Capri Anter and Co. are 3-0 on the season, having outscored their foes 47-6. (Julie Wheat photos)
They’re equal-opportunity butt-kickers.
Playing under mostly blue skies in Bellingham Saturday, the Coupeville High School softball squad crunched host Meridian 22-0, running its record to a pristine 3-0 on the season.
Even better, the 2B Wolves, who kick off Northwest 2B/1B League play next week with a home-and-away series with top rival Friday Harbor, have faced and beaten teams from 3A, 2A, and 1A so far.
Saturday’s tilt, which came after an eight-day break, pitted Coupeville against a traditionally tough foe, but one which had no answers for the Wolves this time around.
Aaron Lucero’s squad scored in every inning in a game shortened to five innings by the mercy rule, and got game action for 15 players, 13 of whom reached base via a hit or walk.
Coupeville jumped on Meridian quickly, with the first six batters getting aboard during a five-run top of the first.
Leadoff hitter Haylee Armstrong started things with a single to right-center, one of two hits she had in the frame, while Teagan Calkins scorched an RBI single down the third-base line, seemingly tearing a divot out of the infield turf.
Bases-loaded walks to Capri Anter and Adeline Maynes pushed the score to 3-0, before Cami Van Dyke and Armstrong topped things off with back-to-back RBI singles into the gap.
Meridian could offer little resistance at the plate, with Maynes flinging heat and nimbly side-stepping the few times the Trojans got runners on base.
CHS tacked on three runs in the second, with Calkins creating a run through guile and guts.
The deceptively quick Wolf senior walked, stole second, stole third, then scooted home after freaking out the Meridian catcher, who airmailed a lob back to the pitcher, with the ball splashing back to Earth way out in centerfield.
From there, it was a slow ‘n steady drip of hits and walks and Wolf runners tapping home base.
A five-run third was highlighted by Cami Van Dyke smashing a two-run single to right, while a four-run fourth featured RBI base-knocks for Anter and Maynes.
Cami Van Dyke dares you to run.
The game’s biggest blow was a leadoff inside-the-park home run in the fifth from Calkins, as “The Red Dragon” launched a laser to deep center, then burned a path around the bases, cruising home without even drawing a throw.
With Aaron Lucero utilizing his bench, Emily Rains and Arianna Vinson not only got their first varsity at-bats, but both delivered RBIs in their debut.
Rains eked out a bases-loaded walk, while Vinson stroked a hit over second base to send a teammate hurtling home with yet another run.
Maynes finished with nine strikeouts while holding court in the pitcher’s circle, collecting 48 strikes on 62 pitches.
Meanwhile Wolf first-baseman Ava Lucero provided the defensive gem of the day, snatching up a would-be bunt, pivoting, and gunning down the runner by a good two steps.
Saturday stats:
Capri Anter — Two singles, two walks
Haylee Armstrong — Two singles, one walk
Teagan Calkins — Three singles, one home run, two walks
Emma Cushman — Two walks
Emma Leavitt — One walk
Ava Lucero — Two singles, one double, one walk
Adeline Maynes — Two singles, two walks
Allie Powers — One walk
Emily Rains — One walk
Chelsi Stevens — Two singles, two walks
Cami Van Dyke — Four singles
Sydney Van Dyke — One single, one double, one walk
Arianna Vinson — One single
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Across the previous three seasons, the CHS softball squad has raised nearly $3,600 in support of cancer care.
Coupeville Sports 