Teagan Calkins heads off to destroy the hopes and dreams of rival softball pitchers. (Jackie Saia photo)
Check off another box on the to-do list.
Having cruised to a league title by going undefeated in conference action, the Coupeville High School softball squad added a district title trophy Thursday afternoon.
Holding off pesky Friday Harbor 7-4 under cloudy skies on a neutral field in Mount Vernon, the Wolves get to 18-2 on the season, with one trip left to make.
That journey will be to the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima May 22-23 for the 2B state tourney.
It’s the fifth time CHS softball had made it to the big dance, and the first time they’ve gone in back-to-back seasons, having split four games at last year’s season-ending royal rumble.
The Smash Sisters, who have outscored their foes 298-49 this season, find out their state path Sunday when the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association releases the bracket for the 16-team tourney.
With District 1 getting two tickets this year, Coupeville knew it was going back to state regardless of whether it won or lost Thursday.
Not that the Wolves intended to lose.
Friday Harbor, the #2 seed in the district tourney, polished off #3 Orcas Island 15-5 in a lunchtime loser-out game, then jumped on CHS for a run in the top of the first in the mid-afternoon title game.
Two of the first three Wolverine hitters smacked an extra-base hit, but that was as far as Wolf pitcher Adeline Maynes was willing to let things go.
The sophomore hurler stranded the second Friday Harbor runner at third, nimbly throwing out a hitter on a bunt attempt before powering up for the first of her eight strikeouts.
After the second hit, Maynes retired 14 of the next 15 batters, mixing K’s with solid work by her defense.
Haylee Armstrong and Emma Leavitt tracked down fly balls to the outfield, while the Van Dyke sisters formed an impenetrable wall on the left side of the infield.
With Sydney, a sophomore, locking down third base, and Cami, an 8th grader, patrolling a wide swath of field at shortstop, little got through.
Ball in glove, the siblings took turns gunning down would-be base runners, their throws dropping smartly into Ava Lucero’s glove at first base time and again.
Cami Van Dyke gets low to snag a ground ball. (Jackie Saia photo)
With Maynes powering up and the defense on point, that gave Coupeville time to change the tune from an early 1-0 deficit to a 7-1 lead through five innings.
The Wolves pushed three runs across in the bottom of the first, with Chelsi Stevens lashing an RBI single back up the middle to knot things up at 1-1.
After that, pain became pleasure, with Sydney Van Dyke, Ava Lucero, and Maynes all getting plunked by wayward pitches.
Lucero’s free pass forced a run home, with Capri Anter picking up the third RBI thanks to a well-placed groundout to the left side of the infield.
Coupeville had the bases juiced and was looking for more, but Friday Harbor escaped the jam before muffling the Wolf offense a bit over the next several frames.
Armstrong reached on an infield single to open the second but was thrown out on a steal attempt, and the game stayed stuck at 3-1 deep into the bottom of the fourth.
A collection of walks, with Maynes, Leavitt, and Armstrong showing eagle eyes, loaded the bases, but Friday Harbor forced a runner at home after a pitcher change and looked like it might escape one more time.
To which Teagan Calkins, Coupeville’s lone senior, said, “Not on my watch, sister!”
The “Red Dragon,” mashin’ and takin’ names to the end, launched a screamer down the left field line, then hit the gas, freaking out the frazzled fielder, who mishandled the ball.
What would have likely been a three-run double turned into a three-run double plus Calkins streaking home with a fourth run as CHS coach Aaron Lucero screamed, “Go! Go! Go!!” every step of the way.
The big bash shoved Coupeville’s lead out to 7-1 and proved to be invaluable, as Friday Harbor, which will be 13-8 when it joins the Wolves at state, continued to chip away at its rivals.
After both teams stranded runners in the fifth, the Wolverines scraped out two runs in the sixth, and a final tally in the top of the seventh.
Both times Maynes and her defense stood tall, getting key outs to prevent Friday Harbor from being able to get all the way back.
Cousins Haylee Armstrong (left) and Capri Anter both came up big in the spotlight. (Michelle Armstrong photo)
Sydney Van Dyke corralled a twisty pop-up while charging across the infield, while Armstrong had her bazooka locked ‘n loaded.
Living up to the gold standard set by her predecessors in center field — strong-armed assassins like Hope Lodell and Mia Farris — the junior made several eye-popping throws Thursday, including nailing a runner headed to third by a good four or five steps in the final inning.
Consider her coach impressed.
“Haylee really showed off the arm today,” Aaron Lucero said. “I think I told her three times after the game how solid those throws were!”
After Armstrong’s epic chuck to nail the incoming runner, Friday Harbor had a girl at first with two outs, the tying run in the on-deck circle, but Maynes slammed the door shut, inducing a final grounder to Sydney Van Dyke.
That set off an on-field celebration, the first of several for the still-hungry Wolves.
The champs and their new t-shirts. (Christina Baker photo)
“Hats off to Friday Harbor for playing tough,” Aaron Lucero said. “Need to clean up a couple things, which we will work on.
“Overall, really proud of this team for winning district for the second year in a row and back-to-back trips to state!
“This is a special team and very tightknit.
“They also have a tremendous appetite for success and continued improvement and push each other to get better. Bottom line, we are moving on and have another trophy to add to the case!”
Thursday stats:
Capri Anter — One walk
Haylee Armstrong — One single, two walks
Teagan Calkins — One single, one double
Emma Leavitt — One walk
Ava Lucero — One walk
Adeline Maynes — Two walks
Chelsi Stevens — One single
Sydney Van Dyke — Two walks
Coupeville’s sophomores are headed back to state. (Kristi Stevens photo)
