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Archive for the ‘Softball’ Category

Diamond dandies go out swinging!!

Posted in Baseball, Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , on July 1, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Ulrik and Izzy Wells were two of the five Central Whidbey diamond dandies to play with Oak Harbor this week. (Katy Wells photo)

   Ulrik and Izzy Wells were two of five Central Whidbey diamond dandies to play with Oak Harbor this week. (Katy Wells photo)

Katy and Lyle Wells have been busy bees lately.

With three children, all whom play for different diamond squads, the family has been bouncing all over the place.

Now, with the two oldest kids having wrapped their seasons this week, things may slow down a bit.

Maybe.

With Oak Harbor’s Babe Ruth baseball squad and North Whidbey Little League’s Majors softball team being eliminated one game shy of a state tourney berth, Ulrik and Izzy Wells will be spectators when lil’ sis Savina takes the diamond next week.

The youngest Wells is a key player on Central Whidbey Little League’s Minors softball squad, the Yellow Jackets, which opens its best-of-three District 11 championship tilt July 5.

Sedro-Woolley is the foe and the games (Tuesday, Wednesday and possibly Thursday) will be played at Rhododendron Park in Coupeville.

The Yellow Jackets, who went 13-1, are the only one of Central’s three softball squads which were able to advance to All-Stars as a team.

The 13-3 Venom (Juniors) and 15-0-1 Crush (Majors) didn’t have enough players sticking around to go on as complete teams.

So, Izzy Wells and Crush teammate Abby Mulholland jumped over to North Whidbey to keep playing, and the Purple Thunder took Sedro to a full three games in their tourney.

After falling 9-5 in the opener, North Whidbey won the middle game 8-3, then was nipped 7-4 in the finale.

Wells gunned down eight batters from the pitcher’s circle in the championship game.

The Babe Ruth squad, which features three Coupeville players — Daniel Olson, Gavin Knoblich and Ulrik Wells — split a pair of games in a round-robin tourney, but was eliminated from advancing to state by run differential.

Oak Harbor beat Sedro 6-5, then fell hard to Friday Harbor, losing 13-3.

Sedro bopped Friday Harbor 12-6 in the other game, leaving all three teams with 1-1 records.

Sedro advanced to state based on giving up the fewest runs, as they surrendered 12 to Friday Harbor’s 15 and Oak Harbor’s 18.

Knoblich ripped a double and a single in the finale, while Olson had a pair of singles. Both he and Wells knocked in runs, as well.

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Make yourself useful, eh!!

Posted in Baseball, Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , on July 1, 2016| Leave a Comment »

(Paula Peters photo)

   Yellow Jackets players (l to r) Hope Sinclair, Gwen Gustafson and Vivian Farris will be playing in their All-Star tourney next week. (Paula Peters photo)

Want to get out of the house?

Then I have a job for you. Or, actually, several jobs.

Central Whidbey Little League is hosting two All-Star tournaments next week at Rhododendron Park and is looking for volunteers to help make things sail along smoothly.

The league needs people for scoring, concessions and field prep from July 5-9.

Tournaments in play will be 9-10 softball and 10-11 baseball.

If you’re interested in giving back to your community, call Mariah Knoblich at (360) 632-6846 or email her at mariahknoblich@yahoo.com.

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Fear their sting, fuel their dreams!!

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , on June 28, 2016| 1 Comment »

Yellow Jackets catcher Maddy Georges frames the pitch. (Paula Peters photos)

Yellow Jackets catcher Maddy Georges frames the pitch. (Paula Peters photos)

team

Ready to rumble.

Put some buzz in the Yellow Jackets stride.

Central Whidbey Little League’s Minors softball squad, which went a spiffy 13-1 this season, opens the best-of-three District 11 championships July 5 in Oak Harbor.

The only one of Coupeville’s three softball teams to stay together for All-Star play this summer, the Yellow Jackets need to win two games to punch a ticket to the state tourney in Montesano.

Based on this season’s results and prior work put in by these players, expectations of going to the big dance are sky high.

With that in mind, team parents are running a fundraiser on GoFundMe to raise the money necessary to get 12 players, their families and their coaches 122 miles down the road.

