Katrina McGranahan, seen here during select softball play, sparkled on Opening Day for CHS. (John Fisken photo)
Katrina McGranahan kicked off her high school softball career with a bang.
The Coupeville High School freshman hurler struck out the first batter she faced Monday, one of 11 K’s she would record on Opening Day, putting together a strong outing.
Even though she was undone by too many fielding errors and a lack of run support, with the Wolves falling 11-0 to former Cascade Conference rival Sultan, the future is bright for a young woman who could grow into being The Terminator in the pitching circle.
“Katrina did amazing, especially for a freshman pitcher,” said Coupeville coach Deanna Rafferty. “I’m incredibly happy with how she threw.”
McGranahan got the call because senior McKayla Bailey, who threw nearly every inning for the Wolves last season, is coming off of shoulder surgery.
She started at shortstop and, while Rafferty plans to work Bailey back into the pitching rotation, she doesn’t want to fully do so until the time is right.
Coming off of a stellar run with a Central Whidbey Little League Junior All-Star squad that went 18-2 last summer, McGranahan is familiar with the CHS diamond and seemed at ease from the first pitch.
Picked as a co-captain with Bailey, she tore through the first and pulled her squad out of the fire in the second.
With the bases juiced after a pair of fielding errors, McGranahan shut Sultan down.
First she snagged a come-backer and nailed the lead runner at the plate for the second out, then she sent the next batter down on strikes, with the final one slamming into catcher Lauren Rose’s glove with an audible pop.
Rose and McGranahan, two of four freshmen to start in game one (with center fielder Hope Lodell and first baseman Kyla Briscoe), were in sync and did their best to hold things together all game.
It mostly worked, but the Turks took advantage of some first-game jitters, turning a string of Coupeville errors into three runs in the top of the third.
Even then, McGranahan held tough and the game was close until Sultan put together a four-run rally in the sixth to break things open.
The rally might not have happened if an umpire’s questionable call hadn’t opened the floodgates.
The Turks lead-off hitter in the inning tried to stretch a single into a double, only to be gunned down by a laser throw from Wolf right fielder Monica Vidoni.
Only the ump ruled the runner safe, vaguely calling baseline interference on Coupeville.
Given a second chance, Sultan took advantage and stretched the lead out well beyond what their star hurler, Shelby Jeffries, would need.
An often overpowering veteran pitcher, she whiffed 18 Wolves and was only nicked for base hits by Bailey and Hailey Hammer.
While Coupeville had very little offensive momentum, Rafferty was pleased with the fight she saw in her very young team.
“They made good contact with the ball, all of them,” she said. “They let nerves get the best of them a little, facing a tall, strong player, but I’m proud of what they did.
“We’ll work to get better before the next game.”
After a four-year run as a player at Oak Harbor High School, this was Rafferty’s first game as a softball coach.
“It’s a whole different game. A lot more multitasking; it’ll take some time to get used to,” she said. “But I’m glad there’s room for improvement, for the team and me.”
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