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Posts Tagged ‘CHS Wolves’

Hardball squads play to rare tie

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, JV, SWHS Falcons, tie on April 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Landon Roberts and Coupeville JV baseball played to a 6-6 tie Thursday in Langley. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Well, that was unexpected.

Thursday’s JV baseball game between Coupeville High School and host South Whidbey started with an offensive bang, turned into a pitcher’s duel, then closed with another burst of runs.

Which all resulted in a … tie?

It’s true, as the Wolves and Falcons settled their 6-6 stalemate by calling it a day and not battling any longer into the fading sunshine.

Instead, the teams came away happy with getting to play a full seven frames — especially on a day when they followed the varsity in action — instead of a cut-down four or five inning affair.

With the tie Coupeville sits at 3-4-1 on the season, with a road trip to Mount Vernon this Saturday next up on the schedule.

Thursday’s royal rumble got started with an explosion of runs, as the Wolves slapped three runs on the board in the top of the first, only to have the Falcons respond with four of their own in the bottom half of the frame.

The opening Wolf rally was sparked by base-knocks from Aiden O’Neill, Seth Woollet, Chase Anderson, and Camden Glover.

With three of those four being only 8th graders, Coupeville’s offensive future is a bright one.

After combining for seven runs in the first inning, the teams only scratched out two more across the next five innings, with both of those coming from the Wolves in the third.

Cole White bopped a single to get things going, with Jack Porter mashing an RBI double to tie the game, and Landon Roberts ripping a run-scoring single to push CHS ahead 5-4.

The Wolves made it 6-4 in the seventh, after O’Neill was plunked, then came around to score when White launched a two-bagger.

Give South Whidbey credit, though, as the host team forced the tie by pushing two runs across in their last at-bats, all without getting a hit.

Two walks, some adventurous base-running, and an unfortunate Coupeville error left the door open just long enough for the stalemate to be forged.

Still, win, loss, or tie, the game showcased Coupeville’s bats, as all 10 players who saw the field collected a hit.

Thursday stats:

Chase Anderson — 1 single
Coop Cooper — 1 single
Camden Glover — 1 single, 1 walk
Cole Hutchinson — 1 double
Aiden O’Neill — 1 single, 1 walk
Jack Porter — 1 single, 1 double
Landon Roberts — 1 single, 1 walk
Cole White — 1 single, 1 double
Kai Wong — 1 single
Seth Woollet — 1 single

Chase Anderson whacks a hit.

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Falcons nip Wolves on diamond

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Island rivalry, Jonathan Valenzuela, SWHS Falcons on April 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Xavier Murdy and his fellow CHS seniors will be honored Friday. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

One small break can be brutal.

Playing less than 24 hours after winning a battle for league supremacy, the Coupeville High School varsity baseball team took a small step backwards Thursday afternoon.

Dinged by back-to-back fielding errors at a crucial moment, the Wolves fell 3-1 at South Whidbey, allowing the Falcons to earn a season split in the series between next-door neighbors.

The non-conference loss drops Coupeville to 11-6 heading into Senior Night Friday against visiting Orcas Island.

The first time the Wolves and Falcons clashed this season, CHS pulled out a 3-2 win at home. Second time around, just as close, but not with as positive an ending.

“Probably some big game hangover,” said Coupeville coach Will Thayer.

The Wolves were likely still buzzing after handing Friday Harbor its first Northwest 2B/1B League loss of the season a day before, and they quickly jumped on South Whidbey when Hawthorne Wolfe rapped a leadoff double.

Unfortunately, the speedy senior never made it all the way home, starting a day-long trend in which Coupeville put runners on base in every inning, yet couldn’t break out a big rally.

The lone run for the Wolves came in the top of the third, when Jonathan Valenzuela smacked a two-out triple, then skittered home on a double off of Scott Hilborn’s bat.

Coupeville collected seven hits — three from Sage Sharp — and two walks, but stranded eight of those nine runners, making life dicey.

Valenzuela, who whiffed five while going the distance on the mound, pitched well, but South Whidbey scratched out just enough offense to carry the day.

