“Scoring runs? It’s kind of my thing!” (Jackie Saia photos)
Brionna Blouin gets some planking in during a pause in the action.
Teagan Calkins stands tall behind the plate.
“You thought you might beat us? You thought wrong!”
Find a way to win.
The Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball squad kept its season-long hot streak alive Saturday, sweeping a road double header against South Skagit with two very different victories.
The Hammerheads opened the twin-bill at Mt. Baker Middle School by pulling out an 11-8 win in extra innings, then dominated in the nightcap, pounding their foes 16-2 in a game shortened by the mercy rule.
With the sweep, the Majors mashers return home sporting a 10-1 record on the season.
How it played out Saturday:
Game 1:
Chloe Marzocca ripped off 16 strikeouts from the pitcher’s circle for the Hammerheads, but Central Whidbey had to overcome being caught in a triple play and losing the lead late.
After building an 8-2 margin, thanks to a four-run first inning and then a steady drip of one-run frames, CWLL stumbled, briefly, giving up six runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Never blinking, the Hammerheads calmly regrouped, moved into the unexpected seventh and dropped three runs on the board to seal the deal.
Central Whidbey finished the game with 11 hits, as Mia Farris, Madison McMillan, Brionna Blouin, and Allison Nastali led the way with two base-knocks apiece.
McMillan blasted a triple, while Teagan Calkins, Jada Heaton, and Mayleen Weatherford chipped in with singles.
The Hammerheads also showed patience at the plate, picking up seven walks, with Taylor Brotemarkle earning two free passes.
Calkins, Heaton, McMillan, Aleksia Jump, and Katie Marti also won duels with the South Skagit hurler, then bolted to first to claim their base.
Game 2:
Nastali replaced Marzocca in the pitcher’s circle, whiffing three across four innings, while her catcher, Blouin, was on fire.
The Hammerheads backstop picked off a runner on the base-paths and twice tracked down foul balls behind the plate, pulling in the rapidly-dropping balls for crucial outs.
At the plate, Central Whidbey jumped on everything, taking advantage of five dropped third strikes, while also pounding out seven hits, many of the extra-bases variety.
Nastali and McMillan had two hits apiece, with McMillan garnering another triple.
Marti matched her with a three-bagger of her own, Calkins swatted a double, and Brotemarkle singed the grass for a single.
