The Coupeville Crush celebrate Red Nose Day before taking the field. (Mimi Johnson photos)
Umpire Jim Wheat gets in on the festivities (possibly against his will.)
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.
