Coupeville Sports

   With a win Wednesday, Central Whidbey advances to the championship round of the District 11 tourney. (John Fisken photo)

Pressure? What pressure?

With it season on the line, the Central Whidbey Little League All-Star Minors softball squad fired up the offense Wednesday and thumped North Whidbey 23-7 in a loser-out playoff game.

CWLL advances to the championship of the District 11 tourney, where it will seek revenge against Sedro-Woolley, a team it lost to Tuesday night.

Win twice — Thursday and Friday, with both games played in Anacortes —  and Central is bound for the state championships.

Sedro, 2-0 at districts, needs just one win to claim the crown.

If Central Whidbey takes advantage of its offensive opportunities like it did against North Whidbey, anything is possible.

Pouring in runs in every inning, the Coupeville sluggers (and their trio of South Whidbey mercenaries) built a 14-1 lead after the first inning and a half and never looked back.

After opening with five in the first and nine in the second, CW settled for two in the third, then closed with fury, plating seven in the fourth and final inning.

Central benefited from a keen eye at the plate, picking up a staggering amount of walks.

The few times the Whidbey hitters did get a pitch somewhere in the vicinity of the plate, they seized the moment, drilling hits left and right.

Mia Farris, Allison Nastali, Chloe Marzocca, Taylor Auld, Mimi Forde and Brionna Blouin all collected base-knocks.

With runs flying across the plate, Auld, Farris, Nastali and Marzocca stepped on home three times apiece, with Blouin, Mayleen Weatherford and Madison McMillan scoring twice.

Coupeville hurlers Blouin and Nastali were a deadly duo in the pitcher’s circle, with Nastali shutting North Whidbey down completely over the final 2 and 2/3 innings.

Behind them their teammates stepped up in the spotlight.

“The girls played stellar defense throughout,” said CW coach Fred Farris. “Teagan (Calkins) was a vacuum behind the plate.”