Softball | Coupeville Sports

Archive for the ‘Softball’ Category

Take a road trip to support sluggers!

Posted in Softball, tagged Centralia, CHS Wolves, long trips, playoffs, Softball on May 16, 2022| 1 Comment »

Gwen Gustafson swoops in to deny a hitter. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Time for a convoy!

Coupeville High School softball finally gets to return to action this Saturday, May 21, breaking an 18-day layoff for a winner-to-state, loser-out contest.

The game, which pits the Wolves (16-2, Northwest 2B/1B League champs, rulers of District 1) against a team from District 4, is set for 6 PM at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.

The 12-team D4 tourney runs May 16-21, with the top four teams advancing to the 12-team 2B state tourney.

Then, Coupeville, despite being a league champ, gets to come in cold and face the #5 team from D4, which will be playing its third game that day.

It’s all because Washington Interscholastic Activities Association officials — ignoring the fact there haven’t been state tournaments since 2019 thanks to the pandemic — are being pedantic.

WIAA rules state 50 schools need to play a sport in a classification to have a normal 16-team state tourney.

End up with 49 active programs, as 2B softball currently does, and you get a 12-team championship event.

Which also takes away District 1’s automatic berth to the big dance, forcing the long layoff, the long bus ride, and a game against an opponent who will be a mystery until an hour or two before first pitch.

Izzy Wells unleashes The Knee-Buckler.

While they haven’t played a game which counts since May 3, the Wolves have continued to practice and scrimmage, and plot their revenge.

CHS coach Kevin McGranahan is calling on Wolf Nation to come out in support of his team, even in a foreign locale.

“Hopefully we can get some fans to travel down to Centralia and show the world how Coupeville does it right,” he said.

“We are facing a tough test, but I am sure this team will give everything they have and leave it all on the field. When the dust settles my money is on the WOLVES!”

Tickets:

Adults and students without ASB — $7.00
Students with ASB and senior citizens (62+) — $5.00
Children (Under 6) — Free

Fort Borst Park:

2030 Borst Ave
Centralia, WA 98531

https://www.cityofcentralia.com/Page.asp?NavID=444

Madison McMillan gets medieval on the ball.

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Nine down, nine to go

Posted in Softball, tagged CHS Wolves, Gwen Gustafson, Mia Farris, Softball, Teagan Calkins on May 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Savina Wells tells big sis Izzy where she wants the pitch. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The season is not done.

They’re just putting in a lot of work on the practice field.

The Coupeville High School softball squad last played May 3 and doesn’t get a chance to open the playoffs until May 21, thanks to convoluted reasoning by state officials.

While we wander in the desert without games, the photos above and below will at least give us a reminder of what softball players actually look like in action.

Chloe Marzocca crunches a hit.

Maya Lucero swoops in to deny a rival.

Teagan Calkins keeps her eye(s) on the ball.

Mia Farris soaks in the 1.7 seconds of sun the prairie has seen this spring.

Maya Nottingham fires up the hit machine.

Violette Huegerich scoops up an incoming throw.

Try and test Gwen Gustafson’s arm. She will terminate you.

“Come on! Let’s play, already!!”

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Another day, another award for Wright

Posted in Softball, Wolves in college, tagged All-Conference, CHS Wolves, Sarah Wright, Sewanee: University of the South, Softball on May 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville grad Sarah Wright (left) was honored for her play on the college diamond. (Photo property Sewanee softball)

All the awards will be hers.

Coupeville grad Sarah Wright continues to haul in accolades, with her most-recent accomplishment being named as an All-Conference college softball player.

The former Wolf supernova, now a junior at Sewanee: The University of the South, was tabbed as a Second-Team pick by Southern Athletic Association coaches last week.

Tiger teammates Alice Charboneau and Zoe Crockett earned Honorable Mention.

The All-Conference teams were based on play against other SAA teams, and Wright racked up 10 RBI in 13 league games.

She had 11 hits in conference action, with a pair of doubles and a home run which still hasn’t come back down to Earth.

Wright, whose first two college softball seasons were disrupted by the pandemic, was one of three Tigers to start all 33 games this year.

She led Sewanee in at-bats (102), runs (15), and home runs (2), while finishing second in RBI (17), and third in hits (25), total bases (35), and doubles (4).

The former Coupeville Valedictorian is majoring in politics and has made both the SAA Academic Honor Roll and All-Sportsmanship team during her time in Tennessee.

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Mighty mashers maul softball

Posted in Softball, tagged Blaine, CHS Wolves, JV, Melanie Navarro, Softball on May 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Maya Nottingham picks up some hitting tips. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The bats were so hot they almost melted down.

Getting contributions from everyone in the lineup Saturday, the Coupeville High School JV softball team closed its season in style.

Playing at a tournament in Blaine, Katrina McGranahan’s squad tore the cover off the ball, smashing 23 hits en route to sending 28 batters home to score in a cut-down doubleheader.

With a win over Ferndale and a tie against the tourney hosts, Coupeville’s JV finishes 6-2-1.

The only thing slowing the Wolves down was having to play “JV rules,” with a five-run limit per inning, and a 90-minute cap on games, regardless of what the score might be.

