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Posts Tagged ‘Central Whidbey Little League’

An inch from perfection!!

Posted in Baseball, Little League, tagged , , , , on June 7, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Even with a final-inning loss Tuesday, Central Whidbey is flying high at 14-1 on the season. (Stephanie Pulliam photo)

Live by the walk-off, die by the walk-off.

For a moment, it looked like the Central Whidbey Little League Minors baseball squad had pulled off its second burst of final-inning magic in three days.

A lead-off home-run in the top of the sixth Tuesday staked the squad to a one-run lead.

As Peyton Caveness stamped on home, remaining undefeated and cruising into the championship game of the Henry Pope Memorial Tournament looked all but certain.

But it wasn’t to be.

Unlike Sunday, when Central Whidbey was playing as the home team, and a home-run ended the game on the spot, Tuesday the Coupeville kids had to shut down their foes in the bottom of the sixth to notch another win.

And this time, for the first time all season, they couldn’t get the outs.

South Whidbey #2 sent three hitters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, plated the first two, and sprinted off with a 3-2 win.

The loss put the first ding in a 14-1 record for Central Whidbey and drops it into the loser bracket of the double-elimination tourney.

The hardball warriors, who have won two of three at the tourney, return to the South End Wednesday for a loser-out game.

Win and they get a rematch with South Whidbey #2 Thursday. Win that one, and the two squads play a rubber game for the tourney title Friday.

Tuesday’s game was a pitcher’s duel most of the way.

The teams exchanged zeroes on the scoreboard until the fourth, when Central Whidbey finally broke through.

Levi Pulliam smacked a one-out single to get things started, followed by a two-out RBI triple off the bat of Jack Porter.

Unfortunately for Central, Porter was stranded at third, a fate suffered earlier in the game by his brother Johnny, who also crunched a two-out triple, only to watch as the next CW hitter also went down on strikes.

South Whidbey scraped out its own run in the bottom of the fourth, the teams exchanged goose eggs in the fifth, then the game went on its emotional see-saw in the final inning.

Central Whidbey collected seven hits, with Caveness (bunt single, inside the park home run) and Johnny Porter (single, triple) accounting for four.

Jack Porter’s triple and singles from Pulliam and Landon Roberts rounded out the attack.

The three-headed pitching beast of Chase Anderson, Pulliam and Jordan Bradford whiffed 11 South Whidbey hitters across the six-inning game.

Mike Robinett, John Rachal, Alex Smith and Kyrese Simpson also saw action for Central Whidbey.

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One swing for the win!!

Posted in Baseball, Little League, tagged , , , , on June 4, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Undefeated and it feels so good. (Stephanie Pulliam photos)

Mike Robinett (left) and Landon Roberts are ready to take on the world.

Their play has been as red-hot as their uniforms.

   Levi Pulliam is thrilled to find out, you hit a game-winning home run, you just may get a cake out of the deal.

You can call Levi Pulliam “The Cardiac Kid.”

Sitting on a full count, he hammered a game-winning, bottom-of-the-sixth, walk-off home-run Sunday, keeping the miracle run going for his team.

Now sitting at a pristine 14-0 after upending host South Whidbey 3-2, the Central Whidbey Little League Minors baseball squad is also a flawless 2-0 in the Henry Pope Memorial Tournament.

The Coupeville nine, who shredded Oak Harbor Saturday, return to the South End of the Island Tuesday for their next tourney tilt.

The double-elimination event runs June 3-12.

Sunday both teams played a tight game, with South Whidbey twice taking a one-run lead, only to see Central come right back in the bottom of each inning.

The two squads exchanged runs in the first and fourth, mixed in a bunch of zeroes the rest of the way, then stepped back to let Pulliam be the hero.

Bashing a shot down the right field line, he took off as his coach, Jon Roberts, lost his mind.

“It runs hard to DEEP right field. I think I blacked out as he rounded first, screaming ‘run!’,” said a still-giddy hardball guru. “The throw into second takes a while and the throw to the plate is too late. Game over!!

