Katrina McGranahan | Coupeville Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Katrina McGranahan’

Second time, not a charm!!

Posted in Softball, tagged Bellevue Christian, CHS Wolves, Katrina McGranahan, Lauren Rose, Softball on May 12, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Heather Nastali and the Wolves have one game left before starting the playoffs. (John Fisken photo)

Everything was different this time around.

Different weather conditions. Different field conditions. And, unfortunately, a different outcome on the scoreboard.

Facing off with non-conference foe Bellevue Christian for a second time Thursday, the Coupeville High School softball squad “came out a bit flat and never really recovered,” falling 8-1.

The loss dropped the Wolves to 8-10 and gave them a season split with the Vikings, who they will see again in a week.

As the #3 team out of the Olympic League, Coupeville opens the playoffs May 20 at Sprinker Fields in Spanaway in a loser-out game against the #2 squad from the Nisqually League.

And guess what? That’s BC, which sits at 10-6.

When they play that rubber game, the Wolves will be looking to recreate their success from the first time around, when they triumphed 17-16 in a wild, wind-torn game on their home field.

Thursday, it was considerably hotter, less windy and the two teams played on turf and not grass.

Bellevue jumped out to an early lead, scoring four in the first and two more in the second.

Coupeville finally scraped together a run in the fourth, plating Katrina McGranahan, but the rally fizzled too quickly.

Sarah Wright was nailed at third trying to advance on an error, and back-to-back strikeouts (two of 12 on the day for the Wolves) slammed the brakes on any momentum.

McGranahan, who has been limited of late in the pitcher’s circle as she fought back from an injury, went the distance, whiffing nine.

She also reached base three times, collecting half of Coupeville’s four hits.

Veronica Crownover and Lauren Rose added singles, with Rose punctuating her birthday by pulling off an unassisted double play at third.

The smooth-fielding sophomore snagged a liner, then pounced on a runner straying off the bag in the day’s best pro-Wolf moment.

Before it heads to the postseason, Coupeville has one more non-league game, traveling to La Conner Monday. First pitch is set for 4 PM.

“Would really like to rally the fans to come out and root us on in our last regular season game,” said CHS coach Kevin McGranahan.

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The mojo is back!!

Posted in Softball, tagged 1A Olympic League, CHS Wolves, Katrina McGranahan, losing streak, rout, Softball on April 21, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Nicole Lester made her varsity softball debut Thursday as the Wolves rolled to a big win. (John Fisken photo)

“It was good to see the girls back to their old selves.”

After hitting a brief rough spot in the schedule, the Coupeville High School softball squad bounced back with a fury Thursday afternoon, pleasing coach Kevin McGranahan.

Taking full advantage of a young Port Townsend program mired in the midst of a 30-game losing streak, the Wolves, as politely as possible, thrashed the RedHawks 24-6.

The win snaps a three-game skid for Coupeville and lifts them to 7-4 overall, 2-2 in 1A Olympic League play.

With Klahowya (1-1, 6-5) falling to Chimacum (3-0, 7-4) Thursday, the Wolves move back up into second place with more than half the league season left to play.

Facing a school which hasn’t won a softball game since April of 2014, Coupeville rained down runs.

The Wolves plated 10 in the first, then another eight in the second, forcing their coach to curtail his team’s running and find ways to keep the game moving as quickly as possible to its foregone conclusion.

He was able to swap players around and have them work at new positions, give daughter Katrina some time off in the pitcher’s circle and offer Nicole Lester her first start.

The freshman responded just the way her coach was hoping, turning on a pitch and smacking a sharp ground-ball on her first at-bat.

As a team, the Wolves were able to walk a fine line — they needed a win to get their mojo back, but didn’t want to unnecessarily embarrass their hosts.

“Port Townsend is a rebuilding team, but it was good to play them and let the girls just have fun and get back to the basics and play ball,” Kevin McGranahan said. “Everyone on the team contributed today and played well.

“The bats were on fire and we went station to station after the first inning trying to keep the scoring to a minimum.”

Katrina McGranahan carried the biggest bat, whacking two triples and a pair of singles while driving in six runners.

The Wolves collected five doubles on the day, with Mikayla Elfrank leading the way with a pair. Sarah Wright, Kailey Kellner and Jae LeVine also got in on the extra-base parade.

Wright and LeVine had three hits apiece, while Lauren Rose collected a pair of singles and Tamika Nastali beat out “a beautiful bunt.”

Veronica Crownover, Robin Cedillo, Tiffany Briscoe and Hannah Benway all collected base knocks, as well.

Katrina McGranahan (one hit and nine strikeouts in three innings) and Wright (two hits and four K’s) made for a formidable duo in the pitcher’s circle.

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“We put one heck of a scare in ’em!!”

Posted in Softball, tagged CHS Wolves, Katrina McGranahan, Lynden Christian, ScoreCzar, Softball, Veronica Crownover on April 13, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Freshman Veronica Crownover had three hits and two RBI against the #1 team in 1A Tuesday. (John Fisken photo)

Not all losses are equal.

Returning from an 11-day layoff, the streaking Coupeville High School softball squad hit a road bump Tuesday, falling 7-4 in a non-conference game at Lynden Christian.

