Coupeville Sports

Bailey Thule was one of 11 Wolves to reach base Monday in a 21-1 win at Darrington. (Jackie Saia photo)

When the dam broke … damn.

The Coupeville High School varsity softball squad went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning Monday in Darrington, continuing a cold trend at the plate from its last game.

Then, boom, back to reality.

The Wolves unloaded on the Loggers during a 17-batter, 14-run top of the second — only ending things by intentionally having a runner leave early for the third out — and were well on their way to a 21-1 win mercy-ruled after four frames.

The victory, coming against the team closest to it in the standings, lifts CHS to 6-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 9-4 overall.

The Wolves haven’t technically clinched the league title, with a game-and-a-half lead on Darrington and Friday Harbor, which both sit at 5-2, with four conference tilts to play.

But they’ve also outscored the Loggers and Wolverines 47-2 across three wins, so Vegas ain’t exactly taking too many bets on CHS falling apart down the stretch run.

Kevin McGranahan’s squad, which starts three 8th graders and two freshmen, can put things to rest this week, with home games against Orcas Island Tuesday, Concrete Thursday, and Darrington Saturday.

Haylee Armstrong (left) and Shania Kenney celebrate another victory. (Michelle Armstrong photo)

For a brief moment in the Darrington sunshine, the Loggers entertained hopes of an upset. Then reality came crashing down.

Up 1-0 after an inning of play, the home team stumbled to start the second frame, then a tsunami of base knocks washed all of its hopes and dreams away.

Madison McMillan, Teagan Calkins, and Sydney Van Dyke walked to juice the bases, before Joltin’ Jada Heaton got spectacular.

Belting a two-run single to center — the first of two multi-RBI hits she would have in the inning — Jennifer’s favorite daughter put her team ahead for good.

From there, the runs came fast and furious.

Ava Lucero plated one on an RBI groundout, before Mia Farris crunched a two-run double to center and McMillan sliced a two-run single to right.

Van Dyke sent a teammate scampering home on an infield single to make it 8-1, then Heaton arrived back at the plate, intent on terrorizing the Loggers again.

This time the junior outfielder pasted a two-run triple to straightaway center, the ball merrily skipping away into the deepest, darkest regions of the field.

To which Farris told her best bud, if you can do it, so can I, welcoming a new pitcher to the circle by unleashing her own two-run triple.

After scratching out its one run early, Darrington could do little against Wolf hurlers Adeline Maynes and Haylee Armstrong, who combined to whiff four.

Content to coast in with the win, the Wolves plated three more in the third, and another four in the fourth to enforce the mercy rule.

Softballs incoming! (Kevin McGranahan photo)

The final rally featured Mia the Magnificent tagging a ball off the top of the wall, missing a home run by inches, before McMillan cleared the fences with a towering tater.

The deadly duo was likely aiming at the snowy peaks which can be seen from Darrington’s diamond.

“Mia wanted me to tell you that her double was crushed to Mt. Whitehorse, but at the last minute Elsa from Frozen grabbed it and threw it back in so it only counted as a double,” McGranahan said with a laugh.

Monday stats:

Capri Anter — One walk
Haylee Armstrong — One single, one walk
Taylor Brotemarkle — One single
Teagan Calkins — Two singles, one walk
Mia Farris — Two doubles, one triple
Jada Heaton — One single, one triple
Ava Lucero — One single
Adeline Maynes — One walk
Madison McMillan — One home run, two singles, one walk
Bailey Thule — One walk
Sydney Van Dyke — Two singles, one walk