Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged Adyson Morales, Jackie Saia, little league, Softball, Whidbey Island Inferno on July 15, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Adyson Morales digs in at the state tourney. (Jackie Saia photos)
They fought to the last swing, and the last click of the camera.
The Whidbey Island All-Star juniors softball squad claimed a district title, then finished fourth at state despite missing key players with injury and illness.
Along the way, team mom Jackie Saia (whose daughter, Teagan Calkins, was on fire at the plate) snapped away, and the pics above and below are courtesy her.
Posted in Softball, tagged CHS Wolves, Izzy Wells, Lynden, Softball, summer league on July 15, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Izzy Wells fired BB’s Wednesday as the Coupeville High School summer softball squad won its third-straight game. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Everything is coming together quite nicely.
Fighting back for a come-from-behind 4-3 win over Lynden Wednesday, the Coupeville High School summer softball squad captured its third-straight victory.
With the triumph, the Wolves are 3-2, and about to expand their roster.
Kevin McGranahan’s squad will balloon with the arrival of a group of sluggers who just finished playing four games at the state tourney for Whidbey Island’s All-Star juniors team.
That group, which includes incoming freshmen such as Taylor Brotemarkle and Jada Heaton, will get a chance to mesh with veterans like Izzy Wells, Bella Whalen, and Audrianna Shaw.
The first game for the expanded team comes next Wednesday, July 21, when Coupeville clashes with Island rival Oak Harbor.
Against Lynden, the Wolves fell behind 3-0 in the first inning, then snapped into lock-down mode.
Wells was dominant in the pitcher’s circle, while her defense brought the good leather to their efforts, not allowing the big city girls a chance to add to their run total.
Coupeville “battled against a very good, hard-throwing pitcher,” breaking through for three runs in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead.
After holding Lynden scoreless in the top of the fifth, the game was called due to a summer league rule which limits game times.
With back-to-back league titles, in different conferences, CHS softball continues to soar, and the purpose of playing in the summer was to help the program reach a new level.
Consider McGranahan pleased with what he has seen.
“The team showed its heart of a champion today, and never let up,” he said. “This summer league is working out great; the team is gelling nicely.
“Couldn’t be happier with the effort and development of this young team.
“Scores don’t matter in the off-season, but always nice to come from behind late and show the heart.”
Posted in Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, tagged Coupeville Middle School, math class, Softball, taekwondo, Teagan Calkins on July 14, 2021| 1 Comment »
Teagan Calkins zooms to the front of the pack as a cross country runner. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Teagan Calkins is ahead of the pack.
The ever-active Coupeville student/athlete, who will be an eighth-grader this fall, has spent much of her time playing ahead of her age group.
At age 12, Calkins is the youngest member of the Whidbey Island All-Star juniors softball team, which just concluded a successful four-game run at the state tourney.
While in Vancouver, she played in the outfield and caught, while being the team’s second most-productive hitter at the plate.
The youngest girl on the Whidbey Island All-Star junior softball squad, Calkins played strongly at the state tournament. (Jackie Saia photos)
It’s just the latest highlight for Calkins, who has also played soccer, cross country, basketball, and volleyball, while participating in gymnastics and taekwondo.
It’s a busy sports lifestyle, but one she plans to keep going. When she hits high school in a year, Calkins hopes to play volleyball, basketball, and softball, while also staying with taekwondo.
While she enjoys all her sports, softball and volleyball currently top the list.
“Softball because I enjoy kinda being in charge of the field, because of the positions I play, which are center field and catcher,” Calkins said. “Volleyball because I like diving and receiving a lot. I like playing libero.”
Calkins flies home with a run.
Regardless of the sport, being active and involved are big for her, and she embraces the exciting aspect of each activity.
“I like the adrenaline rush and being focused on one thing,” Calkins said. “To leave everything else behind and just focus on the sport.”
Away from competition, she enjoys math class (“I’ve just always loved math, and I’m really good at it”), and has shown a keen eye as a photographer, emulating mom Jackie Saia.
Already a star, at age six.
On the field, or court, or trail, or mat, Calkins brings energy and fearlessness to everything she does.
“My strengths are having motivation to dive to get the ball in both softball and volleyball and having good stamina,” she said.
“I’d like to work on how to play every position if I’m needed in softball, and “crashing” to stop the ball at catcher,” Calkins added. “I’d also like to work on pitching … release point, and speed, and how to do different releases for different pitches.”
