Shakin’ it look easy: Monterey cruises to win in first round over Doyline, 15-0

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Monterey High sophomore Sarah Gray left her sixth-period class Tuesday to go to the restroom, except that’s not where she was going.

Gray was on a mission to find something to calm her nerves — and the nerves of the rest of the Lady Wolves that afternoon in their LHSAA Class B first-round playoff game.

“We don’t really ever get nervous for games,” Gray said. “But today, we were all so nervous. I left class and I collected everyone’s water bottles from the hallway. Then I went outside and just filled them all up with rocks.”

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The result? Homemade noisemakers.

“We ended up with like 30 water bottles,” Gray said. “I wanted us to be as loud as we could.”

Loud they were.

A quiet moment for tenth-ranked Monterey was hard to come by as the Lady Wolves run-ruled No. 23 Doyline in three innings, 15-0.

“We have a lot of spirit,” Monterey coach Cary Shivley said. “When our dugout gets rolling, they really get loud and they are fun.

“It keeps everybody up and everybody is just having a good time. They are playing ball.”

Starting pitcher Avery Cupit led the way for the Lady Wolves tossing a no-hitter in all three innings.

Cupit struck out five batters and gave up just two walks — back-to-back to start the third inning.

“I was nervous, too,” Cupit said. “It’s a playoff game, so if we lose we are done. If I pitch bad then that’s it.”

Shively praised the efforts of his pitcher.

“She had a little bump there in the third, but she recovered from it,” he said. “She pitched well and hit her spots.”

While the defense backed up Cupit’s performance, the Monterey offense was equally as effective.

The Lady Wolves had a few on base in the first inning, but only managed to score one run. They then followed up with six runs in the second and eight in the third.

Jessica Woodrum, Madison Passman and Harlie Murray all ended with two hits. Andy Gray, Allie Lipsey, Kayleigh Mount and Cupit also got in on the action with one hit each.

“We had a great day at the plate,” Shively said. “We are just trying to do whatever works and that worked today.

Monterey advances to the regional round and will play at 4 p.m. Friday at No. 7 Fairview.

“We are just glad to be going to another round,” Shively said. “In the playoffs you never know.”

And for Monterey’s new good luck charm, Sarah Gray said she will definitely be packing the noisemakers for Friday.

“I think they helped us a lot,” she said. “I’m very excited. I really want to make it to state, and I think we can do it.”