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Bethel hands Denbigh 2nd baseball loss
By Melinda Waldrop| mwaldrop@dailypress.com

Justin Shively said Cameron Roth is a good buddy of his. On Monday, Shively seemed intent on breaking up the friendship.

Shively, Bethel's sophomore starter, outdueled Roth, Denbigh's senior ace, in a 3-0 game as the Bruins became just the second team to beat the Patriots this season and moved closer to a second-place Peninsula District finish and a first-round tournament bye.

"I got real nervous at the very beginning," said Shively (6-2), who recorded his first varsity shutout. "(Bethel) coach (Brett) Wheeler had a lot to say. He came up to me and told me just to relax and enjoy the game of baseball."

Bethel's Daniel Hudgins belted a two-run home run in the first inning, and the Bruins (13-4-1, 12-4-1 Peninsula District) made those runs stand up against the regular-season district champion Patriots (17-2, 15-2), giving up just three hits and ending Denbigh's best scoring chance with a double play in the fourth.

"I told the guys today that their destiny was in their hands," said Wheeler, whose team can clinch second with a victory today against winless Phoebus. "They had to come out and play hard, and as long as they did that, they were in the driver's seat."

Shively didn't allow a baserunner until a one-out walk in the third, and with two outs, Denbigh senior shortstop Aaron Watkins, got the Patriots' first hit with a single up the middle.

In the fourth inning, Roth ripped a one-out line drive that Bethel shortstop Kizuku Scott kept in the infield with a diving stop to put runners at first and second. Denbigh's next batter, Matt Watlett, hit a chopper to third base, where Zack Sanders tagged the bag and fired a one-hopper to first in time to get Watlett by a step and end the inning.

The Patriots' defense wouldn't be outdone. In the sixth, Scott walked, stole second and took third on a passed ball. Wheeler called for a squeeze bunt, but Hudgins popped up to Roth, and Scott, three-fourths of the way down the baseline, was doubled off third.

Denbigh then sent the heart of its order to the plate, but Shively struck out Watkins and got back-to-back grounders to shortstop as the Patriots' top three hitters combined to go 1-for-9.

The Bruins' third run came in the seventh on a balk by Roth, who struck out 11 and allowed just four hits.

Shively hit Roth with one out in Denbigh's last at-bat, but ended the game with a flyout and a strikeout.

"That was a big game for them," Denbigh coach Rusty Ingram said. "We clinched (the regular-season district title) on Friday, and we didn't match their intensity."

Bethel 3, Denbigh 0
Bethel 200 000 1 – 3 4 0
Denbigh 000 000 0 – 0 3 0
W – Shively (6-2). L – Roth (7-2). Standouts – Bethel: Copley 2-3, 2B; Hudgins 1-3, HR, 2 RBI; Denbigh: Roth 1-2.
Records: Bethel 13-4-1, 12-4-1 PD; Denbigh 17-2, 15-2 PD.

[WHATS-UP???]

Looks like Denbigh has a hard time winning tough games with all the "INDIVIDUAL" players and parents THEY HAVE. Even the reporters are having a hard time not getting caught up in the POLITICS AT DENBIGH. The teams who play as a team are on the run and will prevail from here on.
The RUBBER STAMP year may get the best of this team yet.

[BaseballFan1]

Have to say that their must be some pretty good "INDIVIDUALS" on that team to be 15-2 and beat every team in the district while not playing as a team. "TOUGH GAMES" you may be right on that one, and starting Monday week they will have plenty of those kind of games (District Tourn & Regional Tourn). For sure time will answer that question.

Whoever put the RUBBER STAMP on this team must have known something, cause this years PD race is over.

[WHATS-UP???]

Time will tell if this group of very talented players can play with a TEAM.
Denbigh needs the parents and players to leave their I'm THE KING EGO at home and find a team leader to step up and put a TEAM together for the real competition ahead. Time has come for the real truth to be told. Don't rely on the press write-ups just look at the game scores.

[nancyblackmon]

I work at Denbigh and see these kids every day. I can't speak about parent's egos, but I can speak for the quality and integrity of the players. This is a exceptional group of young men and they deserve the fantastic season they've had. PD Tourney play is always a crapshoot, but Denbigh has the quality players and leadership to represent us well.

[WHATS-UP???]

You need to go watch one of their games. Watch the parents in action.