They call them the Crush, cause that’s what they did to other teams all season long en route to an 18-0-1 record. (Mimi Johnson photo)
One of many, many runs Central Whidbey scored this season. (Renae Mulholland photo)
Kylie Van Velkinburgh, who whacked three hits in the championship game, gets photo-bombed by her fan club. (Dustin Van Velkinburgh photo)
Izzy Wells (left) and Abby Mulholland cap their season with sweet treats. (Mulholland photo)
They crushed them until the end.
Capping an unbeaten season, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball squad swept through the Bill Sparks tournament, adding a tourney title to an already impressive season.
By the time the Coupeville Crush were done winning three of three in tournament action, it had finished the year with an 18-0-1 record.
“I am so proud of these girls,” said coach Mimi Johnson. “What a great season!”
Central Whidbey put the cherry on top of the sundae, holding off North Whidbey Purple 14-10 in the title game, held at Skagit River Park.
The Crush exploded early, raining down a five-spot in both the first and second inning.
Izzy Wells, Coral Caveness and Abby Mulholland eked out walks in the opening frame, with Kaela Meffert and Kylie Van Velkinburgh delivering “well-placed hits.”
The runs kept coming in the second, with Meffert taking one for the team to kick things off.
After she was plunked, Wells and Jill Prince walked, while Caveness and Audrianna Shaw whacked base hits.
The Crush almost got more, but North Whidbey somehow ran down a bomb to left off the bat of Sofie Martin, before doubling the runner off of third.
It didn’t matter, though, with Wells reaching double digits in strike-outs from the pitcher’s circle, and the Crush bats remaining hot.
Coupeville scraped out a run in the third, using a bit of everything.
Stella Johnson led off with a solid base knock, her cousin, Thora Iverson, walked, Bam Ries reached on an error and Kenna Somes walked.
North Whidbey crept back into the game in the fourth, a rarity against a Crush team which ten-runned most of its foes this season.
“Their at bat was almost my emotional undoing,” Mimi Johnson said with a laugh. “I don’t like games being this close!”
The Crush never actually lost the lead, though, and continued to put up runs in every inning.
Iverson, Ries and Shaw delivered base hits in the late innings, Anya Lavelle got plunked and Martin stole home to take away some of their coach’s stress.
It was a team effort across the board, with Van Velkinburgh finishing with three hits and five RBI, while the Crush defense was on target.
Mulholland ran down a “beautiful long shot to center field,” while Prince was a vacuum at first, letting nothing past.
The game, the tourney and the season ended in high style, with Wells (and her flame-throwing arm) gunning down the final two hitters.
