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Posts Tagged ‘Coupeville Crush’

“I am so proud of these girls!!”

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged Central Whidbey Little League, Coupeville Crush, Mimi Johnson, Softball, tourney title on June 10, 2016| Leave a Comment »

They call them the Crush, cause that’s what they did to other teams all season long en route to an 18-0-1 record. (Mimi Johnson photo)

One of many, many runs Central Whidbey scored this season. (Renae Mulholland photo)

Kyle Van Velkinburgh, who whacked three hits in the championship game, gets photo-bombed by her fan club. (Dustin Van Velkinburgh photo)

Kylie Van Velkinburgh, who whacked three hits in the championship game, gets photo-bombed by her fan club. (Dustin Van Velkinburgh photo)

Izzy Wells (left) and Abby Mulholland cap their season with sweet treats. (Mulholland photo)

They crushed them until the end.

Capping an unbeaten season, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball squad swept through the Bill Sparks tournament, adding a tourney title to an already impressive season.

By the time the Coupeville Crush were done winning three of three in tournament action, it had finished the year with an 18-0-1 record.

“I am so proud of these girls,” said coach Mimi Johnson. “What a great season!”

Central Whidbey put the cherry on top of the sundae, holding off North Whidbey Purple 14-10 in the title game, held at Skagit River Park.

The Crush exploded early, raining down a five-spot in both the first and second inning.

Izzy Wells, Coral Caveness and Abby Mulholland eked out walks in the opening frame, with Kaela Meffert and Kylie Van Velkinburgh delivering “well-placed hits.”

The runs kept coming in the second, with Meffert taking one for the team to kick things off.

After she was plunked, Wells and Jill Prince walked, while Caveness and Audrianna Shaw whacked base hits.

The Crush almost got more, but North Whidbey somehow ran down a bomb to left off the bat of Sofie Martin, before doubling the runner off of third.

It didn’t matter, though, with Wells reaching double digits in strike-outs from the pitcher’s circle, and the Crush bats remaining hot.

Coupeville scraped out a run in the third, using a bit of everything.

Stella Johnson led off with a solid base knock, her cousin, Thora Iverson, walked, Bam Ries reached on an error and Kenna Somes walked.

North Whidbey crept back into the game in the fourth, a rarity against a Crush team which ten-runned most of its foes this season.

“Their at bat was almost my emotional undoing,” Mimi Johnson said with a laugh. “I don’t like games being this close!”

The Crush never actually lost the lead, though, and continued to put up runs in every inning.

Iverson, Ries and Shaw delivered base hits in the late innings, Anya Lavelle got plunked and Martin stole home to take away some of their coach’s stress.

It was a team effort across the board, with Van Velkinburgh finishing with three hits and five RBI, while the Crush defense was on target.

Mulholland ran down a “beautiful long shot to center field,” while Prince was a vacuum at first, letting nothing past.

The game, the tourney and the season ended in high style, with Wells (and her flame-throwing arm) gunning down the final two hitters.

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Another game? Another win!!

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged Central Whidbey Little League, Coupeville Crush, Izzy Wells, Softball, ten runned on June 5, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville Crush ace Izzy Wells (left) celebrates with her teammates after a recent win. (Renae Mulholland photos)

Undefeated and it feels so good.

Regular season? Postseason play? Doesn’t matter.

The Coupeville Crush just wins, baby.

Coming off an undefeated league season, Central Whidbey Little League’s Majors softball squad crushed the Sedro-Woolley Destroyers 14-2 Saturday to open the Bill Sparks Tournament in Skagit.

Now 16-0-1, the Crush play North Whidbey Sunday.

Central opened the game by chipping away at Sedro’s pitching in the first two innings, before exploding in the third.

Sophie Martin walked, pilfered second, then zipped home on a RBI single off the bat of Stella Johnson to get things going.

Base knocks from Kaela Meffert and Izzy Wells and a walk by Kylie Van Velkinburgh juiced the bags for Jill Prince,who made it 2-0 with a “well-placed shot.”