The team would need to cover a hotel stay for a minimum of three nights, plus food and gas.

All money raised by the GoFundMe will go directly to the team and be split evenly among all players.

If they raise more funds than necessary, any extra money will be donated to Central Whidbey Little League to help out with its other programs.

To read more and help the Yellow Jackets, pop over to:

https://www.gofundme.com/coupevilleallstars

Meet the players:

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Still queens of the diamond!!

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

Izzy Wells (John Fisklen photos)

   Izzy Wells may have switched uniforms, but she’s retained her intensity in the pitcher’s circle. (John Fisken photos)

Abby

Abby Mulholland, master of the web gem.

slide

Wells comes in hot.

two

Different uniforms, same stellar results.

They’re softball mercenaries, willing to play for the highest bidder.

Well, not really … but they aren’t quite willing to bring their season to an end just quite yet.

After leading Central Whidbey Little League’s Majors softball squad to an undefeated season, Izzy Wells and Abby Mulholland have traveled up North for All-Star play.

The duo’s team, the Coupeville Crush, wasn’t going to have enough players available to move on as a team, so they signed on with North Whidbey as free agents.

The three CWLL softball squads went a combined 41-4-1 this season, but only the minors squad (the Yellow Jackets) have stayed together for All-Star play.

They face Sedro-Woolley in a best-of-three match-up starting July 5 at Oak Harbor’s Volunteer Park (6 PM).

Along with the Crush, Coupeville’s Juniors team (the Venom) also put away their mitts and bats at the end of the regular season.

There was an effort to put together a combined South/Central/North Whidbey Juniors team for All-Stars, but it ultimately didn’t happen.

Wells and Mulholland, however, are still at it, and they made their debut in purple Monday night as North Whidbey opened a three-game tilt with Sedro-Woolley.

While the Purple Thunder fell 9-5 in a hard-fought game, they’re still alive and return to action Tuesday.

Pull out a victory then and they’ll face a winner-take-all game Wednesday for the District 11 title and a state tourney berth.

To see more photos from Monday’s game, pop over to:

http://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/SB-AllStars-20160627-vs-Sedro/

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“I’m willing to try new things!!”

Posted in Softball, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on June 24, 2016| 1 Comment »

Willow Vick (John Fisken photos)

   Willow Vick hits all the colors of the rainbow as she patrols the outfield for the Venom this spring. (John Fisken photos)

Vick dares the pitcher to try and throw the ball past her.

Vick dares the pitcher to try and throw the ball past her.

Willow Vick is not afraid of a challenge.

When Central Whidbey Little League was scrambling around this spring, trying to pull together enough athletes to form a Juniors softball squad, she came to their rescue.

And, despite never having played before, she acquitted herself quite nicely, growing in confidence as the season progressed and being a vital part of a Venom squad which finished 13-3.

Now, as she and twin sister Raven head into their freshman year at Coupeville High School this fall, Willow is ready for new challenges.

She plans to play volleyball in the fall, and is debating between a return to softball or heading out to take advantage of the school’s new track come spring.

Sports are just one part of Vick’s life, however, as she enjoys drawing, swimming, sleeping and working out.

Her musical tastes run to Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy, while movie-wise she’s fond of Mary Poppins.

So, pretty broad spectrum there.

When she is competing, Vick picks volleyball as her primary sport.

“It’s fun, lots of work, keeps you mentally and physically fit,” she said.

She enjoys how sports help her keep in shape and build muscle, but is always working to become a more technically sound athlete.

“I want to get my serves over the net 95% of the time,” Vick said. “I need to work on being louder and more confident.”

She’s also got an eye on improving her softball hitting, and, away from the arena, would like to sharpen her drawing skills and keep her grades up.

Her positive traits are many.

“My technical abilities, I’m a good teammate, good setter I guess, lots of power,” Vick said. “I’m willing to try new things like playing softball for the first time, not afraid to ask for help.”

Whether it’s something she’s done once or a thousand times, she knows she can always turn to her fan club for support.

“My parents, for always pushing me to be my best and to never give up when things get tough,” Vick said. “Friends who support me.

“Lisa Toomey for giving crazy pep talks before, during and after games,” she added. “And my twin for always being someone to compete with and support me.”

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