Taylor Brotemarkle (left) and Madison McMillan have plenty to celebrate. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Your puny field cannot contain the mighty mashing of Madison McMillan!
The Coupeville High School sophomore blasted an opposite field grand slam home run Tuesday in Concrete, sending the ball screaming over the fence and halfway back to Whidbey Island.
McMillan’s mammoth tater was the biggest hit on a day when 10 Wolves combined to reach base 28 times in just four innings, propelling CHS to a 20-2 win.
The victory could have been by a much-larger margin if the Wolves hadn’t declined to take extra bases most times, while also leaving the bag early several times to give a young, rebuilding Concrete squad some precious outs.
Now 8-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 11-5 overall, Coupeville has won eight of its last nine and sits alone atop the conference standings.
Next up is a road trip to Darrington (5-2, 6-3) Thursday to face a Loggers team it beat 15-3 first time around, then Senior Night at home Saturday against La Conner (1-7, 1-13).
Coupeville didn’t fill up the bus for its trip to Concrete, with illness and an 8th grade field trip reducing the roster from 16 to 10.
But everyone who did make the trip contributed, with all 10 Wolves in uniform reaching base, including South Korean exchange student Layla Heo, who collected her first varsity hit.
Thanks to some strong defense by Concrete’s Sara Perry, who robbed Wolf leadoff hitter Teagan Calkins of an extra base hit, snagging a hot liner at third, CHS only picked up one run in the top of the first.
That quickly changed a frame later, as Coupeville rained down seven hits in the second — including a long triple for the madly galloping Calkins — pushing across a game-busting 11 runs.
The Wolves rapped out three doubles in the inning, one from Jada Heaton and two from Maya Lucero, seemingly lofting hits to every patch of grass not occupied by a Lion.
Sophomores (l to r) Brotemarkle, Jada Heaton, Mia Farris, and McMillan combined for seven hits Tuesday in Concrete.
Up 12-0 through two frames, with starting pitcher Allie Lucero whiffing four and retiring all six hitters she faced, Coupeville coasted in for the win.
Taylor Brotemarkle, normally a sweet-fielding infielder, moved into the pitcher’s circle for the final two innings and picked up four K’s of her own.
At the plate, the Wolves settled for a single run in the third, then put the game on ice with seven more in the fourth.
Calkins doubled during the final series of at-bats, Allie Lucero tripled, and McMillan rearranged the atoms in the softball with her bases-clearing bomb, a punctuation mark on a stellar, and sunny, afternoon.
Tuesday stats:
Taylor Brotemarkle — One single, one double, two walks
Teagan Calkins — One single, one double, one triple
Mia Farris — Three singles
Jada Heaton — One double, two walks
Layla Heo — One single
Allie Lucero — One single, one triple
Maya Lucero — One single, two doubles
Madison McMillan — One home run, two walks
Melanie Navarro — Two singles, one walk
Bailey Thule — Two walks
Coupeville Sports 