The Crush doubled that with a two-spot in the second (highlights included Meffert’s base shot and Abby Mulholland getting plunked in the foot), while Wells was brutal in the pitcher’s circle for Central.

Striking out five of the first six batters she faced, the Crush ace gave her defense time to rest, though Prince came up big with an unassisted out at first on the only ball Sedro touched in the first two innings.

Cue the rout.

“Our third inning never ended! We went all the way through the lineup,” said Crush coach Mimi Johnson.

After Martin was nailed by a pitch, Audrianna Shaw, Wells, Anya Leavelle and Bella Velasco rained down hits as the Crush couldn’t be stopped.

When it wasn’t putting bat on ball, Central worked the count and eked out plenty of walks, headed up by Bam Ries wearing a pitch to earn a “free” base.

That was a common theme, as Mulholland was drilled for a second time and Meffert got nailed, though the ump changed his mind after a heated discussion.

Meanwhile, Wells was on fire, as usual, gunning down 10 batters while tossing a complete game.

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Titans tangle in epic battle!!

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged Central Whidbey Little League, Coupeville Crush, Izzy Wells, Red Nose Day, Softball, undefeated on May 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The Coupeville Crush celebrate Red Nose Day before taking the field. (Mimi Johnson photos)

Umpire Jim Wheat gets in on the festivities (possibly against his will.)

Blue Pride. (John Fisken photo)

The only thing which can stop them is daylight.

Having battled visiting Anacortes to a 4-4 standstill through nine tense innings Thursday, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball squad finally exited a game without a win this season.

The rare tie, which the teams accepted after nearly three hours of play, left the Crush at 13-0-1 with two regular season games left.

With the game already three innings beyond normal Little League length, and the last strands of daylight sliding away, Central Whidbey loaded the bases in the ninth and went for broke.

Izzy Wells and Jill Prince walked, while Stella Johnson dropped in a well-placed hit to juice the bags.

Tossing a Hail Mary with nothing to lose, the Crush tried to steal home to nab the win, but Anacortes was ready for the play and denied a walk-off win.

“Their catcher is solid,” said Central coach Mimi Johnson. “She doesn’t miss much and she’s quick back there.”

With Crush hurler Wells locked in a pitcher’s duel with her Anacortes rival for most of the night, the two teams didn’t score as much as might be expected.

Central has rained down offensive terror on its foes to the tune of 167-95 this season, but had to scratch for every run Thursday.

The Crush fell behind early, then got back in the game on a pair of base knocks from Coral Caveness and Bella Velasco.

Wells was a buzzsaw, striking out hitters left and right, and the few times she let Anacortes touch the ball, her defense, especially Prince at first base, stepped up with big plays.

After trailing for much of the game, Central Whidbey tied things up in the sixth to force extra innings.

A two-out walk by Wells was followed by a “beautiful” RBI double from Bam Ries and an RBI single off of the bat of Caveness.

Deadlocked at 3-3, both teams had chances to end the stalemate in the seventh, but were denied.

Wells punched out a hitter to strand the go-ahead run in the top of the inning, while Anacortes’ third baseman nailed a runner at the plate in the bottom half.

The Crush had set things up nicely with hits from Kaela Meffert and Kylie Van Velkenburgh, but got tangled on an infield fly.

Like two counter-punching boxers warily circling each other, the squads each tallied a run in the eighth.

Anacortes nabbed the lead with aggressive base-running, but Central countered when Prince used her “well-trained eye” to eke out a walk.

She advanced on a shot by Wells, then scampered home when Anacortes booted a ball hit by Caveness.

If Rhododendron Park had lights, the two teams might still be playing.

On this night, however, they (symbolically) bowed to each other and went home for a late dinner.

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Lose? No thank you!!

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged Central Whidbey Little League, Comeback, Coupeville Crush, Izzy Wells, Softball on May 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

We win, son. We win. (Renae Mulholland photo)

They danced with the devil and escaped.