“Best game we played all year!”

Central Whidbey was on top of its game in every way.

Pitchers Chase Anderson, Pulliam and Jordan Bradford combined to whiff 11 of the 21 hitters they faced.

At the plate, Central Whidbey got base-knocks from six different hitters.

Pulliam’s dinger was the big hit, but he got help from Peyton Caveness, Anderson, Bradford and brothers Jack and Johnny Porter, who all collected singles.

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Central Whidbey goes hit crazy!!

Posted in Baseball, Little League, tagged , , , , on June 4, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Landon Roberts whacked three hits Saturday, including a home run, in a 19-1 CWLL win. (John Fisken photo)

They can’t be contained.

The only thing which stopped the Central Whidbey Little League Minors baseball squad from ringing up 100 runs Saturday in the opening game of the Henry Pope Memorial Tournament was a five-runs-per-inning rule.

Facing off with the defending tourney champs, CWLL rained down 16 hits, including three home-runs, en route to a 19-1 four-inning romp over the North Whidbey Mariners.

Central Whidbey, which sits at 13-0 on the season, returns to play Sunday at noon, facing host South Whidbey.

The double-elimination event, named in honor of the legendary former Falcon coach, runs June 3-12.

The hits started falling right away for CWLL, with four of its first five hitters lashing base-knocks, capped by a thunderous double off the bat of Jack Porter.

The big blows were still to come, though, as Landon Roberts launched a home-run in the second inning, followed by back-to-back moon shots from Levi Pulliam and Chase Anderson in the fourth.

Central Whidbey only went down on outs once, in the second inning, when it settled for four runs.

The other three innings, the sluggers exited once they hit the five-run cap, amassing just four (of a possible nine) outs across that time.

With the game well in hand, CWLL coach Jon Roberts divvied up time on the hill, using five pitchers to nab the win.

Anderson started, then was followed on the mound by Pulliam, Roberts, Porter (making his pitching debut) and Jordan Bradford.

Eight different Central Whidbey batters lashed hits, with Roberts and Pulliam recording three apiece.

Peyton Caveness, Mike Robinett, Porter and Bradford each had two.

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Fireballer wins fans in two towns!!

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on June 3, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Softball sensation Melody Wilkie. (Photo courtesy Debbie Wilkie)

Melody Wilkie paces around the pitcher’s circle, stops, then lets loose with another fireball.

The ball zips homeward, the batter swings and misses (by a lot) and the ball finds its destination in the waiting mitt of catcher Mollie Bailey, one more strike in what often seems like a never-ending run of K’s.

Wilkie, an 8th grader who is using her electric arm to power the Central Whidbey Little League Juniors softball squad through a winning season, is already well ahead of the curve for players her age.

Toss in a powerful bat and slick defensive moves, and she’s a fast-rising star in the tradition of Whidbey Island high school hurlers like Katrina McGranahan and Mackenzee Collins.

While she enjoyed running cross country for Langley Middle School, the softball diamond is where Wilkie’s heart truly resides.

“I started playing when I was five,” she said. “I always watched my older brother (Cody) play baseball and he was always having so much fun on the field and it really inspired me to play and be like him.

“There’s so many things I enjoy about softball,” Wilkie added.

“I love the competition and the adrenaline rush in close games; I love always having your team to back you up — they’re always there for me — and I enjoy that there’s always ways to improve.”

That constant desire to fine-tune her game, to find new ways to excel, is what drives Wilkie.

“I think for high school I will really focus on softball and working on my pitching all year around,” she said. “One of my strengths as an athlete would probably be that I always want to improve more and work harder.

“There are lots of areas I would like to improve on.”

Wilkie, who enjoys hanging out with friends and working at a local pet store when she’s not playing softball, would like to have a long, successful run in her chosen sport.

