Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Little League’ Category

Red hot and rolling!!

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , , on May 31, 2016| 1 Comment »

Chelsea

   Chelsea Prescott, seen here making a throw from second in an earlier game, whiffed 10 while pitching Tuesday. (John Fisken photos)

The Venom will play their season finale at home 6 PM Thursday.

The Venom will play their season finale at home Thursday.

They are a run-scoring machine, and a well-oiled one at that.

Pounding the ball to a merry tune Tuesday night, the Central Whidbey Little League Juniors softball squad rolled to a 10-5 win at Anacortes.

It was the fourth straight win, and eighth in their last nine games for the Venom, who sit at a tidy 9-3 heading into their season finale.

That will be home on the prairie, at the CHS softball diamond, 6 PM Thursday against Anacortes, whom they’ve now beaten twice.

The secret of Central Whidbey’s success this season hasn’t exactly been a secret — the Venom score runs, a lot of them, swinging big bats and running their rivals into the ground.

They’ve now topped double digits in 10 of 12 games (with nine runs apiece in the other two games) and have outscored their foes 175-85.

The damage would be worse, far worse, but other teams have failed to take the field three times this season due to lack of players.

So, give the Venom forfeit wins (if the league does that) and they’re actually 12-3.

Having finally solved Anacortes the last time the two teams played, after Central absorbed three narrow losses to the big city girls, the Venom put Tuesday’s game away with ease.

Chelsea Prescott, one of two seventh graders on the Whidbey squad, took the start in the pitcher’s circle and was flat-out nasty, whiffing 10 in a complete-game win.

She also helped her cause, recording four assists in the field and going a perfect 4-4 at the plate.

Maya Toomey-Stout and Scout Smith joined her with four hits apiece (one of Smith’s base knocks was a resounding double) while Mollie Bailey recorded three hits, including a scorching two-run triple.

Venom coach Charlotte Young praised Willow Vick for trying a new position, and Hannah Davidson for an especially adept defensive play.

“Willow made her debut at second base and did an awesome job,” Young said. “Hannah had an awesome play at first, as well.

“There was a short throw to first and it made her come off the bag to get it, but she dove back to tag the base just in time.”

Read Full Post »

Knock it out of the park!!

Posted in Baseball, Little League, tagged , , , , on May 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Landon Roberts (John Fisken photos)

   Landon Roberts detects the presence of the paparazzi in the dugout. (John Fisken photos)

Mound meeting

   “Well, I’m not saying we can’t go to McDonald’s. I’m just saying we have to play the game first. Strikeouts, then fries. Kinda how that works…”

look

Meanwhile, in the stands, the mom who has to wash this uniform silently cries.

"Just leave me here. Go on, save yourself from the sand storm. I'll ... cough ... be ... cough ... fine."

   “Just leave me here. Go on, save yourself from the sand storm. I’ll … cough … be … cough … fine.”

throw

“Run on ME, fool?!?!? Taste the swift vengeance of my arm!!”

pitch

“One order of the ol’ high, hard cheese, coming right up!”

run

“I feel good, I feel great, I just stepped on … home plate!!”

camera

“Take my picture?!?!?!? Well, I am kind of shy and all … but OK, just this once.”

Everywhere you look, someone is smacking a ball around these days.

With Little League seasons rolling along, there are plenty of photo-snappin’ opportunities for wandering’ camera clicker John Fisken.

His latest stop? A game featuring Central Whidbey’s Minors baseball squad, a collection of rising stars with prairie superstar-ready last names like Messner and Roberts.

The pics above are courtesy Fisken.

To see more and fork over just a wee bit of cash to keep his camera working for all of us, pop over to:

http://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/BB-Minor-20160525-CW-vs-Ranger/

Read Full Post »

Titans tangle in epic battle!!

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , , on May 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

(Mimi Johnson photo)

   The Coupeville Crush celebrate Red Nose Day before taking the field. (Mimi Johnson photos)

Jim Wheat

Umpire Jim Wheat gets in on the festivities (possibly against his will.)

(John Fisken photo)

Blue Pride. (John Fisken photo)

The only thing which can stop them is daylight.

Having battled visiting Anacortes to a 4-4 standstill through nine tense innings Thursday, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball squad finally exited a game without a win this season.

The rare tie, which the teams accepted after nearly three hours of play, left the Crush at 13-0-1 with two regular season games left.

With the game already three innings beyond normal Little League length, and the last strands of daylight sliding away, Central Whidbey loaded the bases in the ninth and went for broke.

Izzy Wells and Jill Prince walked, while Stella Johnson dropped in a well-placed hit to juice the bags.

Tossing a Hail Mary with nothing to lose, the Crush tried to steal home to nab the win, but Anacortes was ready for the play and denied a walk-off win.

