Being awesome is hard work, and now Maddie Big Time must replenish!! (Robert Bishop photos)
“We’re going to Disneyland … uh … I mean, coming back to Sedro-Woolley!!!”
Maddie Big Time crushed another home run to the deepest, darkest part of the field, Emily Coulter swung a mean bat and the Coupeville High School softball squad split its first two games at the 1A district softball tourney Friday in Sedro-Woolley.
After dropping a 15-7 fireworks display to Lynden Christian, the Wolves rebounded to drill Meridian for the second time this season, winning 6-2 and guaranteeing themselves two more playoff games.
CHS, now 5-16, returns to the Janicki Playfields today to face Nooksack Valley (9-12) at noon.
Win and they’re tri-district bound and play in the 3rd/4th place game at 2 PM. Lose the opener and they play for 5th place, and the last spot at tri-districts, at 2 PM.
In a weird wrinkle, if Coupeville finishes 5th, they would host their first tri-district game May 21.
Of course, the focus for the Wolves will be on winning two Saturday and putting themselves one step deeper into the postseason. If they swing the bats like they did Friday, when eight starters had a hit, that’s a strong possibility.
While there were contributions from all sides, junior Madeline Strasburg and sophomore Emily Coulter were the superstars on this day.
Both players collected four hits over the two games, with Maddie Big Time eyeballing the Lynden pitcher and then crushing a grand slam over the center field fence.
When freshman Emily Licence delivered a two-run double of her own, the Wolves had a six-spot in the first inning and looked like they would run away from the Lyncs.
Then things got funky.
After having its first 10 batters reach base, Coupeville only got three of its next 20 hitters aboard. The final 11 hitters all went down, and Lynden took advantage of a ton of Wolf errors to surge for seven runs in the sixth to put the game away.
Digging down deep, the Wolves immediately bounced back, with Coulter swinging the hot stick in game two.
She bashed three hits, knocked in a pair of runs and was a holy terror on defense at second, and Coupeville came alive behind her.
The Wolves knocked Meridian’s pitching around for 11 hits, with Strasburg and Madeline Roberts each contributing a pair. Breeanna Messner, Hailey Hammer, McKayla Bailey and Haley Sherman each chipped in with a base knock as well.
While Strasburg’s moon shot was the eyeball-grabber, Coupeville also bashed its share of two-base hits, with Sherman, Bailey and Strasburg all doubling.
Maddie Big Time had a pair, because, well, she’s Maddie Big Time.
Coupeville coach David King was pleased with most of what he saw on the day.
“We had great balance throughout and players stepping up with getting big hits,” King said. “Monica (Vidoni) played well in right and made a couple of tough catches on fly balls. Bree, Hailey and Madi Roberts played their solid games and I’m looking forward to them stepping up more today.
“McKayla pitched well and had really good control in both games,” he added. “She had her change up working well in game two and getting either strike outs or weak grounders for outs.”
Coupeville Sports 
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