Coupeville Sports

Cold day, hot bats

April 14, 2022 by David Svien

Maya Nottingham cracked two hits Thursday, sparking Coupeville to a big road win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The cold never bothered them anyway.

Enduring a chilly afternoon and early evening Thursday, the Coupeville High School JV softball squad shook off the icicles and thrashed host Sultan 15-3.

The non-conference win, which lifts the Wolf young guns to 4-1 on the season, could have been even more of a blowout, if pesky rules hadn’t gotten in the way.

Each team was restricted to five runs per inning, and that was the only thing stopping Coupeville.

The Wolves sent 22 batters to the plate across three frames, recording just one single, solitary out on a comebacker to the pitcher.

Other than that, Coupeville registered eight hits, accepted 13 walks, and ended each inning with runners stranded on base when the fifth run tapped home.

It was brutal, it was efficient, and it brought a smile to Wolf coach Katrina McGranahan’s face.

“The JV girls did a great job at stepping in and playing after having to sit and watch the varsity game,” she said.

“It was yet another cold day, but I’m impressed with how the girls came out and handled their business,” McGranahan added. “Never backed down and never stopped pushing.”

All 11 Wolves to see action reached base, with Maya Nottingham and Chloe Marzocca pacing the offense with a pair of hits apiece.

“Maya hit her first triple today!” McGranahan said. “It’s always nice to see someone get a reward after putting in so much work.

“I loved seeing the bright, happy face she had! A moment she will remember!”

Marzocca and Mia Farris teamed up to handle the pitching, with both freshmen doing well in the less-than-ideal weather, something their coach, a former ace in the circle, can appreciate.

“Pitching is always a difficult position, but the two girls held their own and you can see the progress,” McGranahan said.

“Chloe did an amazing job and dialed it in toward the end of the first inning,” she added. “Pitching is very difficult, especially in cold weather, but she did an amazing job at hanging tight and being positive.

“Mia also stepped in and did a great job as well. It had been quite some time since the JV had played a game, but they looked as if they took no time off.”

Wolf catcher Teagan Calkins, just an 8th grader, was her usual steady self, helping both CHS pitchers lock in.

“Teagan again was solid behind the plate,” McGranahan said.

“In fact, she did such a great job that the umpire came up to us between innings and complimented her to us! That’s awesome!!”

Thursday stats:

Edie Bittner — 1 walk
Teagan Calkins — 1 single, 2 walks
Mia Farris — 1 single
Jada Heaton — 1 single, 1 walk
Violette Huegerich — 2 walks
Lily Leedy — 1 walk
Allie Lucero — 1 walk
Katie Marti — 1 single, 1 walk
Chloe Marzocca — 2 singles, 1 walk
Melanie Navarro — 2 walks
Maya Nottingham — 1 single, 1 triple, 1 walk

Posted in Softball | Tagged CHS Wolves, JV, Maya Nottingham, road trip, Softball, Sultan | Leave a Comment »

Seven straight for sluggers

April 14, 2022 by David Svien

Senior Audrianna Shaw slammed a home run Thursday, part of a 27-hit, 22-run performance for Coupeville. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Another day, another win over a bigger school.

Bringing out the extra-hot bats Thursday, the Coupeville High School varsity softball squad crushed host Sultan 22-0 in a game mercy-ruled after five innings.

The non-conference win lifts the Wolves to 8-1 on the season, and they’ll carry a seven-game winning streak to La Conner Friday afternoon.

Intent on returning to the state tourney after Covid erased two years of potential postseason play, Coupeville has filled its non-league schedule with schools from higher classifications.

And it’s paid off, as the 2B Wolves are 4-1 against 1A schools this season, with just a narrow loss to traditional power Lynden Christian.

Still ahead are non-conference tilts with 3A Oak Harbor, 2A Lakewood, and 1A Meridian.

Thursday’s rumble with Sultan, pushed back a few days by bad weather, was bombs away for the Wolves.

Coupeville crunched a season-high 27 hits, with 12 of those base-knocks going for more than one base.

And to be truthful, there could have been more extra-base hits, had Kevin McGranahan’s squad not pulled back in the later going, trying to soften the defeat.

Sultan, a plucky team, did scratch out two hits and a walk off of Wolf ace Izzy Wells, but otherwise she was pouring straight heat on a cold day, whiffing 10 and keeping the Turks at bay.

Wells got some help as well, with her fielders playing error-free ball behind her.

Maya Lucero doin’ what she does — destroying pitcher’s dreams with each swing.

Coupeville put the game away early, erupting for eight runs in the top of the first, all with two outs.

With runners at the corners, Sultan had a chance to escape, only to see the Wolves smash six consecutive hits.

It started with Madison McMillan bashing a two-run single to left, before Sofia Peters zipped a hit off of the pitcher’s ankle.

That brought the Lucero twins to the plate, with both Maya and Allie launching run-scoring doubles, before things got really intense.

Melanie Navarro crushed the life out of the softball for an RBI triple, which made Audrianna Shaw nod and whisper, “I got this” before socking a two-run inside-the-park home run.

Sultan was set back on its heels, and never recovered, as Coupeville continued to pepper the ball, adding another four runs in the second and five in the third.

