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Archive for the ‘Softball’ 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.”

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Rock on, always, Rockin’ Robin!!

Posted in Cheer, Happy birthday, Softball, tagged , , , , , , on May 31, 2016| 1 Comment »

Rockin' Robin Cedillo and her prairie. (John Fisken photo)

Rockin’ Robin Cedillo and her prairie. (John Fisken photo)

One of the enduring images of this spring came as I was walking back to my car after a CHS baseball game.

Robin Cedillo and Jake Hoagland were walking ahead of me, both wearing their respective uniforms — one for softball, one for baseball — both carrying bats slung over their back.

As they walked and talked, their bats clinked against each other and it was like a freakin’ Norman Rockwell painting come to life. Seriously.

Ballplayers on a Summer Afternoon, or something like that.

And it was, pretty much, a perfect summation of the duo, who are two of the nicest young athletes currently playing in Cow Town.

Since it’s Robin’s birthday, we’re gonna forget about Jake for the moment and focus on the athlete with the braids and the smile which could power an entire prairie on its own.

Miss Cedillo is a walking, talking ray of sunshine, a hard-working, successful, strong young woman who always seems to get a great deal of enjoyment out of her athletic pursuits.

Whether she’s putting in work on the softball field or on the football and basketball sidelines as a cheerleader (she was a captain during hoops season), Robin is one of my personal favorites.

She’s talented, sure, and it was nice to see her take huge strides on the diamond this past season.

Pulling a fair amount of duty in right field, Cedillo proved to be an able, sometimes inspired fielder who would charge balls and make plays, as opposed to sitting back and waiting on them.

At the plate, she swung with more aggression this season and she was quick and dangerous when on the base-paths, while always being one of those players who lock on their coaches with a laser-like focus when they’re in the middle of a discussion.

It’s apparent Cedillo is working on her game, fine-tuning her skills and finding her strengths, and she does so with a passion for the game and her teammates.

As a cheerleader, she has few equals.

Some people are just born with more spirit than others, and there is little doubt it flows through Robin day and night.

Firing off routines with crispness, commanding her fellow cheerleaders without being abrasive, she channels the energy which resides in her soul and shoots it through everyone in the crowd.

Take her away from sports, and Rockin’ Robin is still a fireball, a regular on the school Honor Roll and, as I said before, simply one of the nicest people you are likely to meet.

I assume she’ll be spending most of her cake day being bombarded with well-wishes, all of which she deserves.

But toss this somewhere on the pile — Miss Cedillo, you are a phenomenal young woman, and your fan club grows by the day.

Happy birthday, and thank you for being just plain awesome.

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Sluggers pile up awards!!

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on May 30, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Jae LeVine swung a big bat and played stellar defense for a Wolf squad which won its most games in several seasons. (John Fisken photos)

   Jae LeVine swung a big bat and played stellar defense for a Wolf squad which won nine games, including five straight at one point. (John Fisken photos)

Hannah Benway shared Most Improved honors with fellow frosh Nicole Lester.

Hannah Benway shared Most Improved honors with fellow frosh Nicole Lester.

Sophomore Lauren Rose is now a two-time All-League softball player.

Sophomore Lauren Rose is now a two-time All-League softball player.

Mikayla Elfrank (Justine McGranahan photos)

   Mikayla Elfrank beats the hose wielded by her coach while playing a wet version of kickball during the team’s banquet. (Justine McGranahan photos)

Hope LOdell

Hope Lodell splashes down in the pool.

Consistency.

Coupeville High School upheld tradition, netting four First-Team All-League players for the second consecutive year when 1A Olympic League softball coaches tallied their votes.

Sophomores Katrina McGranahan (P) and Lauren Rose (3B) repeated, while sophomore Hope Lodell (OF) and freshman Veronica Crownover (Designated Player) were first-time honorees.

Coupeville went 9-11, winning five straight early in the year.

The Wolves battled aggressively against Bellevue Christian in a playoff loss, then watched as the Vikings, who they split regular season games with, went on to claim 3rd place at the state playoffs.

The All-League honors were among a mix of awards handed out by coaches Kevin McGranahan and Ron Wright at a season-ending banquet Monday afternoon.

Katrina McGranahan nabbed MVP honors, while Rose (Offensive MVP), Sarah Wright (Defensive MVP), Tiffany Briscoe (Hustle Award) and Kailey Kellner (Coaches Award) were also honored.

Freshmen Nicole Lester and Hannah Benway shared Most Improved.

Varsity letter winners:

Tiffany Briscoe
Robin Cedillo
Veronica Crownover
Mikayla Elfrank
Kailey Kellner
Jae LeVine
Hope Lodell
Katrina McGranahan
Heather Nastali
Tamika Nastali
Lauren Rose
Sarah Wright

Participation certificates:

Hannah Benway
Nicole Lester
Melissa Otto

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New season, same success!!

Posted in Baseball, Softball, tagged , , , , on May 30, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville's Jpey Lippo (left) and Oak Harbor's James Besaw. (Teresa Besaw photo)

   Coupeville’s Joey Lippo (left) and Oak Harbor’s James Besaw are both playing select baseball in Seattle this summer. (Teresa Besaw photo)

(Justine McGranahan photo)

   Wolves Lauren Rose (1), Jae LeVine (2), Katrina McGranahan (3) and Sarah Wright (4) celebrate with teammates. (Justine McGranahan photo)

The season never ends.

High school ball has come to a close, but at least five Coupeville High School athletes are still at it, playing select ball on traveling teams.

Wolf sophomore Joey Lippo is putting in time with the Seattle Bombers U15 baseball squad, which is 6-7 on the season.

Lippo, who missed the first six select games while CHS was finishing its playoff run, is hitting .200 with two RBI, three stolen bases (in three attempts), three walks and two runs.

Meanwhile, four of his softball-playing classmates are starring for the Northwest Storm, a U16 squad coached by CHS head man Kevin McGranahan.

It’s the final days at the helm of the Storm for the softball guru, who has to give up the job after this season runs out.

The Storm are playing strongly for McGranahan, having grabbed 2nd at the JBLM Wounded Warrior Tourney over the weekend.

The squad, which includes Wolves Jae LeVine, Sarah Wright, Katrina McGranahan and Lauren Rose, won four of seven games, falling by a single run in the championship game.

Northwest split with the GH Lady Bearcats (winning 8-2 and falling 14-13), and beat Fury 16 Red (12-6) and Tri-City Thunder (2-0) before bopping the Hoquiam VFW Bombers (11-1) in the semifinals.

They lost 9-2 to Seattle Spice in pool play and were nipped 3-2 in the finale by tourney champ Power House.

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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.

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