Only a sensational defensive play prevented Mia Farris from being a hero Friday afternoon in Blaine. (Ryan Blouin photo)
Give credit where credit is due — Blaine won; Coupeville didn’t lose.
Friday’s matchup of high-rolling softball squads was a pitcher’s duel decided by a couple of plays, and the host Borderites made a couple of stunners to seal their 4-1 non-conference win.
An inch here, a gust of wind (or lack of a gust of wind) there, and the 2B Wolves, who roll out three 8th graders and two freshmen in the starting lineup, could very well have upended their 1A rivals.
But Blaine’s pitcher pulled off a stunner of a double play to thwart one threat, and then its centerfielder went all Superman on the final play of the game to rob Coupeville of a chance to tie the game.
So, you tip your hat, you get back on the bus and mentally plan for another road trip Saturday — this one to Granite Falls — and you look at what went right.
Which was a lot of things for a Wolf team which sits at 8-3 on the season.
From Sydney Van Dyke and Madison McMillan gobbling up groundballs on defense, to Wolf catcher Teagan Calkins bursting from behind home plate to gun down runners, to leadoff hitter Haylee Armstrong getting aboard three times.
CHS came out strongly, loading the bases in the top of the first thanks to infield hits from Armstrong and Calkins packaged around a walk to McMillan.
Van Dyke then eked out another free pass to force in the game’s first run, before Blaine escaped the half inning with a strikeout.
With starting pitcher Armstrong retiring the first five hitters she faced, Coupeville held on to its razor-thin lead until late in the bottom of the second inning.
Blaine finally broke through thanks to a two-run double from its #8 hitter, inching ahead at 2-1, and the stage was set for a tense tussle.
The Wolves had their chances, getting two aboard in the third, but the Borderite hurler, while not untouchable, was hard to pin down.
And then came the web gems, which drove a stake through the hearts of CHS fans.
With a runner at first and one out in the top of the fifth, Taylor Brotemarkle smashed a red-hot liner back up the middle.
Only to see the Blaine pitcher spear the ball in the tip of her glove at the last second, then whirl to double off the runner for an inning-ending double play.
With Armstrong and Adeline Maynes combining to whiff five batters from the circle, Coupeville hung tough, and made its move in the top of the seventh.
“I get on base, son. It’s kind of my thing.” (Jackie Saia photo)
Both Wolf pitchers walked, bringing Mia Farris to the plate with the Wolves down to their final out.
The junior slugger smoked a shot to centerfield which, on a less windy day, mighty have cleared the fence for a three-run homer.
Instead, the ball got caught in the crossflow just long enough for Blaine’s centerfielder to make a superb diving catch while on a full sprint.
What could of have been…
Instead of cutting the lead to 4-3, with Farris bouncing on second or third with the crush crew of Brotemarkle, McMillan, and Calkins on deck, it was game over.
But while the Wolves lost, coach Kevin McGranahan was thrilled with a lot of what he saw from his very young team after a very long drive to the border.
“4-1 against them is a big win in my book,” he said. “We learned today that we can hang with real good teams and if the ball bounces differently a time or two we could come out on top.
“They kept their ace in for all seven innings even though now she pitched 24 innings since Monday, and they play Lynden Christian tomorrow — a league game for them.
“I told the girls that is a very high show of respect for us and our young squad.
“Great game for us and another that will only make us better and stronger.”
Friday stats:
Haylee Armstrong — One single, two walks
Teagan Calkins — One single, one walk
Adeline Maynes — One walk
Madison McMillan — One walk
Sydney Van Dyke — One walk
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