From there the Wolves pushed across four in the fourth and a solitary run in the top of the fifth, while doing their best to ease the Turk pain.

In the late going, Coupeville worked on its bunting, tried to go just station-to-station, and even had a couple players who don’t normally hit left-handed do just that.

Nine of 10 Wolves to see action collected at least one base-knock, with second-baseman Sofia Peters leading the way with a varsity career-best five-hit performance.

Now it’s off to La Conner Friday, where the Northwest 2B/1B League rivals are scheduled to play a doubleheader.

In a twist, while both games count in the overall standings, only the first game counts as a league game.

While some NWL teams are playing each other twice this season, others are clashing three times, with only the first two meetings recognized as league contests.

Coupeville already beat La Conner 18-0 in game #1 of their season series.

Thursday stats:

Violette Huegerich — 1 single, 1 walk
Allie Lucero — 1 single, 1 double, 1 walk
Maya Lucero — 2 singles, 2 doubles
Madison McMillan — 3 singles, 1 double, 1 walk
Melanie Navarro — 1 double, 1 triple
Sofia Peters — 3 singles, 2 doubles
Audrianna Shaw — 1 single, 1 double, 1 home run, 1 walk
Izzy Wells — 1 single, 2 doubles
Savina Wells — 2 singles, 1 triple

“So many runs. So many hits. My fingers are cramping … and I like it!!”

Posted in Softball | Tagged CHS Wolves, Maya Lucero, Sofia Peters, Softball, Sultan | Leave a Comment »

Seth Sorgen is The Man!

April 14, 2022 by David Svien

Sultan senior Seth Sorgen — a legend on the mic. (Photo courtesy Scott Sifferman)

Seth Sorgen, I have a crisp fiver with your name on it.

All you have to do to claim this huge financial reward — approximately half the annual operating budget of Coupeville Sports — is renounce Sultan, move to Whidbey Island and become the voice of Wolf sports.

Tempting, isn’t it?

OK, probably not, but it was worth a try at least.

Now, if you don’t live in Sultan, you may be wondering who Seth is, and why he’s my new obsession.

He’s only the best play-by-play man to hit streaming this year, a velvety-voiced mic god who could — nay, should — be the true heir to Dave Niehaus.

As Nicolas Cage would say (at least when played on SNL by Andy Samberg), “That’s high praise!”

I stumbled across Seth while watching the stream of Thursday’s softball clash between Sultan and Coupeville, a 22-0 rout for the visiting Wolves.

Streaming of high school games increased sharply during the pandemic, but Sultan has been at the forefront since the start, with their in-house Turk Pride TV.

The Turks get their cameras closer than the ones slapped onto walls by the NFHS Network, and they do a pretty stellar job.

Some schools deliver play-by-play with their broadcasts, while many don’t.

A couple are truly decent — shoutout to Orcas Island — but Turk Pride TV holds that top rung.

Especially when Seth is at the mic, it appears.

Marinate in some of his thick ‘n rich wordplay from Thursday’s broadcast:

** – “She slaps a hit. I already said slap about 18 times. It’s our word of the day, I guess.”

** – “I don’t know her, but she has the vibe of a girl who would dive face-first into the fence to make a catch.”

** – “It’s probably two outs, or a runner has just been abducted from second base and no one has noticed.”

** – “Or the runner got bored and decided to go to the dugout for a drink of water. Never know…”

** – “That umpire has a truly fantastic mustache.”

** – “The weather cleared up and we got to play. I was a little worried I was going to show up to sadness and despair.”

** – “Forget about the mitt. That ball falls gently into her loving arms.”

** – “Izzy Wells is trying to bring in her maybe sister, Savina Wells. I don’t know, Wells is a pretty common last name. But they do go to the same school, so anything is possible.”

** – “Coupeville also has Allie and Maya Lucero. Also might be sisters. Pretty sure on that one, cause Lucero is NOT a common last name.”

** – “My brother dislocated his shoulder in a wrestling match. This injury is not as bad, just a good bruise for tomorrow. And yes, my brother did do it live on Turk TV!”

** – “And she hits the ball into what I like to think of as the golden gap.”

** – “You get a free base for that. Well, put free in quotes; you’ve still got to run.”

** – “The fence saved us again from getting hit. Always appreciate your local fence, folks.”

And if you live in Sultan, appreciate your local play-by-play man, cause you’ve got a great one, Turks.

Don’t make me launch a GoFundMe to outbid you for his services!

Posted in A freakin' American hero | Tagged Dave Niehaus, Seth Sorgen, Softball, Sultan, Turk Pride TV | 3 Comments »

For those about to play (we salute you)

April 14, 2022 by David Svien

Skylar Parker launches a lethal serve. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The day was action-packed.

Multiple Coupeville High School spring sports teams were in action at home Wednesday, with wanderin’ photo clicker John Fisken bouncing from locale to locale.

The photos above and below capture CHS varsity tennis and softball players in action, but are just the tip of the iceberg.

To see more, and ponder purchasing some glossy memories for Aunt Agnes and Uncle Arthur over in Amarillo, pop over to:

Girls Tennis:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/Coupeville-Tennis-2021-2022/GT-2022-04-13-vs-OH-C-team/

Softball:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/Coupeville-Softball-/SB-2022-04-13-vs-CPC/