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Posts Tagged ‘Teagan Calkins’

Sluggers hand out awards, letters

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on May 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Haylee Armstrong epitomized the Spirit of the Wolf. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

A season of success ended with awards and praise.

The Coupeville High School softball squad, which went 14-5 and reclaimed the Northwest 2B/1B League title, capped the campaign Saturday with a team banquet.

Sophomore catcher Teagan Calkins was crowned team MVP, while junior third baseman Madison McMillan and 8th grade pitcher Adeline Maynes earned Offensive and Defensive MVP honors, respectively.

Other award winners:

 

Captains:

Taylor Brotemarkle
Teagan Calkins
Mia Farris

 

Most Improved:

Shania Kenney

 

Spirit of the Wolf:

Capri Anter
Haylee Armstrong
Ava Lucero

 

Wolves (l to r) Taylor Brotemarkle, Bailey Thule, and Shania Kenney enjoy a win. (Photo by Claire Kalwies-Anderson)

 

Varsity letter winners:

Capri Anter
Haylee Armstrong
Taylor Brotemarkle
Teagan Calkins
Mia Farris
Jada Heaton
Ava Lucero
Adeline Maynes
Madison McMillan
Sydney Van Dyke

 

Participation certificates:

Shania Kenney
Allie Powers
Chelsi Stevens
Danica Strong
Bailey Thule
Mary Western
Melanie Wolfe

The dugout gets rowdy. Sort of. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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Young guns scrap to the final batter

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , , on May 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Part of a Wolf softball squad which went 14-5 and can return everyone next spring. (Michelle Armstrong photo)

Coupeville won the battle, but Toledo won the war.

A very-young Wolf softball squad played the first inning to precision Saturday night at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.

Unfortunately, the winner-to-state, loser-out playoff game went a full seven frames, and the Riverhawks rebounded from a 3-0 deficit to eventually claim an 11-4 victory.

With the win, Toledo, which is 19-6 after going 3-2 in the District 1/4 tourney, is off to the big dance.

Meanwhile, Coupeville, which was required to pop in at the very tail end of another district’s tourney, instead of being fully rewarded for being the #1 team from their own area, finishes 14-5.

The Wolves, who regularly started three 8th graders and two freshmen this season, and have no seniors, can return everyone on their roster.

And, even in defeat, they fought until the final batter, showcasing the hustle and grit which defines Kevin McGranahan’s diamond program.

Saturday’s game pitted a Toledo team which was playing its third game of the day against a Coupeville squad which hadn’t played in a week.

For an inning, at least, the fresher team looked sharper.

Wolf hurler Adeline Maynes, one of those 8th graders, mowed through the Riverhawks in the top of the first, picking up two strikeouts and a groundout to fellow middle school classmate Sydney Van Dyke.

Hefting their bats for the first time since they carved up South Whidbey in the regular season finale May 10, the Wolves immediately stung Toledo.

Taylor Brotemarkle gets medieval on the softball. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Haylee Armstrong took the first pitch she saw and ripped it into left field for a single, before Mia Farris clobbered a double in the same direction.

With two runners on and nobody out, Taylor Brotemarkle lofted a precision sac fly to plate the game’s first run, before Madison McMillan went nuclear.

Punching a hole in the dark, foreboding clouds which hung over the field, the junior third baseman cleared the fences with a two-run tater, and Coupeville was up 3-0 just four batters in.

And then the batting display turned off. Big time.

After McMillan’s epic blast, the Wolves went two complete rotations through the lineup — a full 18 batters — before getting another hit.

Van Dyke, Danica Strong, and Brotemarkle eked out walks during that dry spell, but with no base knocks, there were no more runs for a very long time.

It wasn’t until two batters into the bottom of the sixth that Coupeville finally broke the hitless skid, with sophomore catcher Teagan Calkins mashing a fences-clearing home run of her own.

Teagan Calkins goes yard. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Capri Anter accounted for the Wolves final hit, cracking a long single into an opening in the outfield defense in the seventh inning.

But that was it for CHS, as it started with three hits in the first four batters but finished with just five base knocks and three walks total.

That 3-0 lead held up for a bit, with Toledo scratching out a run in the second, then sliding ahead 4-3 thanks to several well-placed hits in the top of the third.

The deficit was still just a run well into the fifth, but that was when the Riverhawks found their groove, peppering the ball around the field and plating six runs to turn a nailbiter into a bit of a runaway.