“Some of my goals as I go into high school would be to relax a little in tough situations on the field,” she said. “And I would really like to learn some new pitches as well and improve as an all-around player.

“I would really like to play softball in college,” Wilkie added. “It would be really cool to play for UW. I love watching the Huskies play and I could stay close to my friends and family and still be doing what I love.”

Spending this spring playing on a new team has introduced her to new teammates, coaches and fans, and it’s been a fun ride for the young gunslinger.

“Playing for Coupeville, I’ve made lots of new friends,” Wilkie said. “I have to give a lot of credit to Mollie. When I’m pitching, she always knows what to do and where I should pitch it.

“Coral (Caveness), Kylie (Van Velkinburgh), Audrianna (Shaw) and Anya (Leavell) are always there to cheer me on and I think that has really helped me this year,” she added. “My coaches, Mimi (Johnson) and Connie (Lippo), too.”

Whether it’s hurling strikeouts, or cracking game-busting hits (“One of my best memories was my first home run. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited!”), Wilkie’s support crew is always there to cheer her on, through big wins and tough losses.

“There’s so many people that have had huge impacts on me,” she said. “My mom and my dad have always told me to never get upset when I have a bad game, just get it next time.

“Some of my best memories from playing sports would have to be playing with my friends. I love being able to cheer them on and be there to cheer them up too.”

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Shenanigans? Possibly…

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , on May 31, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Melody Wilkie, seen here in an earlier game, whiffed 11 Wednesday. (John Fisken photo)

The often wild and wacky world of little league took another spin down crazy lane Wednesday night, and the detour stung Central Whidbey.

The facts are murky, but let’s take a stab at figuring this out.

When Anacortes showed up to Coupeville’s diamond for a Juniors softball tilt, it either did, or did not, depending on who we believe, have nine rostered players as game time approached.

If it did not, the game would never have started, at least as an official contest, as little league rules stipulate a full nine to each side at first pitch.

Thankfully (for Anacortes), it produced a ninth girl who, depending on which story we believe, had either A) forgotten her uniform or B) didn’t have a uniform cause she’s not even on the team in the first place.

There was little doubt she was the most skilled player on the field, even playing in (rather suspiciously) Chuck Taylor high-tops.

Taking balls at short, she commanded the field in a way most little league players simply don’t.

Perhaps because, even though the Anacortes coach only gave up her first name, a quick internet search easily confirms she’s a seasoned travel ball vet and high school freshman.

Age-wise, no issue, as depending on birthdays, high school freshmen can, and do, play juniors softball.

Of course, if our mystery girl (who can’t hide in the age of the internet) wasn’t on the roster in the first place, and quite possibly isn’t even signed up for little league itself, that could, and should, have been an issue.

Especially once she ripped a bunch of hits, made several web gems and sparked Anacortes to a 17-11 win.

While, of course, remaining on the field for the full game even after two other players who actually had legitimate uniforms arrived slightly late to join the visitors bench.

Central Whidbey, which failed to properly retaliate by stealing away any Coupeville High School players who might have been wandering by, did rally for seven runs late to tighten the game up.

A single from Coral Caveness, her second of the game, set up Melody Wilkie for the biggest hit of the game for the home squad.

Wilkie, who whiffed 11 Anacortes hitters in the pitcher’s circle, jacked an RBI double to straight-away center off of “Chuck Taylor Girl,” who closed the game as a pitcher after also playing short and first.

It was a frozen rope of a hit for Wilkie, one legitimate moment in an (allegedly) illegitimate game.

Central Whidbey also pulled off some sweet defensive plays, all from players really on their roster.

First-baseman Jill Prince made a gorgeous running snag on a foul pop-up falling fast to the Earth in front of her, while Taylor Fifield had back-to-back gems in the fourth.

On the first play, she took command, calling off Wilkie at the last second while pulling in a high fly ball over second.

A moment later, Fifield went to her right, snared a hot grounder, whirled and dropped a throw right on the money into Prince’s waiting mitt.

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