Coupeville Sports

We win, son. We win. (Renae Mulholland photo)

They danced with the devil and escaped.

After rolling through most of its schedule ten-running foes left and right, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball squad came dangerously close to taking its first loss of the season Tuesday night.

Not so fast.

Rallying for six runs in its final at-bats, the Coupeville Crush sent the game to extra innings, then pulled out a stunning 19-18 come-from-behind victory in Oak Harbor.

Central Whidbey was actually down to its final out, but the Crush sluggers found some magic left in their back pockets to wiggle away and improve to 13-0 on the season.

Kylie Van Velkinburgh ripped a three-run, two-out single back up the middle in the top of the sixth, then came around to score the tying run when she successfully stole home.

Having knotted the game up at 17, the Crush blanked a stunned Oak Harbor squad in the bottom half of the inning, as Central Whidbey hurler Izzy Wells struck out the side.

Starting the seventh with a runner on second (thanks to softball extra-inning rules), Coupeville immediately plated them when Jill Prince smacked an RBI triple over the head of the right fielder.

She then came home herself on an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of teammate McKenna Somes.

Oak Harbor scraped out a run in the bottom of the seventh, before the Crush slammed the door.

Wells gunned down back-to-back hitters, then Prince smoothly fielded a ground ball and stamped on first to end the season’s most improbable win.

The Crush have three regular season games left, starting with a home game 6 PM Thursday against Anacortes at Rhododendron Park.

After that, they’ll play in the Bill Sparks Tournament starting June 3.

“I’m excited about the tournament as we will see three new teams, one from South Skagit and two from Sedro,” said Crush coach Mimi Johnson.

It’ll also be a family reunion, as Johnson’s niece pitches for one of their tourney rivals.