AMHS advances to state

MOUNT VERNON — With a trip to the Class 2A state regional playoffs on the line, Archbishop Murphy senior co-captain Ben Shively told coach Ed Gay he wanted the ball.

Shively had already done yeoman’s work earlier in the week to help get the Wildcats to the winner-to-state game against Lakewood on May 13. He drove in the winning run and threw five innings in relief to pick up the win in a 14-inning loser-out game against Blaine May 9.

In Archbishop Murphy’s 7-5 victory over Lakewood at Sherman Anderson Field in Mount Vernon, he proved his mettle again.

Shively threw six strong innings, giving up five hits and three runs, striking out four and walking four.

“I was just trying to locate the ball today,” Shively said. “We knew what we had to do with certain guys and we just tried to hit our spots in order to get them out. I thought our catcher called a good game, Nick McNaughton. We just got the job done.”

Shively also went 2-for-3 and drove in the Wildcats’ first two runs on a single in the first inning.

The Wildcats scored six runs in the first two innings on only two hits as Lakewood committed three errors.

In the bottom of the first, Shiloh Keo reached base on an error, a pitch hit Nick Muller, and both runners advanced on a passed ball. Shively followed with a base hit to drive in Keo and Muller, and later scored on a double steal.

Lakewood catcher Bryson Renouard’s RBI single scored Dallas Smith in the second, but Archbishop Murphy capitalized on Cougar miscues on the bottom half of the inning.

Lakewood ace Ryan Martin issued a one-out walk to John-Paul Blair, and Blair stole second and scored on Keo’s single to left. Keo moved to second on the throw home and then stole third. Muller hit a slow roller to Martin who caught Keo between third and home, but the Cougars botched the rundown and Keo scored and Muller slid into second. Tony Ackerman hit a two-out grounder to shortstop Marcus Harkins, whose wild throw to first allowed Muller to score.

“We try and work on our baserunning and do everything right on the basepaths,” Shively said. “That’s something our coaching staff has done a good job teaching us about this year. We just watch for the things to do and where we can take the extra bases.”

Martin, who struck out 11, settled down after that. Archbishop Murphy could muster only one more hit, a lead-off hustle double by Shively in the fifth. Shively advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Jack Lyons grounder. Despite getting only three hits off Martin, the Wildcats managed to manufacture enough runs to beat Martin for the first time.

“We told the guys if you put the ball in play against Martin things could happen,” Gay said. “And that’s exactly what happened today is we put the ball in play. He’s a great pitcher.”

Lakewood rallied for two runs in the sixth on a RBI single by Smith that scored Brandon Stauffer and deep sacrifice fly to left by Jordan Stauffer to drive in Smith.

Sophomore Seafth Howe relieved Shively in the seventh and gave up three consecutive hits including a two-run double to Brandon Stauffer. But he buckled down and struck out the side to end the game.

“Those first two innings we gave them too many freebies and you can’t do that. We couldn’t come back all the way from that,” Lakewood coach Larry Delaney said.

The Wildcats held a three-hour batting practice session the day before the game to prepare which paid off. The coaches also played a compact disc of clips of inspirational speeches from movies to motivate the team as well.

Archbishop Murphy, back in the state 2A regional playoffs for the second consecutive year, will play Ephrata at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 20 at Yakima’s Parker Field. Ephrata features hard-throwing pitcher Michael Radigan, who hit four home runs in the district playoffs.

Archbishop Murphy won the 1A state title in Yakima 2004.

“Last time we were in Yakima we won a state championship, so going back there for regionals is huge motivation,” Shively said. “We’re just going to try and seize the moment, take advantage and take it game by game.”