“Today was a beautiful day for a game or two and the girls did a great job with coming ready to play,” McGranahan said. “Never know what you’re going to get with a long bus ride.

“Everyone hit the ball at some point and when I say hit I mean crushed the ball.”

The Wolf coach, who ripped many an extra-base hit in her own playing days, watched in satisfaction as her sluggers launched three home runs, smacked five triples, and bopped three doubles.

Melanie Navarro delivered four of those big base-knocks, including sending two of her team’s three home runs flying far, far away.

“Mel had a heck of a day,” McGranahan said. “We couldn’t slow her down!”

Melanie Navarro gets savage.

Allie Lucero joined Navarro in mashing a longball, while Mia Farris led the Wolves with seven hits across the two games.

While the extra-base hits grab the spotlight, Coupeville also proved to be masters of small ball.

“We discovered a new bunting machine,” McGranahan said. “Maya Nottingham did an amazing job, and once I saw she can bunt, let me tell you, I bunted her a lot.”

Farris prowled the pitcher’s circle in the opener against Ferndale, while siblings Allie and Maya Lucero were a nimble tag-team chucking the ball against Blaine.

“Mia did a great job in the circle today,” McGranahan said. “She really held her own and I enjoyed watching her work through the game and powering through.”

Mia Farris, a terror in the field and at the plate.

The doubleheader also saw Katie Marti slide behind the plate to catch for the first time this season.

While she doesn’t normally wear the mask and gear, the talented freshman had an immediate impact.

“All season I’ve had Katie play third base and hardly practiced her at catcher, but she did alright!” McGranahan said.

“Even got a girl out on a throw down to second!”

Also proving superb on defense was fellow fab frosh Jada Heaton, who was patrolling center field for the Wolves.

“Jada got an amazing catch!” McGranahan said. “We all thought she wasn’t going to get it, but she happened to lay her glove down on the ground at the last minute to scoop up a dying line drive!

“It was a great play and her facial expressions were awesome!”

While the JV has no more games, the players will stay in action to scrimmage with the varsity as it waits out an 18-day gap between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs.

Saturday stats:

Edie Bittner — 1 double, 2 walks
Teagan Calkins — 1 single, 3 walks
Mia Farris — 5 singles, 2 triples, 1 walk
Jada Heaton — 1 walk
Violette Huegerich — 3 walks
Allie Lucero — 1 home run, 1 walk
Maya Lucero — 1 single, 1 double, 1 triple
Katie Marti — 2 singles, 2 walks
Candace Meek — 1 single
Melanie Navarro — 1 double, 1 triple, 2 home runs
Maya Nottingham — 3 singles, 2 walks

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Wells, Shaw key landmark win

Posted in Softball, tagged Audrianna Shaw, CHS Wolves, Darrington, Izzy Wells, Northwest League, Softball on May 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Izzy Wells whiffed 12 in a six-inning no-hitter Tuesday in Darrington. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Level achieved.

Taking care of business Tuesday, the Coupeville High School varsity softball squad capped another perfect run through conference play with a 10-0 win at Darrington.

The victory lifts the Wolves to 8-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 16-2 overall, but the season is far from done.

The current plan calls for Coupeville’s sluggers, the best in District 1, to twiddle their collective thumbs until May 21, when they’ll travel to Centralia for a winner-to-state, loser-out game against the #5 team from District 4.

That’s a long gap, made necessary by D-4, which has 20 schools playing 2B softball, holding its postseason tourney first.

Since teams can play 20 games before the playoffs, there is some hope Coupeville may be able to rustle up another non-conference game or two between now and then.

Otherwise, it’s practice, practice, and more practice as the Wolves prep for their state play-in game.

“We have to come out ready to go on the 21st in Centralia,” said CHS coach Kevin McGranahan. “Gotta treat every game from here on out like a loser-out game, because, as of right now, they are.”

While Coupeville might not have played its best game of the season Tuesday, the Wolves delivered another solid performance.

The 16th win is the second-most for a Wolf team in McGranahan’s six seasons as coach, trailing just his 2017 squad, which finished 19-5.

CHS was patient at the plate, drawing 12 walks off of Darrington’s pitchers, then delivering a couple of key base-knocks to keep everyone honest.

Wolf hurler Izzy Wells had the first big bash, smacking a double to left, while fellow senior Audrianna Shaw went yard, launching a solo shot over the fence in left-center.

“It was a no doubter,” McGranahan said of Shaw’s moonball.

Darrington had no chance at the plate. Like zip, zero, zilch.

Flinging liquid heat, Izzy Wells tossed a six-inning no-hitter, missing out on a perfect game by one batter, as she walked a single hitter in the second inning.

She struck out 12 and recorded another three outs on groundouts back to the pitcher’s circle, giving her teammates plenty of time to enjoy nature while largely standing around.

What Izzy Wells looked like to the Darrington hitters.

Tuesday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle — 1 single
Mia Farris — 1 walk
Gwen Gustafson — 2 walks
Allie Lucero — 1 single, 1 walk
Maya Lucero — 1 single
Madison McMillan — 2 walks
Sofia Peters — 1 single
Audrianna Shaw — 1 single, 1 home run, 2 walks
Izzy Wells — 1 double, 2 walks
Savina Wells — 2 walks