EVERETT — Led by Ben Shively’s four hits and four RBI, Archbishop Murphy battered Cedarcrest 10-0 April 24 in a game shortened to five innings by the 10-run mercy rule.
The Wildcats took extra batting practice the morning of Saturday, April 22, and it paid off as they tagged Cedarcrest pitchers Travis Cook and Matt Gall for 11 hits.
“I told the boys I think that’s our key right now, hitting the ball. We haven’t been doing it consistently,” Archbishop Murphy coach Ed Gay said. “I think today guys took a different approach to the plate.”
Shively’s double to left-center field in the bottom of the first scored Nick Muller for the game’s first run. Shively scored on a botched throw during a double steal attempt. Tony Ackerman beat a throw home on a fielder’s choice by Jake Lyons to make it 3-0 Wildcats.
Shively singled and scored on a double steal in the third inning and slapped an RBI single to score Shiloh Keo in the fourth to make it 5-0.
In the fifth, John-Paul Blair drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Lyons. Keo followed with a two-run single. After Nick Muller walked to load the bases again, Shively ripped a base hit to right-center field to end the game.
“We just waited for our pitches and drove ‘em,” Shively said. “I don’t think I saw an offspeed pitch on the day, that probably helped me out a little. I was just jumping on it early, swinging the bat early in the count and was successful with it today.”
Blair, the starting pitcher, gave up five hits, walked none, struck out four and hit a batter in five innings. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning by getting Cook to pop up to first baseman Nick McNaughton. Blair improved to 4-2 on the season with the shutout.
“We called a few bad pitches, that’s where some of the hits came from, but he responded well after that,” Gay said. “He pitched well. He kept the ball down, he located the ball pretty well.”
Blair, who throws four pitches, a fastball, curve, slider and change-up, had his fastball and curve working.
The Wildcats improved to 8-5 in the Cascade Conference and 9-9 overall with the win while Cedarcrest fell to 3-10 in the conference.
Through Monday’s games, Archbishop Murphy held the second Northwest District playoff seed among Class 2A teams behind Granite Falls.
“I think we’re developing as a team and we’re just trying to get ourselves ready for the postseason so we can reach our peak in the postseason,” Shively said.
Said Blair: “We just need to keep the intensity up.”
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