Coupeville 8th grader Haylee Armstrong made big plays in both the varsity and JV high school softball games Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Michelle Armstrong)
“It was a beautiful day for softball.”
Playing the nightcap in a twin bill Tuesday, the Coupeville High School JV softball team made an impressive debut for coach Katrina McGranahan.
With three 8th graders in the lineup, and another two girls who had never played the sport before this year, the Wolves still knocked off visiting Darrington 8-5.
The game was a three-inning affair, with Coupeville closing out the game in the top of the third behind relief ace Haylee Armstrong, who ended things with a dramatic, bases-loaded strikeout.
Flinging nasty heat, the Wolf 8th grader, who earlier launched a line drive triple in Coupeville’s varsity win, heralded the bright future of CHS softball.
Armstrong and fellow 8th grader Capri Anter combined to stifle the Darrington hitters, while classmate Melanie Wolfe made it three middle schoolers dominating on the diamond before even attending classes on the high school side of campus.
While the Wolf varsity played its 10th game of the season, this was the first chance Coupeville had to play a JV foe.
“We were excited,” McGranahan said. “Many of the players on this team are young both in age and in softball experience, and they all did spectacular.”
Darrington struck for three runs in the top of the first, but Coupeville responded immediately, and with a cold fury.
The Wolves plated five runners in the bottom of the inning, and the only thing which kept the number that low was the five-runs-per-frame rule used in JV games.
All eight hitters to register an at-bat reached base, with freshman Teagan Calkins delivering the biggest blow.
Playing shortstop after working behind the plate in the varsity game, the fab frosh conked a two-run double, while sophomores Mia Farris, Chloe Marzocca, and Jada Heaton all ripped singles.
Armstrong, Anter, and newcomers Bailey Thule and Layla Heo collected walks, while Wolfe had her at-bat end prematurely when a wild pitch brought in Coupeville’s fifth run.
Darrington got two runs in the top of the second to briefly knot things back up at 5-5, but Farris and Heaton snuffed out any hopes of a Logger rally with alert catches on liners.
The Wolves scored what would prove to be the winning run in the bottom of the second, as Armstrong walked, stole second, and whipped around the basepaths to score on a beautifully crafted bunt single by Farris.
Just to make sure, Calkins provided a pair of insurance runs.
Turning around and hitting lefty to increase her danger, she smacked a two-run single into a gap, giving her four RBI’s in just two at-bats.
Darrington tried to make things interesting in the final inning, loading the bases thanks to a couple of walks and a rocket shot to third.
Anter almost pulled off an amazing snag on that wicked liner, which came in hot and ready to knock out some teeth.
The Wolves escaped unscathed, however, with Calkins, back behind the plate, grabbing a wild pitch as it bounced off the back stop and whirling to tag the incoming Logger runner, who instantly regretted her choices in life.
That set up Armstrong, striding around the pitcher’s circle, slapping the ball deep into her glove, then whipping the high, hard cheese past flailing hitters.
“I was really happy with Haylee’s pitching!” said McGranahan, who, once upon a time was Coupeville’s ace pitcher across four stellar seasons.
“I haven’t seen her pitch before and I was pleasantly surprised,” she added. “With a little more work she can be a great pitcher!”
McGranahan also praised the play of Thule and Heo, who are both new to the game.
“Layla is a foreign exchange student from South Korea and has never touched a softball before and she held her own in left field,” McGranahan said.
“She did what she was taught and stopped the balls going to her and got them into her cut person.
“I’m so proud of her and how far her softball skills and abilities have come.”
Thule, whose snapped photos have frequently appeared in the pages of Coupeville Sports this school year, is now front and center herself, and shows great growth.
“Bailey played center field for us today and again is an individual who has never played the game of softball, but she got on base twice!” McGranahan said.
“She was able to work a walk for her first at bat which helps build her confidence at the plate, but the real confidence booster was when she hit a ball to right field!
“I don’t think I’ve heard our dugout cheer so loud before!”
Tuesday stats:
Capri Anter — One single, one walk
Haylee Armstrong — Two walks
Teagan Calkins — One single, one double
Mia Farris — Two singles
Jada Heaton — One single
Layla Heo — One walk
Chloe Marzocca — One single, one walk
Bailey Thule — One walk
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