One final tally in the sixth made it 11 unanswered runs for Toledo, before Calkins walloped her final moon ball of the season to get one back for Coupeville.

“The Red Dragon” then ended her second high school diamond campaign by gunning down a runner trying, and failing, to steal second base, as the Wolves refused to go meekly into the stormy night.

While the loss brings a close to the season, Coupeville’s young guns can exit heads held high.

They went undefeated in Northwest 2B/1B League play, reclaimed their conference crown from Friday Harbor, and held their own against a tough non-league schedule.

Wins against Onalaska, Nooksack Valley, and Sultan were big, and a two-game sweep of next-door neighbor South Whidbey especially sweet.

And, as mentioned, EVERYONE on the roster can come back.

The “core four” — current juniors Farris, Brotemarkle, Jada Heaton, and McMillan — will be seniors next spring, while their younger teammates achieved success early and can continue to grow.

The pitching staff of Maynes, Armstrong, and Anter have four, three, and three seasons remaining respectively, a particular bright spot for one of Coupeville’s most-successful programs year-in, year-out.

Haylee Armstrong fires BB’s. (Claire Kalwies-Anderson photo)

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Calkins crushes, Wolves romp

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on May 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“It’s time, Sir Reginald, time for us to once more go forth and destroy the hopes and dreams of our rivals.” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The “Red Dragon” can only be stopped one way — by being forced to sit on the bench.

Put Teagan Calkins in the game, and the Coupeville High School sophomore catcher is going to start popping her biceps and beatin’ the crud out of the softball.

It is just the way of her people.

So, Wolf coach Kevin McGranahan parked his excitable star in the dugout for half of Thursday’s game at La Conner — AFTER she launched yet another home run — and gave nearly everyone on the roster a chance to join in the assault.

Even after giving up numerous outs by having runners intentionally leave base early, the Wolves crushed the host Braves 14-0 in a game mercy-ruled after five innings.

The victory, in which 13 CHS players reached base, lifts the Wolves to 9-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 12-4 overall.

They won’t get a chance to make up a rained-out game against NWL rival Concrete but will play two home non-conference tilts as they prep for the playoffs.

First up is a visit from Nooksack Valley Friday, followed by a rematch against South Whidbey May 10.

After that, Coupeville, the top team in District 1, heads off to Centralia May 18 to play a District 4 team in a winner-to-state, loser-out playoff rumble.

Shania Kenney was one of nine Wolves to rip a hit Thursday in La Conner. (Claire Kalwies-Anderson photo)

Thursday’s game in La Conner was one-sided in every way, as Wolf pitchers Adeline Maynes, Haylee Armstrong, and Capri Anter combined to toss a one-hitter, whiffing nine Braves.

Maynes, already an ace as just an 8th grader, retired all six batters she faced.

Coupeville, by contrast, couldn’t be stopped on offense, rapping out 14 hits and piling up 12 walks.

The Wolves plated six runners in the top of the first, not getting their first out until batter #7.

Walks to Armstrong and Sydney Van Dyke set the table, with Taylor Brotemarkle, Madison McMillan, Calkins, and Bailey Thule thumping consecutive hits to get the scoreboard hoppin’.

Five more runs came across in the second, with Calkins cranking a two-run tater to deep left, flying around the basepaths and sliding home long before the ball arrived back in the infield.

Proving they can play small ball to go with long ball, the Wolves spent a considerable part of the rest of the game working on bunts.

The best one probably came off the bat of Armstrong, as she dropped one for an RBI single, the ball nestling into the ground in front of the third baseman and promptly tunneling its way to China.

Coupeville did everything possible not to end the game super-early, adding just a single run in the third, and two more in the fourth.

Still, even though they went five innings, and didn’t go for the early 20-run KO in three frames, it capped a league season in which CHS mercy-ruled every foe.

“We had fun and worked on some stuff we don’t always get to work on, all while keeping the score reasonable,” McGranahan said.

“The best part is we return everyone next season, so the expectation is to do it all over again.”

That points to the fact that Coupeville has no seniors, and typically starts three 8th graders and two freshmen among its main 10 players.

