Wolf hurler McKayla “Million Dollar Arm” Bailey. (Robert Bishop photos)
Hailey Hammer is on an RBI-producing tear in the postseason.
Breeanna Messner, one of three Wolf seniors, stares down the pitcher as she waits for her at-bat.
Haley Sherman injured her ankle at districts … but did get a free cart ride. So there was that.
To be the best, you have to go through the best.
So, in an effort to get that out of the way quickly, the Coupeville High School softball squad will open the 1A state playoffs Friday in Richland against one of the best teams in the tourney.
Warden enters the state playoffs as the #1 seed from District 5, and the Cougars ended all three of their district games quickly.
Now 20-2, the Eastern Washington school pounded Cle Elum 11-1, River View 10-0 and Connell 11-0.
Which could make them ripe for the pickin’, as Coupeville has already taken down a school — Blaine — that had won an earlier district game 32-4.
So, 11-0? Whoopee…
Win or lose, the Wolves will play at least two games May 30 (possibly three) in the double-elimination tourney.
Keep their postseason hot streak alive and CHS will stick around for play Saturday and try to snag a new banner for the gym wall.
The top four teams from the 16-team field bring home hardware and hoist banners.
In Coupeville’s only other appearance at state in the fastpitch era, it claimed third-place in 2002.
That year, a squad led by Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby beat Cle Elum-Roslyn 8-0, knocked off Royal 3-2, were blanked 4-0 by eventual champ Adna, then rebounded to drill Okanogan 6-1 and thump Napavine 11-6.
One bright spot for the Wolves this time around is the news that senior left fielder Haley Sherman, who injured her ankle at tri-districts and missed the final game, is feeling better.
“It’s doing okay,” she said. “I’m trying to heal it as fast as I can, so yeah, it’s slowly but surely getting better!”
Shermaninator locked in? Let the beatin’ commence!
The state bracket:
Coupeville Sports 