via a walk or a hit before retiring the 11th and 12th hitters to come up in the inning. Arndt had the big hit with a two-RBI double.

In the third inning it was the Murphy defense that was shaky. The Wildcats committed three of their four errors on the game, allowing three more Tiger runs—two unearned— to cross the plate.

After the game the errors were the biggest concern for Arland whose team is not eliminated from a shot at the Cascade Conference title with nine games remaining, including one more against Granite Falls, but the Wildcats certainly face an uphill climb with a four-game deficit.

“We’ve got to pick up our defense,” Arland said. “Our hitting has been there all season… our defense has to pick it up a little bit.”

On the other side the Tigers get to exhale and enjoy their first off weekday in more than a week today before resuming play Wednesday. Reeves is proud of the way her team pulled through the scheduling difficulties.

“It just shows how strong they are and how mentally tough they are,” Reeves said.

At Archbishop Murphy H.S.

Granite Falls06321—12120

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Manuel and Homes. Arndt and Spencer. WP—Arndt. LP—Manuel. 2B—Arndt (G), Hendsley (G). Records—Archbishop Murphy 5-4 league, 6-5 overall. Granite Falls 10-0, 11-0.