Jonathan Valenzuela brings the heat.

The Falcons plated one run in the first, with a walk to Grady Davis bringing Nick Black in to score.

It was the bottom of the third which proved to be Coupeville’s Kryptonite, however, as Ashton Leland and Andrew Hilton both tapped home for South Whidbey thanks to Wolf errors.

From there, Coupeville was in lock-down mode, with catcher Xavier Murdy throwing out two would-be base stealers.

The Wolves cap a three-games-in-three-days run with Friday’s tilt with Orcas, and they’ll honor seniors Murdy, Wolfe, Cody Roberts, Cole Hutchinson, and Sharp.

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Friday CHS softball schedule tweaked

Posted in Softball, tagged CHS Wolves, doubleheader, Orcas Island, schedule change, Senior Night on April 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Softball action gets started early Friday. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Let’s make a full day of it.

Friday’s Coupeville High School softball schedule is being adjusted, with all activities still going forward, just at different times.

Originally, the Wolves were slated to host Orcas Island in a doubleheader kicking off at 3:30 PM.

The new schedule is as follows:

Game #1 — 12:30 first pitch

Game #2 — 4:00 Senior Night festivities, followed by game

The adjustments are being made to help Orcas, which catches a 6:45 AM ferry, “break up their day a little bit,” said CHS coach Kevin McGranahan.

Coupeville will provide a BBQ for the two teams between games, as well.

The Wolves will honor Izzy Wells, Audrianna Shaw, Mckenna Somes, and Violette Huegerich during Senior Night festivities.

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Kat’s still master of the bat

Posted in Softball, tagged Alumni, CHS Wolves, home runs, Katrina McGranahan, Softball on April 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Katrina McGranahan, legend. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

This is a shout-out to one of the true giants.

During her time at Coupeville High School, Katrina McGranahan was a stellar athlete — a volleyball, softball, and (for a brief moment at least) basketball supernova.

Blessed with natural talent, and always willing to put in work, Killer Kat was tabbed as the CHS Female Athlete of the Year.

Following in the footsteps of big bro Wade Schaef, while carving out her own brilliant path, Miss McGranahan remains a one-of-a-kind wonder who also happens to be a pretty extraordinary human being.

These days, she’s a mom to a bright-eyed lil’ boy, and has returned to her alma mater to coach the Wolf JV softball program.

Coupeville’s young guns are 5-1 while playing for Katrina, and it’s a kick to see her passing on wisdom to a new generation.

She has also stepped up in her first season and proven to be the true heir to David and Amy King by being the best quote in the biz.

I’ve watched as a first year CHS softball coach once literally sprinted away across a field to keep from answering one question from Whidbey News-Times guru Jim Waller and myself after a game.

Katrina is the exact opposite, kicking me scorebook photos and introspective insight on her team in a super-timely fashion, just like her dad Kevin, the CHS varsity diamond coach, does.

You love to see it.

It’s always great when former Wolf athletes return to coach teams in Cow Town, either at the middle or high school level.

When they prove to be ideally suited for the job, like Miss McGranahan, it’s even better.

So, thank you once again, Katrina, for all the highlights from your playing career, and now for being part of a very-strong coaching crew guiding Wolf Nation forward.

Once a superstar, always a superstar!

“You’re playing in front of the fence. I said this one is going OVER the fence…”

“I have…”

“the…”

“POWER!!!!!”

“Dang straight she does, skippy!”

“They found it down by the Clinton ferry…”

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Sweet win for Wolf hardball squad

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Friday Harbor, Hawthorne Wolfe, Northwest League, Xavier Murdy on April 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Jack Porter and Coupeville bounced Friday Harbor to move into first place in the Northwest 2B/1B League. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Is there anything sweeter than hearing the fans of a rival team getting really, really quiet?

You know, that moment when all the bluster turns into sweet, sweet tears as the guys and gals in the wrong colors realize their ferry ride home is going to be a long, sad one.

Such was the plight for Friday Harbor fans Wednesday afternoon, as the sun faded over the prairie, and their baseball team’s unblemished league record got all dinged up.