“Their catcher is solid,” said Central coach Mimi Johnson. “She doesn’t miss much and she’s quick back there.”

With Crush hurler Wells locked in a pitcher’s duel with her Anacortes rival for most of the night, the two teams didn’t score as much as might be expected.

Central has rained down offensive terror on its foes to the tune of 167-95 this season, but had to scratch for every run Thursday.

The Crush fell behind early, then got back in the game on a pair of base knocks from Coral Caveness and Bella Velasco.

Wells was a buzzsaw, striking out hitters left and right, and the few times she let Anacortes touch the ball, her defense, especially Prince at first base, stepped up with big plays.

After trailing for much of the game, Central Whidbey tied things up in the sixth to force extra innings.

A two-out walk by Wells was followed by a “beautiful” RBI double from Bam Ries and an RBI single off of the bat of Caveness.

Deadlocked at 3-3, both teams had chances to end the stalemate in the seventh, but were denied.

Wells punched out a hitter to strand the go-ahead run in the top of the inning, while Anacortes’ third baseman nailed a runner at the plate in the bottom half.

The Crush had set things up nicely with hits from Kaela Meffert and Kylie Van Velkenburgh, but got tangled on an infield fly.

Like two counter-punching boxers warily circling each other, the squads each tallied a run in the eighth.

Anacortes nabbed the lead with aggressive base-running, but Central countered when Prince used her “well-trained eye” to eke out a walk.

She advanced on a shot by Wells, then scampered home when Anacortes booted a ball hit by Caveness.

If Rhododendron Park had lights, the two teams might still be playing.

On this night, however, they (symbolically) bowed to each other and went home for a late dinner.

Read Full Post »

Lil’ sluggers swing away!!

Posted in Baseball, Little League, tagged , , , on May 26, 2016| Leave a Comment »

(John Fisken photos)

   The true Jedi master hears the baseball move through the universe and always knows where to be. Keeping your eyes open? Overrated. (John Fisken photos)

swing

“They ain’t never gonna find this ball, son!!”

slide

“I’m safe! Can’t feel my buns any more … but I’m safe.”

run

“I run so fast I put the zing in a-ma-zing.”

swing

I love this photo. It is perfect. End of story.

Swing batter, swing, even as the cameras click away.

Wanderin’ photo man John Fisken took up shop at a recent Central Whidbey Little League Rookies baseball game and captured the future of Wolf Nation in action.

Since he was nice enough to pass on some of the pics, I am quick to stump for you, the parents and grandparents and fans, to skedaddle over to his new photo site and take a gander at what else he has to offer.

Remember, your bucks keep him clicking!

To see more from this game, pop over to:

http://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/BB-Rookie-20160525-CW-vs-SW/

Read Full Post »

Rollin’ right along!!

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , on May 24, 2016| 1 Comment »

Emma Mathusek knocked in three runs Tuesday in a 13-10 win. (John Fisken photo)

   Emma Mathusek knocked in three runs (and played stellar defense) Tuesday in a 14-10 win. (John Fisken photo)

Official or not, a win is a win.

South Whidbey has had trouble all season fielding a full lineup for little league Juniors softball play, and Tuesday was no different.

After skipping last week’s game against Central Whidbey, the Southenders at least took the field this time, even though they were a player down.

By the time the game was called early, stopped in the fifth due to the dark, Coupeville’s sluggers had snatched another W, edging their hosts 14-10 in an oddly-called, oddly-played game.

Unofficially, the Venom improved to 8-3 on the season (maybe 9-3 if the no-show is considered a forfeit) and move on to face North Whidbey at the CHS softball field Thursday (6 PM).

After that, Central Whidbey will close the regular season with two games against their top rival, Anacortes.

Facing off with a depleted South Whidbey squad, the Venom came out a bit slowly before recovering.

Down 4-0, Central Whidbey rallied in the top of the second, sparked by superb base-running from Hannah Davidson.

Venom third baseman Emma Mathusek swung a big bat, collecting three RBI, while Willow Vick alertly beat out a throw to first to keep a rally going.

Davidson and Chelsea Prescott pulled off snappy plays on defense, with Prescott making a diving catch in the pitcher’s circle to deny South Whidbey a hit.

The perfect symbol for a game that was a little bit off all night came when Cynthia Rachal was at the plate in the top of the fourth with two runners on.

With a 1-2 count, the umpire called a ball, but Rachal, perhaps caught up in the moment, took off for first.

Both Venom runners broke at the same time, and South Whidbey, with little clue what to do, threw the ball around like crazy as Central Whidbey plated both runners on “accidental” steals.

Reinstalled at the plate, now with a 2-2 count, Rachal promptly lashed a single back up the middle to plop the cherry on top of the wacky sundae.

Hey, whatever works.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »