Coupeville Sports

Heidi Meyers walked, scored, and played strong defense Monday, as Coupeville’s JV softball squad battled through a close game. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It was a brawl.

In a game in which the home plate ump took a wicked shot to the fingers, a fouled-off softball smashing his hand and (eventually) ballooning it out three times the normal size, Coupeville and Cedar Park’s JV softball teams went toe-to-toe.

Thanks to a strong defensive stand at the end Monday, the host Eagles escaped with a 12-10 win, sweeping the season series from their rivals.

Of five North Sound Conference schools playing softball this spring, CPC and CHS were the only two to field JV teams.

Cedar Park improves to 4-0 with the win, while the loss drops the young Wolves to 3-6.

Coupeville’s JV closes its season Thursday, when it hosts Burlington-Edison (2-10) for a 4 PM doubleheader.

Monday’s battle featured five lead changes, and a bevy of big blows, with Abby Meyers crunching a double and triple and Audrianna Shaw smoking a three-bagger of her own.

Both of Coupeville’s runs in the top of the first came without a single base-knock, however, as walks to Meyers, Kylie Van Velkinburgh, and Marenna Rebischke-Smith, conspired with a CPC error to get things started.

While the Eagles plated five in the bottom of the first, the Wolves immediately grabbed the lead back with five of their own in the second.

The rally started with back-to-back walks from Morgan Stevens and Amanda Thomas, with Stevens being plunked by a wayward pitch, before Meyers rifled a two-run triple.

It was almost an inside-the-park home run, but the Wolf shortstop missed first base by an inch or two and had to whirl back and tap her foot on the bag before heading off pell-mell around the bases.

A passed ball brought Meyers in, Mckenna Somes walked to keep things alive, and then it was Shaw’s turn to get medieval on the ball, slamming her own rainbow shot to the wall.

Van Velkinburgh connected on the first of her two RBI-producing ground-outs, both of which scored Shaw, to bring Coupeville to the JV-maximum five runs for the inning, and the game was truly on.

From there, both teams traded body blows.

CPC tied the game at 7-7, Abby Meyers crunched an RBI double to push Coupeville back in front by one, but then the host Eagles swung things with a five-run bottom of the third.

Needing four runs to stay alive in the top of the fourth — the final inning the JV teams were set to play — the Wolves got halfway there before their final rally died along with the sinking sun.

Walks to Heidi Meyers and Rebischke-Smith were crucial, while Shaw’s second hit of the day, a madly-spinning RBI single, did some damage before the Wolves hit their limit on outs.

Coupeville put 14 runners aboard in the game, with Abby Meyers and Shaw collecting two hits apiece.

The 10 walks accrued by the Wolves were led by two each from Thomas and Rebischke-Smith, while Ivy Leedy walked and scored at the plate, then struck out two Eagles while flinging heat from the pitcher’s circle.