Chase Anderson had three hits, including a homer, as Central Whidbey won the title game of the Henry Pope Memorial Tournament. (Stephanie Pulliam photos)
“Hey, we just won! Everyone attack the photographer!!”
The Central Whidbey coaching staff, which, unlike its rivals, remembered “Don’t use up all your pitching before the end of the tourney.”
Kyrese Simpson intently studies the pitcher for weaknesses.
Da champs.
Hard-earned hardware. (Jon Roberts photo)
Payback was epic.
Avenging its only loss of the season, the Central Whidbey Little League Minors baseball squad scorched host South Whidbey 11-0 Thursday to win the Henry Pope Memorial Tournament.
Coupeville’s sluggers entered the night thinking they would need two wins to claim the title.
But after dismantling their rivals, who had nipped them 3-2 Tuesday, Central Whidbey got an unexpected bit of good news.
South Whidbey’s coaches had gambled, and lost, burning through their pitching staff, and had to forfeit Friday’s game, which would have pitted the two squads in a winner-take-all finale.
With the wins, one by bat and one by brain (Central coaches still had several limber, and eligible, pitching arms at their disposal), CW improves to 17-1.
After winning five of six in the week-long, double-elimination tourney, Coupeville’s hardball warriors now move on to All-Star play.
But Thursday night, that was a far-off thought, as everyone was still locked firmly in celebration mode.
“Without a doubt the best single season I have ever been a part of as a player or coach,” said Jon Roberts.
The title game started off with a classy note, as Teresa Pope, the wife of the late, great South Whidbey coach for whom the tourney is named, threw out the first pitch.
As soon as it took the field, Central Whidbey was in lock-down mode.
A run in the first, another in the second, then the floodgates opened in the third, with four Coupeville players stamping on home plate.
The big blow was a thunderous home run off of the bat of starting pitcher Chase Anderson.
It was especially sweet as South Whidbey had intentionally walked Landon Roberts to get to Anderson.
Why they did that, especially on a day when he rapped out three hits, adding two singles to his long ball, will remain a mystery.
Five more runs in the top of the fourth put Central Whidbey up by 11, giving it the chance to end the game early thanks to the mercy rule.
Not that Coupeville showed much mercy, as relief pitcher Levi Pulliam closed out the game with a bang.
The final out came courtesy a “a tag that looked like a linebacker placing a forearm shiver on the runner attempting to steal third.”
Central Whidbey finished with 10 hits, with Jordan Bradford crunching a pair of singles to back up Anderson’s three-hit assault.
John Rachal, Peyton Caveness, Roberts, Mike Robinett and Johnny Porter rounded out the hit parade with a single apiece.
Anderson and Pulliam combined for five strikeouts on the mound, while Kyrese Simpson, Alex Smith and Jack Porter joined their teammates in bringing home championship medals.
The 11-man squad is led by coaches Craig Anderson, Jon Roberts, Sandy Roberts, Michael Bradford, Josh Fiske, Ryan Lang and Jeff Porter.
Scorekeepers Adam Caveness and Jen Porter round out the brain trust.
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