 

Thursday stats:

Capri Anter — One single
Haylee Armstrong — Two singles, one walk
Taylor Brotemarkle — One single, three walks
Teagan Calkins — One home run, one single
Jada Heaton — One single
Shania Kenney — One single
Ava Lucero — One walk
Adeline Maynes — Two singles, one walk
Madison McMillan — One double, two singles, one walk
Chelsi Stevens — One walk
Bailey Thule — One single, one walk
Sydney Van Dyke — Two walks
Mary Western — One walk

Optical illusion, or is Jada Heaton so strong she literally bends her bat when making contact? Discuss. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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Young guns havin’ some fun

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , , on April 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Cousins Capri Anter (left) and Haylee Armstrong enjoy another victory. (Michelle Armstrong photo)

Neither wind nor rain splatters nor dank and dark prairie days stay these sluggers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

Delivering in a way the postal service only wishes it could, the Coupeville High School varsity softball squad returned from vacation with a vengeance Monday afternoon.

With three 8th graders and two freshmen accounting for half the lineup, the Wolves swept Sultan away, winning 10-0 in a game called after five innings.

The non-conference victory lifts CHS to 6-1, with all of its wins ended early thanks to the mercy rule.

Now, it’s on Darrington Tuesday for a key Northwest 2B/1B League matchup, before a home tilt with La Conner Thursday and a titanic road rumble with powerhouse Forks Saturday.

Monday’s matchup, coming on the heels of a week-long shutdown for Spring Break, opened on a note of danger.

Sultan’s leadoff hitter lofted a ball into the wind on a typically blustery prairie afternoon, and the ball veered away from the incoming right fielder, landing with a splash for a double.

But that would be the one, and only hit the Turks would get, as Wolf hurler Adeline Maynes and her defense promptly went into lock-down mode.

Taylor Brotemarkle, the mistress of the mitt, made a superb snatch on a liner at shortstop, to settle things down.

After that, Sydney Van Dyke gobbled up a grounder at second, before Maynes induced a comebacker to the pitcher’s circle to end the brief hint of suspense.

From that point on, Sultan only got one batter aboard across the final four innings, and then only thanks to a slightly wayward pitch which plunked the Turk catcher.

Maynes, a precocious 8th grader, whiffed eight batters while her infield defense, which included Madison McMillan at third and Haylee Armstrong at first, handled every ball that came their way flawlessly.

Taylor Brotemarkle congratulates whiz kid Adeline Maynes during an earlier, sunnier game. (Ryan Blouin photo)

Meanwhile, the Wolves pecked away at the Turk pitching staff, scoring in every inning.

The only run which Coupeville needed came around early, thanks to the nimble toes of Mia Farris.

She walked, pilfered second, then skedaddled home on an RBI base knock from Brotemarkle, who quickly scored herself thanks to a passed ball.

The Wolves broke the game open in the second, with walks to Van Dyke and Ava Lucero setting the table, and Capri Anter and Armstrong crunching RBI hits which skidded past the Turk defenders and made a run for freedom.

Up 5-0 after two innings, CHS pushed three more runs across in the third, with Anter delivering yet another crucial hit, before tacking on one in the fourth and ending things early in the fifth.

Wolf catcher Teagan Calkins walloped an RBI double for the game’s loudest hit, before Anter (who else?) closed the day with a run-scoring groundout.

Coupeville, which has outscored its foes 108-24 this season, finished with five well-placed hits and seven walks.

Anter led the way with two base knocks, while Armstrong, Brotemarkle, and Calkins also collected hits.

Jada Heaton and Van Dyke both walked twice, with Lucero, Calkins, and Farris each eking out a free pass.

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It’s clobberin’ time!

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , , on March 29, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Her fastball-flinging arm? Her hit-happy bat? Her fleet feet? All deadly weapons for fab frosh Haylee Armstrong. (Kim Brotemarkle photo)

They drove to Concrete, then walked to a win.

Collecting 20 free bases and 10 hits Friday, the Coupeville High School varsity softball squad crushed host Concrete 21-1 in a game mercy-ruled after four innings.

Now 3-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League action, 4-0 overall, the Wolves head home for a test Saturday, when they host a doubleheader against Onalaska.

First pitch is 1:00 PM, and CHS is holding its annual “Strike Out Cancer” gift basket fundraiser in conjunction with the twin-bill.

Friday’s fracas in Concrete was a classic example of a very good team trying its best not to embarrass a rebuilding program.

The Wolves could have won 100-1 if they had wanted but were efficient yet merciful.

Seven of Coupeville’s 12 outs came by having runners intentionally leave the base early, including all of their outs in the third and fourth inning.