To get to where she is, and to get to where she wants to be, Calkins has benefited from strong coaching, something she highly appreciates.
“Coach Fred (Farris) has coached me in softball for five years and taught me pretty much everything I know,” she said.
“When I was put in higher level volleyball camp and being the only 7th grader on an all-8th grade team, I was coached by coach Cris (Matochi).
“He was very encouraging and positive.”
Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged Adyson Morales, little league, Softball, state tourney, Whidbey Island Inferno on July 13, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Adyson Morales and her team had a very-successful postseason run. (Jackie Saia photos)
The run is done.
A four-games-in-four-days odyssey at the state tournament in Vancouver reached its end Tuesday night for the Whidbey Island All-Star juniors softball squad.
Playing without sluggers Savina Wells (illness) and Loto Tupu (injury), the Inferno fell 12-1 to North Kitsap, finishing fourth in an eight-team field.
With the victory, Kitsap advances to face Camas Wednesday night, with the victor squaring off with undefeated Kirkland in the championship round.
Thanks to a 16-0 victory over Camas in the early game Tuesday, Kirkland only needs one more win to claim the state title.
The Kitsap/Camas winner will have to beat Kirkland twice Thursday to come out on top.
Whidbey, which boasts a 14-player roster, with seven girls each from Coupeville and Oak Harbor, went 4-2 after being assembled.
The Inferno swept two games to win the District 11 title, then went 2-2 at state.
After losing a one-run thriller to Camas in its opener Saturday, Whidbey bounced back to eliminate teams from Puyallup and Mukilteo.
And, for a brief moment, it looked like the winning streak might continue.
Inferno hurler Adyson Morales went through Kitsap like a buzz saw in the top of the first inning, setting down their first three hitters in order.
The pride of Oak Harbor did so with a little help from her Coupeville infielders.
The leadoff hitter popped out to Katie Marti at second base, before Madison McMillan made back-to-back strong throws on grounders to third, each rocket landing softly in the waiting glove of Mia Farris.
Mia Farris, an accomplished player with her bat and glove.
Whidbey promptly plopped the game’s first run on the board in the bottom half of the frame, with Haylee Burleigh walking and coming around to score when Kitsap bobbled a hot shot off the bat of Teagan Calkins.
Unfortunately for the Inferno, that was pretty much the moment its offense came to a screeching halt.
The next nine Whidbey hitters went down in order, a cruel streak not broken until McMillan rocketed a one-out single off a Kitsap glove in the bottom of the fourth.
But, before the Inferno could celebrate the moment, Kitsap turned an inning-ending double play, turning a well-hit ball by Morales into a wham-bam twin killing.
Jada Heaton earned much hootin’ and hollerin’ from her teammates when she got drilled by a wayward pitch in the bottom of the fifth, but that was it for Whidbey’s offense.
With just two hits and two walks, life was going to be difficult for the Inferno, and Kitsap kept chip, chip, chippin’ away.
Two runs in the top of the second gave Whidbey’s rivals a lead they wouldn’t lose, then four more tallies in both the third and fourth stretched the lead out.
While Kitsap spent a fair amount of time putting the ball where the Whidbey defenders weren’t, the Inferno did make several strong defensive plays.
McMillan played the hot corner with panache, while catcher Lilly Norman gunned down a would-be base thief, connecting with Burleigh, who slapped on the tag.
While the final result wasn’t another win, Whidbey coach Fred Farris still left the field extremely proud of what his team accomplished.
Drawing players from a much-smaller area than most of their opponents, the Inferno clicked quickly and put together a stirring highlight reel over their run.
“Never been prouder of a group,” Farris said. “Been my honor.”
Most of the Inferno players move on to high school ball after this, with bright futures at the next level.
The team featured Coupeville stars McMillan, Heaton, Mia Farris, Taylor Brotemarkle, Wells, Marti, and Calkins.
Joining them were Oak Harbor diamond queens Tupu, Ramona Ryder, Burleigh, Norman, Morales, Payton Ludemann, and Layla Suto.
One team, one dream.
Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged Katie Marti, little league, Softball, state tourney, Whidbey Island Inferno on July 12, 2021| 1 Comment »
Softball sluggers Savina Wells (left) and Madison McMillan combined for seven hits Monday at the state tournament. (Katy Wells photo)
On to day four!
