Don Ketchum
Former Staff Writer, AZPreps365.com

No timeout? No matter for Greenway baseball in 7-2 victory

April 4, 2014 by Don Ketchum, AZPreps365


There are times when an umpire’s best call is the one he doesn’t make.

That is how the baseball team from Phoenix Greenway had to look at it on Friday (April 4).

With the score tied at 2, two men out and a runner at second against host Scottsdale Saguaro in the top of the sixth inning, Greenway pinch-hitter Cody Fisher asked the umpire for time.

Fisher apparently asked too late, his request was not granted and he had to face the music.

The pitch came and he punched it up the middle for a run-scoring single to break the tie. Greenway went on to score two more runs in the inning and added two more in the top of the seventh for good measure for a 7-2 victory.

Greenway, second in Division II power points entering the day, climbed to 13-2 and Saguaro, No. 5 in points, slipped to 15-4.

Meanwhile, Greenway senior ace right-hander Tyler Frost was on target most of the way. He gave up just one hit, struck out five, walked two and hit two batters. He threw 84 pitches.

“Our guys kept their composure. Their guy (left-handed pitcher Nick Meservey) has a good arm and he is competitive,’’ said Greenway coach Matt Denny.

“We knew we would be in for a good, tough match. We called it a “tester.’ We knew we were going to have to play well.’’

Saguaro got to Denny for a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run double by Stephen Gifford over the right fielder’s head. Greenway tied it with two in the fourth.

Denny was pleased with the way Denny avoided some potential jams.

“Tyler left the ball up a little, but there weren’t many mistakes. I was impressed with his composure,’’ Denny said.

This is Frost’s fourth and final year as a varsity pitcher, but it seems like he has been around a lot longer than that.

“He pitched a little bit as a freshman, and then he got beat up as a sophomore,’’ Denny said. “It seems strange to say, but that might have been good for him. In the middle of his sophomore year, he started to come into his own. He had 30-something scoreless innings in 2012.’’