Coupeville Sports

       Hailey Hammer, making a nice defensive play in an early season game here, scored the lone run Wednesday. (John Fisken photo)

The road is no place for the Wolves.

At least not for the Coupeville High School softball squad, which has been snake-bit when it comes to getting in the school bus and leaving the safety of the Island.

All three of the Wolves’ previous road games have been rained-out this season, one only after they drove nearly 60 miles to Cedarcrest. So, after winning two of three at home, finally getting to play an away game in Granite Falls Wednesday probably seemed like a moral victory.

Unfortunately that was the only win Coupeville would find.

Plagued by “mental mistakes,” the Wolves fell behind early and never recovered, falling 8-1 in the first time the high-powered CHS offense has been shut down this season. A team that scored 28 runs in its first three games didn’t score Wednesday until the top of the seventh.

The loss dropped Coupeville to 2-2 overall, 1-2 in Cascade Conference play.

“Mentally, we didn’t show up until we had already given up six runs and prevented ourselves from keeping rallies going,” Wolf coach David King said. “Mentally we did not play well the first three innings.

“We had three runners picked off on two fly balls and a line drive. Not throwing to the correct base to get the lead runner or throwing to the proper base on a hit to the outfield,” he added. “Once we correct these mental mistakes we will get back to playing well in all aspects of the game.”

Left fielder Haley Sherman was a bright spot, making three superb defensive plays and knocking in the team’s lone run. One of her web gems was on a diving catch while another came on a shot down the line that she snagged while on the move.

“Haley had a very good game,” King said.

McKayla Bailey and Madeline Strasburg each bonked a double, while Strasburg also gunned down a runner who unwisely tried to go from first to third on a single.

The Wolves garnered seven hits — two from Bailey and one apiece from Strasburg, Sherman, Madeline Roberts, Hailey Hammer and Sydney Aparicio — but they were scattered. With a day of practice before Sultan travels to the Island Friday, March 29, Coupeville will get back at it and try to rediscover its mojo.

“We will continue to work on the mental part and keep improving on what we are doing on defense and swinging the bats,” King said.