Bushwhacked 11-8 by a Coupeville hardball squad which played fast, loose, and dangerous all day, the Wolverines fell out of first place in the Northwest 2B/1B League for the first time this season.

Now it’s the real Wolves, the ones sporting black and red, who sit atop the seven-team conference at 9-1 in league play, 11-5 overall.

Friday Harbor falls a half-game back at 8-1, and Coupeville’s win all but assures the teams will meet for a third time — at a neutral site — to decide which school will claim the NWL’s only berth to the 2B state tourney.

For now, the Wolves will briefly bask in the win, then immediately hit the road to play a non-conference tilt Thursday at South Whidbey.

Senior Night against Orcas Island is Friday, with a May 3 trip to Darrington wrapping the regular season.

Wednesday’s royal rumble under rare sunny skies meant everything for Coupeville, as a Friday Harbor win would have clinched that trip to state for the visitors.

The Wolverines stole a 3-2 win the first time around, courtesy a late-game meltdown by the CHS pitching staff, but the rematch was a different story.

Coupeville hurlers Hawthorne Wolfe and Scott Hilborn largely held Friday Harbor at bay, getting into a few sticky spots at times, but almost always finding a way back out.

That was true from the get-go, as the visitors loaded the bags in the top of the first when what would have been an inning-ending third strike kicked away from CHS catcher Xavier Murdy.

Showing no nerves, Hawk nodded.

X nodded.

And the duo promptly punched out the next batter to end things with the first sob breaking loose from the throat of a Friday Harbor fan.

Sparked by the wham-bam ending, the Wolves jumped on the Wolverines for three runs in the bottom half of the frame.

Wolfe singled, Jonathan Valenzuela walked, Hilborn beat out a chopper, then Murdy whacked a ball back up the middle which Friday Harbor misplayed into a two-run error.

After that Coupeville proved it didn’t know how to flinch, with Peyton Caveness and Sage Sharp both gritting their teeth as wayward pitches found random body parts.

Peyton Caveness reached base three times in the win.

Sharp’s walk the hard way pushed the lead out to 3-0 and gave a brief glimmer of hope that CHS might just 10-run the Wolverines.

Alas, it wasn’t to be, as Friday Harbor scraped its way back into the game, dumping three runs on the board in the second, and another tally in the third to reclaim the lead.

But, just as Friday Harbor fans started to puff out their chests and let loose with a lot of pro-Wolverine chatter, Coupeville punctured their dreams.

A couple of hits, a couple of walks, and a lot of aggressive running on the basepaths — which provoked Friday Harbor errors both physical and mental — allowed CHS to bolt back in front at 8-4 through three frames.

That was a lead the Wolves would never lose.

Friday Harbor sliced the margin to 8-5 in the fourth, then 8-7 through the top of the fifth, but time and again Coupeville proved resilient.

Wolfe sliced an RBI single to center to push the lead back to two runs, before the Wolves slapped home twice on face-first dives into home in the bottom of the sixth.

Murdy came crashing home hard on a wild pitch to make it 10-7, before Caveness hugged the plate after Cody Roberts bopped a long sac fly.

Down to their final outs, the visitors got one more run in the top of the seventh but watched their final baserunner wilt as Hilborn bore down to slam the door.

First he induced a groundout to Valenzuela at third, who came up with a gorgeous throw.

As the ball snapped into the waiting glove at first, there were “oohs” and “ahs” from Coupeville fans, and a “sweet son of a goat lickin’ whore!!” (or something close) from an especially-peeved Friday Harbor rooter.

Think how that dude felt when Hilborn erased the final batter with a strikeout, the bat missing the ball by a healthy six to eight inches?

Oh, enough sweet, salty Friday Harbor tears to fill all the bathtubs in Coupeville tonight!

Wednesday stats:

Peyton Caveness — 2 singles, 1 walk
Scott Hilborn — 1 single
Xavier Murdy — 2 singles
Cody Roberts — 1 walk
Sage Sharp — 1 single, 2 walks
Jonathan Valenzuela — 1 walk
Cole White — 1 single, 1 walk
Hawthorne Wolfe — 3 singles