Coupeville Sports

Legendary. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

History came calling, looking for a legend, and Turtle Shell said, “Sure, why not?”

The unflappable McKayla Bailey, fighting through a badly jammed thumb that had driven her from the pitching mound earlier in the day, sauntered to the plate late Tuesday afternoon, ignored her hyperventilating mother, and delivered unto Wolf Nation that most thrilling of victories, a come-from-behind, walk-off softball win against arch-rival South Whidbey.

Bailey’s blast into center field, a beautiful, arching frozen rope, plated the winning run in a 9-8 thriller and capped a brutally cold, windy day in which Coupeville High School refused to bend.

Never more so than in the bottom of the seventh and final inning. Down a run and down to their final out, the Wolves got back-to-back walks from the Madelines — Strasburg and Roberts — to load the bases.

With Bailey at the plate and mom Donna pacing nervously (“I can’t watch! I can’t watch! I can’t feel my toes!!”), Coupeville caught a break.

A passed ball skipped out of the reach of the Falcon catcher, allowing Haley Sherman to sprint home from third with the tying run.

That took some of the pressure off, but Bailey, sensing the fans were ready to go home, nodded once, tapped her bat and then crushed the next pitch.

There was never a doubt as it boomed into the great wide open, Strasburg shot across the plate, the umpire signaled game over and Bailey was promptly mobbed by her teammates, who came pouring out of the dugout screaming at the top of their lungs.

It was the perfect capper to not only the first home game of the season, but the first game period for the Wolves, who had had two previous road games washed away by rain.

The win was huge for several reasons, as Coupeville and South Whidbey are the only 1A schools in the Cascade Conference, and will play three games this season to decide playoff seeding.

Plus, it means the Falcon faithful cried all the way home. So there’s that, too.

A couple of bobbles in the early going put Coupeville behind early, but they surged behind the hitting of Sherman, Bessie Walstad, Hailey Hammer and Maria Rockwell.

Rockwell also took to the mound after Bailey’s thumb injury, the first time in three seasons that the flame-throwing sensation was back in the circle for the Wolves. A star as a freshman, she played in Florida as a sophomore, then sat out her junior year after returning to CHS.

Back in the red and black, she pitched the final three innings, smacked the ball hard at the plate and made a sparkling defensive play while at shortstop, spearing a line drive.

After the game, as parents congratulated her and her former coach, Denny Zylstra, stood and cheered for her, a huge smile slowly crept across Rockwell’s face.

On a blustery day when the wind carried the ball every which way, the other great defensive moment came in the top of the seventh.

Walstad came up firing from behind the plate and laid a laser shot right into the glove of Chevy Reyes, who smacked the tag on a hapless Falcon who was attempting to steal second.

Walstad’s throw. Bailey’s shot. Rockwell’s smile. Falcon tears. You couldn’t have written a better opening day.

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           Last year’s team gazes upon the splendor of a sunny day. (Shelli Trumbull photos)

Hailey Hammer is locked and loaded and ready to crush home runs.

Where are my long pants? And my gloves?!?!?!

Tis spring in all its nippy glory. Not a drop of rain in the sky (as of 10:04 AM) and hopes fly high that the Coupeville High School softball squad will finally (FINALLY!!!) see game action this afternoon.

After having their first two games rained out, the Wolves have watched as baseball has played three games, girls’ tennis has completed two matches, golf ace Austin Fields has won two tourneys and both boys’ soccer and track have made their debuts.

And now, after a LONG week, McKayla Bailey, Madeline Roberts and Co. are primed to do battle with dastardly arch-rival South Whidbey, with the first pitch set for 4.

The game, the first of three against the Falcons, has special significance, since the two Whidbey schools are the only 1A teams that play softball in the Cascade Conference. King’s doesn’t field a baseball or softball team.

It will also mark the debut of new CHS co-coaches David and Amy King, who take over for the departed Jackie Calkins.

Plus, it’s South Whidbey, so, yes…

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Maria Rockwell

Rockwell (right) and Chelsea Huff as young’uns.

Queen of the Fish.

Maria Rockwell was the Holy Grail.

Before taking the job as co-coaches of the Coupeville High School softball squad, David and Amy King were coming off of a long basketball season.

With a short turn-around to spring sports, and the addition of having to juggle afternoon practices with work, there was some doubt as to whether they wanted to commit.

But the chance Rockwell, a flame-throwing pitcher who had been a sensation for the Wolves as a freshman, then vanished, would return for her senior campaign and give Coupeville a wham-bam pitching duo with sophomore McKayla Bailey, was tempting.

Eventually, it all worked out, as the Kings signed on the dotted line, and then, shortly after, Rockwell was on the field for the first day of practice.

It’s been a long trip around — her family moved to Florida, where she played her sophomore season, then moved back to Whidbey, where she sat out her junior year to focus on schoolwork — but Rockwell’s passion for the game has never abated.

“I love the game and being up on that mound with the pressure of the game in my hands,” Rockwell said. “How the game can change in a split second.”

After playing t-ball as a five-year old (“I wasn’t too fond of the sport then,” she said with a laugh), she started softball at eight and found her niche.

“I was the youngest on the team. I didn’t get much playing time and I was really shy back then but I had a strong arm for my age so my co-coach, Kim Sherman, had me start pitching and I loved it from the beginning,” Rockwell said. “I started going to lessons in South Whidbey with Ashley Lopez and I will never regret putting in the countless hours pitching.”

A very talented shortstop with a dangerous bat when she’s not hurling fastballs, Rockwell approaches the game with a confident mind-set, while never falling prey to the trap of being overly arrogant.

“I think my strengths are that I have confidence in myself and in my teammates,” Rockwell said. “When I mess up I try and not get down on myself.

“I process what I did wrong and what I should have done and tell myself to step it up, believe in yourself and show everybody you can do this,” she added. “Your team needs you so shake it off.”

A die-hard country music fan and lover of the outdoors (“Bonfires, fishing with my family or just running and working out are how I’d choose to spend a free day”), she benefits from having a large support group of family, friends and teachers.

“I would say Ms. (Barbara) Ballard has been a huge impact in my junior and senior years,” Rockwell said. “She makes me want to be a better person every day and strive for what I really want in life and open up to the possibilities.

“She has been there for me as a teacher/role model and supporter multiple times and I couldn’t thank her more for that.”

Rockwell also reserves a special part of her heart for her dad and two close friends.

“My father has been a huge support in my softball career,” Rockwell said. “He has been supporting me since I was a little girl with whatever sport I was playing at the time and my decisions.

“Two people that have greatly impacted my life are Chelsea Huff — she has been here for me no matter what — and Holly Craggs,” she added. “That girl always knows how to put a smile on my face.”

Post-graduation plans call for a tour of duty at a two-year college, where she hopes to continue her softball career, before either transferring to a four-year school or exploring a career in the military.

For the next three months, however, her heart and soul will be linked to the softball field where she became a legend as a freshman. The field where she’d like to go out as a champion as a senior.

“My goals for this season are to do good and go far in districts,” Rockwell said. “It will be hard, but we have great talent this year and girls that love this game. Keep our heads in it, confidence up and dedication on and off the field in practice or in a game and I think we can advance really far this year.”

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