Ava Lucero and the ball she mashed over the left field fence. (Photo courtesy Aaron Lucero)
“That was a clinic.”
Two solid high school softball squads clashed on the sun-drenched prairie Friday, but one ended up towering over the other.
Mashing 18 hits, including 10 in the first inning alone, high-flying Coupeville ran its visiting archrivals from South Whidbey off the diamond, emerging with a 17-1 win mercy-ruled after five innings.
With the non-conference victory, the Wolves get to 14-1 on the season, while the Falcons drop to 8-5.
That opening quote came from a South Whidbey supporter, as he paid tribute to the beat-down issued by the Smash Sisters, and it summed up the day.
Wolf hurler Adeline Maynes was flingin’ fire from the pitcher’s circle, whiffing nine and getting solid defensive work behind her from young infielders Allie Powers and Cami Van Dyke and sticky-gloved centerfielder Haylee Armstrong.
The web gem of the day, however?
That was a prime-time Maynes moment, as the sophomore pitcher charged out of the circle and went airborne to pluck a bunt out of the air, snagging the falling ball before it could touch infield dirt.
But while the pitching was on point and the defense often inspired, it was the offense which once again stole a great deal of the spotlight for Aaron Lucero’s squad.
Coupeville unleashed a tsunami of base knocks in the bottom of the first, with Sydney Van Dyke crushing a two-run double off the center field wall and Ava Lucero smoking a two-run single back up the middle.
That was just the start, with Armstrong and Cami Van Dyke connecting on RBI-rich hits before Teagan Calkins got epic.
Playing in the next-to-last home game of her storied career, the Wolf senior launched a screamer to left, then let her feet run wild as she crashed home with an inside-the-park two-run tater.
By the time the Falcons finally escaped from the frame, the damage had been done, with 14 batters coming to the plate, 12 of those reaching base, and the score sitting at 10-0.
Not that the Wolves were done, as Ava Lucero led off the bottom of the second with a home run of her own, this one clearing the fence in left and waving bye-bye as it headed off towards the Prairie Center parking lot.
Having herself a day to remember, the coach’s daughter struck one more time, whacking a three-run triple to right field in the third, capping a six-RBI performance.
Deep sac flies from Maynes and Calkins, and some nimble base-running on double steals padded out the lead as the Wolves rolled into the weekend having outscored their foes 244-33 this season.
Friday stats:
Zariyah Allen — Two singles
Haylee Armstrong — Two singles
Teagan Calkins — One home run, one walk
Ava Lucero — One single, one triple, one home run
Olivia Martin — One double, one walk
Adeline Maynes — Two singles
Chelsi Stevens — Two singles, one walk
Cami Van Dyke — One single, two triples
Sydney Van Dyke — One single, one double
Friday they were rivals, but during travel ball season a fair number of Wolf and Falcon sluggers unite on the diamond. (Photo courtesy Jess Lucero)