But while the defeat snapped a five-game winning streak for the Wolves, dropping them to 6-2 on the season, CHS made a statement in a battle of titans.

The host Lyncs, who improved to 7-0, are ranked #1 in 1A in the most recent ScoreCzar rankings and have gone undefeated while fighting primarily above their weight class, with five of their seven games coming against 2A or 3A schools.

Even coming in cold (LC was already back in a groove, having beaten 2A Anacortes Monday), the Wolves did far better than most of Lynden’s opponents this season.

Coupeville’s four runs were the second-most scored against the Lyncs, while Lynden’s seven runs were its second-fewest.

The three-run margin also tied for the second-smallest loss by an LC foe.

Chelan, the only other 1A school Lynden has played (and which sits at #20 on ScoreCzar to Coupeville’s #21), was massacred 13-2 on its home field.

By contrast, Coupeville had the tying run on base in the top of the seventh before Lynden Christian wiggled away with the win.

“We put one heck of a scare in ’em,” said Wolf coach Kevin McGranahan. “As usual the girls played with heart and as a team and definitely did better than the 21-6 score from last year.

“I can’t be more proud of this young team and the way they keep playing for each other, ” he added. “Gonna be a very exciting second half of the season.”

The two squads battled to a 1-1 tie until a “few young team errors” allowed the Lyncs to put up six runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Fighting back hard, as they have all season, the Wolves rallied in the late going to make things interesting.

Coupeville plated three in the seventh and had the bags juiced with two outs, but LC “made a great play and got the third out.”

“It was a very hard-fought game and these ladies gave it everything they had,” McGranahan said. “I would put these ladies up against anybody, with their heart and determination they are never out of any game.

“I believe in good losses and bad losses and this was a very good loss,” he added. “They all hurt, but this was a good measuring stick game against an undefeated team that has been mercy-ruling their competition.”

Coupeville’s young guns led the way, with sophomore Katrina McGranahan thumping two triples and a double, while also whiffing three Lyncs from the pitcher’s circle.

Veronica Crownover stroked three singles and knocked home two runs, while fellow freshman Sarah Wright collected an RBI and gunned down a runner at second while working behind the plate.

The Wolves (1-0 in league play) now head into the heart of their schedule, with eight of their next nine games against 1A Olympic League rivals.

First up is a trip to Chimacum (4-3, 0-0) Thursday.

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Another day, another honor for McGranahan!!

Posted in awards, Softball, tagged CHS Wolves, Isaac Kjose, Katrina McGranahan, Softball, WIAA on April 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Katrina McGranahan, prairie powerhouse. (John Fisken photos)

McGranahan slaps the tag on during a wham-bam play at home.

The WIAA likes Katrina McGranahan.

A lot.

The Coupeville High School sophomore softball slugger, who earlier in the spring was selected as an Athlete of the Week by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, has now nabbed a second honor.

McGranahan was picked, along with Kelso baseball player Isaac Kjose, to be featured on the WIAA website under its monthly Student Spotlight section.

The stories appear under the group’s Activities Matter! banner.

To read more about Katrina and see photos which were taken by (but not credited to) John Fisken, pop over to:

http://wiaa.com/subcontent.aspx?SecID=1081

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Gone with the wind (again)!!

Posted in Fashionable Fans, Softball, tagged CHS Wolves, John Fisken photos, Katrina McGranahan, Softball, windy on March 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Jae LeVine can’t keep her eyes open in the wind, but her glove always knows where to be to make the play. (John Fisken photos)

Wolf volleyball/basketball ace Kyla Briscoe, the only fan even remotely warm on this day.

Fighting the wind all the way, CHS first baseman Veronica Crownover stretches out to haul in a throw headed towards Oak Harbor.

Wolf spikers Ashley Menges (left) and Maddy Hilkey miss being in a heated gym.

If the catcher and ump could open their eyes in the heart of the gale, they’d see Katrina McGranahan crushing the ball.

Wolf mom Jennifer Kellner: “Remember how warm the gym was during basketball season?”

Lauren Rose’s papa: “YES, sweet lord, YES, I do!!!!!!!!!!!”

Adjusting for winds of 200+ MPH (at least…), catcher Sarah Wright takes a chance on throwing the ball back to the pitcher’s circle.

“It’s like freakin’ Acapulco out here!!!!”

It was not pleasant on the prairie Wednesday.

While there was not a drop of rain to be found, the wind roaring down from straightaway center field was even more brutal than normal.

And it never, ever let up as Coupeville and Bellevue Christian played the longest game of the spring.

And yet, very few Wolf faithful departed until the end of a mind-boggling 17-16 come-from-behind, how-did-that-happen CHS win.

To prove it, we have a selection of wind-swept pics from travelin’ photo man John Fisken (who did leave before the final run…) to document the inner steel of Coupeville’s players and fans.

To see more, and possibly purchase some, thereby helping fund college scholarships for CHS student/athletes, pop over to:

http://www.olympicleague.com/index.php?act=view_gallery&gallery=11014&league=21&page=1&page_name=photo_store&school=24&sport=0

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