Wolf coach Kevin McGranahan also got playing time for 15 different girls, with every one of them reaching base.

That included sophomore Danica Strong, heir to the throne, who crushed her first hit in a Wolf uniform in front of mom (and Cow Town sports legend) Danette Beckley.

Danica Strong and the woman who gave her all those good athletic genes. (Photo courtesy Danette Beckley)

Enjoying the sunshine and dazzling mountain views in Concrete, the Wolves got right to work Friday, putting 12 of their first 14 hitters aboard.

Starting pitcher Haylee Armstrong kick-started things by cracking a single down the left field line, then, after walks from Mia Farris and Taylor Brotemarkle, it was time for the Mad Masher to make her presence felt.

Twisting her bat like she was going to break it in half, Madison McMillan pointed to those far-off mountains and whispered, “Time to go home, lil’ softball.”

At which point she unloaded a mammoth shot to right, sending all her teammates scampering for home.

Mainly so they wouldn’t get run over by McMillan, who careened around the basepaths like a runaway freight train, tapping home as the ball finally came sailing in behind her.

Grandpa Gordon, doing his usual ace job on the books, credited her with a triple, saying she scored on the throw, instead of a grand slam homerun.

There may be a conversation in the McMillan house tonight…

Whether it was a tater or a really long triple, Madison’s moonball put the lead at 4-0 and that was just the beginning.

A whole lot of walks and a dropped third strike kept the basepaths busy, while Farris and Teagan Calkins rocketed RBI base hits to keep the Lion defenders jumpy and nervous.

The only thing which ended the top of the first was a Coupeville runner giving themselves up, a grace note of mercy in an 11-0 opening salvo.

If Concrete was hoping to respond in kind, that wasn’t happening.

Armstrong, stalking the pitcher’s circle and flinging liquid heat, ripped off a pair of strikeouts, while Taylor Brotemarkle made a sweet play on a chopper to second, snatching the ball up and alertly tagging a runner trying to sneak past her.

Taylor Brotemakle is her name, defense is her game. (Ryan Blouin photo)

If the Wolves have one weird little weakness, it seems to be the second inning.

They’ve done it before, and may do it again, and certainly did it Friday, going down in order in a scoreless frame after their first inning explosion.

Before promptly raining down more runs in every other inning.

CHS pushed across four runs in the top of the third, with Armstrong, Farris, and Jada Heaton smokin’ base knocks.

But McMillan, while getting on base, had a bit of a disappointment.

Hitting with the bags once again juiced, she pulled up one of her uniform sleeves, cause “suns out, guns out” and prepared to take another titanic swing.

But instead, as she stepped backwards to avoid a wayward pitch, the ball spun into her, softly hitting her leg and sending her down to first with a free pass.

The look on her face told the true story.

“Do I have to go? Mama wants to mash!!”

But McMillan honored the rules of the game, and McGranahan did some nimble coaching to keep his team from getting too far ahead and ending the game after the minimum three innings.

All three outs in the third were due to runners “leaving early” and at 15-0 that gave the teams another inning before the next mercy rule would go into effect.

Which was perfect, as it gave Coupeville a chance to run everyone through the lineup, rewarding the Wolves for their work in practice.

Strong led off the fourth with a walk, then came back around about 10 minutes later to punch an RBI single to straightaway centerfield, putting her in the hit club sisterhood.

Meanwhile, Capri Anter, Chelsi Stevens, Adeline Maynes, and Melanie Wolfe all eked out walks, and 8th grader Sydney Van Dyke rapped the latest of her RBI hits.

Flexin’ on fools. The Wolves have outscored opponents 75-10 through the first four games of the season. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Concrete managed to avoid being held scoreless by scraping out a lone run in the bottom of the fourth, but Anter closed the game with solid work from the circle.

She finished with five strikeouts across two innings, while her cousin, Armstrong, had four K’s when she handed the ball over.

Calkins (1B, 2B), Farris (1B, 1B), and Armstrong (1B, 1B) paced the hit parade, with McMillan (3B), Heaton (1B), Van Dyke (1B), and Strong (1B) rounding out the attack.

Ava Lucero and Brotemarkle both walked three times, while McMillan and Calkins accepted two free passes.

Also getting good calls from the ump were (big breath) Wolfe, Maynes, Stevens, Anter, Strong, Bailey Thule, Mary Western, Heaton, Armstrong, and Farris.

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