Winning an elimination game for the second day in a row, the Whidbey Island All-Star juniors softball team thumped Mukilteo 16-5 Monday at the state tournament in Vancouver.
A royal rumble which began with eight teams now has just four left, and another will fall Tuesday.
That will come when Whidbey faces North Kitsap at 8 PM in a battle of squads which are 2-1 at the big dance.
Earlier in the evening Tuesday, Camas (2-0) and Kirkland (2-0) will play, with the victor advancing to the championship round, which goes down Thursday.
The Whidbey/North Kitsap winner goes toe-to-toe Wednesday with the Camas/Kirkland loser, with the winner of that one needing to win twice Thursday to claim a state title.
Monday’s showdown was expected to be a barn burner, with Mukilteo among the favorites entering the tourney.
Instead, Whidbey, even playing without injured slugger Loto Tupu, came out firing and never gave their foes a chance.
The Inferno exploded for five quick runs in the top of the first, added another score in the second, then broke things open.
A six-run fourth inning included a massive three-run home run from Coupeville’s Katie Marti, while four more runs in the fifth sealed the deal.
Well, almost, as Mukilteo made Whidbey work for it, pushing five runs across in the bottom of the fifth before falling a run shy of preventing the 10-run mercy rule from being enacted.
The game ended on a foul ball which soared behind the plate, then nestled soft and safe into the waiting mitt of Whidbey catcher Teagan Calkins.
The Inferno offense came alive under the lights, with Haylee Burleigh lighting the fuse all night.
Haylee Burleigh was dynamic, collecting four hits and playing inspired defense at shortstop. (Jackie Saia photo)
The Oak Harbor slugger got the first hit in all four innings in which Whidbey scored, spraying three singles to go with a resounding triple to right field in the top of the second.
In the first, Whidbey made sure Mukilteo knew what was up, with its first five hitters delivering base-knocks to rattle the rival hurler.
Burleigh slapped a single to right, followed by singles from Lilly Norman and Calkins, then the big guns started firing.
A day after crushing an out-of-the-park home run, mighty masher Madison McMillan cranked a triple to left field, with Savina Wells following her blast with a double to deep center.
A few batters down the lineup, Taylor Brotemarkle smoked an RBI single of her own, and the rout was on.
Up 6-0 heading into the fourth, the Inferno bunched together another batch of hits, with everyone in the lineup getting in on the fun.
Burleigh (yep, her again) singled, Jada Heaton walloped a double, Calkins and McMillan poked singles, and then it was time for Marti to get medieval on the softball.
Katie Marti can kill you with her bat or her glove. (Jackie Saia photo)
Flexing like grandpa Paul Messner used to do right before he ran wild on the football field in the ’60s (or so I’ve been told), the prairie powerhouse jumped on a ball, sending a screaming liner to far-away right field.
Churning her legs as fast as they would go, Marti never broke stride, barreling around the bags as two teammates tapped home ahead of her, applying the punctuation mark to the Inferno assault.
Still flushed with pride, Breeanna Messner’s cousin was honored after the game for hitting the first “legit inside the park home run” of the tourney.
And that could have been it, but these bats don’t take many breaks.
Whidbey added another four runs from there, with Burleigh (she’s back, baby!), Calkins, Adyson Morales, and Payton Ludemann all crunching key base-knocks.
With a generous scorebook keeper, the Inferno racked up an eye-popping 24 hits, with Wells and Burleigh leading the way with four apiece.
Calkins (3), McMillan (3), Marti (2), Layla Suto (2), Morales (2), Norman (1), Ludemann (1), Heaton (1), and Brotemarkle (1) all joined the hit parade, while Mia Farris provided the intangibles for a Whidbey squad which continues to fly high.
Wells was “lights out” in the pitcher’s circle, while her backing crew was primed for success.
“Defense was awesome,” said Inferno coach Fred Farris. “Haylee (Burleigh) is the real deal at shortstop!!”
Ludemann made “a great catch in right field,” while Calkins “played perfect in center then (at) catcher.”
Every girl on the roster had an impact, even those who are battling injuries.
“Lilly was a warrior again with the sore ankle,” Fred Farris said. “And Loto was in the dugout in her walking boot keeping them fired up!”
Coach Kimberly Brotemarkle and Teagan Calkins celebrate good times. (Jackie Saia photo)
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