After rolling through most of its schedule ten-running foes left and right, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball squad came dangerously close to taking its first loss of the season Tuesday night.

Not so fast.

Rallying for six runs in its final at-bats, the Coupeville Crush sent the game to extra innings, then pulled out a stunning 19-18 come-from-behind victory in Oak Harbor.

Central Whidbey was actually down to its final out, but the Crush sluggers found some magic left in their back pockets to wiggle away and improve to 13-0 on the season.

Kylie Van Velkinburgh ripped a three-run, two-out single back up the middle in the top of the sixth, then came around to score the tying run when she successfully stole home.

Having knotted the game up at 17, the Crush blanked a stunned Oak Harbor squad in the bottom half of the inning, as Central Whidbey hurler Izzy Wells struck out the side.

Starting the seventh with a runner on second (thanks to softball extra-inning rules), Coupeville immediately plated them when Jill Prince smacked an RBI triple over the head of the right fielder.

She then came home herself on an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of teammate McKenna Somes.

Oak Harbor scraped out a run in the bottom of the seventh, before the Crush slammed the door.

Wells gunned down back-to-back hitters, then Prince smoothly fielded a ground ball and stamped on first to end the season’s most improbable win.

The Crush have three regular season games left, starting with a home game 6 PM Thursday against Anacortes at Rhododendron Park.

After that, they’ll play in the Bill Sparks Tournament starting June 3.

“I’m excited about the tournament as we will see three new teams, one from South Skagit and two from Sedro,” said Crush coach Mimi Johnson.

It’ll also be a family reunion, as Johnson’s niece pitches for one of their tourney rivals.

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Crushin’ everyone in sight!!

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged Central Whidbey Little League, Coupeville Crush, Softball, Stella Johnson, undefeated on May 13, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Jill Prince knocked in a pair with a blast to deep right field Thursday, as the Coupeville Crush rolled to its 10th straight win. (Renae Mulholland photo)

Undefeated and lovin’ life. (Katy Wells photo)

Rollin’ right along.

Ten-running everyone they encounter, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball squad has soared to a 10-0 record this season.

Mixing superb pitching with stellar hitting and inspired defense, the Coupeville Crush have more than lived up to their name.

Their latest victim was Oak Harbor Gold, which fell 14-4 Thursday night.

Crush hurlers Kaela Meffert and Izzy Wells combined to shut down the North Enders at the plate, combining for eight strikeouts while getting a little help from their defense.

Audrianna Shaw patrolled third base with a vengeance, gunning down runners, while both pitchers snagged line drives hit right back at them.

Meffert also teamed with catcher Stella Johnson on a bang-bang play at the plate after leaving the pitcher’s circle to play short.

After running down a fly, Meffert wheeled and fired the ball on a bead to nail a runner headed home, pulling off a sweet double play.

Coupeville got all the offense it would need in the first, plating five.

Sofie Martin kicked things off with a gorgeous single, Meffert was drilled by a pitch, then Coral Caveness laid down a picture-perfect bunt.

After a handful of walks kept the runners moving base-to-base, Wells crunched a single to break things open.

The runs kept coming after that, with four in the second (though Abby Mulholland was denied on a steal of home when plate umpire Jim Wheat stood tall and withstood the screams of agony from Crush fans), one in the third and the final four crossing in the fifth.

Jill Prince crushed “an amazing shot to right” to knock in a pair, then came around to steal home herself, while Meffert, Kenna Somes and Bam Ries all collected base knocks.

The final run, which invoked the 10-run mercy rule, came via Johnson, who took one for the team, getting plunked with the bags juiced.

While the Crush was swinging hot, Coupeville coach Mimi Johnson sent a shout-out to Oak Harbor’s pitcher.

“I will say, Macy Oliver has really been working hard on her pitching! She is developing a wicked curve ball!,” she said. “All in all, it was another fun game!”

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