Mikayla Elfrank loves the long-ball. (Jordan Ford photo)
It is one of the more amazing sports achievements I have witnessed in person.
One batter, two consecutive swings, in two consecutive at-bats, against the same pitcher, but in two different towns, six days apart, ending with the biggest bang high school softball has to offer.
It’s why we’re here today to welcome Mikayla Elfrank (and her booming bat) to the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.
Now, Elfrank, a three-sport star who has been an immediate hit on the volleyball and basketball courts as well as the softball diamond since transferring from South Whidbey to Coupeville during her sophomore year, will have to wait a bit for the ultimate induction.
She’s on a fast track to join boyfriend Jordan Ford in one day being placed in the Hall as an athlete, but that’s a career-capping award.
As a junior at CHS, Elfrank has much more to show us before that (most likely) inevitable induction.
Today, though, she goes in for creating a moment, one which will now be found nestled under the Legends tab at the top of the blog.
In many ways, Elfrank’s run as a Wolf parallels Madeline Strasburg.
The former Wolf star, who also was a big hitter and big-game standout in the same three sports Elfrank plays, first got in the Hall for creating a moment out of time, before getting the induction call that honored her entire career.
With Maddie Big Time, it was an uncanny performance on the hardwood.
Playing in back-to-back games, but 17 days apart, thanks to winter break, Strasburg pulled off the same play, at the same moment in time, in stunning fashion.
She picked the pocket of a rival ball-handler, spun and dropped a half-court shot off the glass as the third quarter buzzer sounded, then did the EXACT SAME THING the next game.
Same spot on the floor, same moment on the clock, same result, same big grin as she barreled off the court, knocking down teammates as they mobbed her.
When you click on the Legends tab and scan the Hall o’ Fame, Strasburg’s mind-bending display of artistry is the first Moment ever inducted.
Now, we jump forward a couple of years and pay witness to the shock and awe capabilities of Elfrank.
We open on the CHS softball field May 4, 2017.
Sequim, a big 2A school, has come to Cow Town for a non-league clash on an extremely sunny day and Coupeville has the bags juiced with one out in the bottom of the first.
Hefting her bat like the weapon it is, Elfrank rocks back and forth a bit, then goes absolutely calm as Sequim hurler Shelby Jones unleashes a pitch.
One violent, and well-placed swing later, the ball screams over the fence in straight-away center field, still rising as it exits for a bases-clearing grand slam.
Almost.
A brief base-running snafu — Sarah Wright, coming off of first, slows down for a moment to make sure the ball is going yard while Elfrank is flying like a woman who doesn’t realize she just murdered the ball — catches the eye of the field ump.
In a flash, the grand-slam becomes (technically) a very long three-run single, as Elfrank is called out for passing her teammate on the base-paths.
But, facts are for the Whidbey News-Times. I print the legend.
Anyway, it won’t matter, as Coupeville will tack on another run the next inning and eventually win 4-3.
But then things hit a real road bump.
Lightning and thunder, though far, far off on the horizon, force the game to be postponed in the second inning, before Elfrank can return to the plate.
Jump forward six days, and the Wolves are off to Sequim for the second game in a scheduled home-and-away match-up.
The two coaches agree to finish the lightning game after the regularly scheduled contest, and Coupeville takes both games to finish 17-3 headed into the playoffs.
But first, Elfrank heads to the plate in the top of the first, with two runners on base (including Wright, who is up on her toes and ready to sprint) and Jones back in the pitcher’s circle.
It’s been six days since the duo faced each other, but, on the very first pitch, same result.
Elfrank cranks a moon shot to center, not only clearing the fence, but bouncing the ball off of a ride at the carnival being set up behind the Sequim softball field.
The blow earns her a Dairy Queen gift certificate from the rival coach, who had joked in pregame warmups about any hitters doing just that.
It also earns her induction into the Hall o’ Fame.
Two consecutive pitches, two consecutive swings, against the same pitcher, but six days apart in two towns, both ending up with home runs to straight away center.
Never seen it happen before. Will never see it happen again.
Of course as I say that, I imagine Elfrank saying, “Never?!?!? Hold my Blizzard!!” and immediately proving me wrong.
