Madison McMillan has plenty of reason to celebrate. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
May 4 is not just for Star Wars Day anymore.
This year the date will mark a battle of a different sort, as Coupeville and Friday Harbor’s varsity softball squads square off to decide their playoff fates.
With the Wolves surviving a brutal wind (and dirt) storm on the prairie Tuesday, emerging with an 8-1 win over their visiting rivals, the two teams have split the season series so far.
Now 6-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League action, 9-5 overall, Coupeville moves back into first place in the NWL, a game up on Darrington (4-1) and a game-and-a-half ahead of Friday Harbor (3-1).
But, when the playoffs arrive in May, and only one 2B team gets a playoff ticket from District 1, all that really matters is how the Wolves did against Friday Harbor and La Conner — the other 2B schools in the league.
Since the Braves are 0-5 in the NWL and 0-11 overall, they’re not really part of this conversation.
Friday Harbor escaped with a 13-12 win over Coupeville in March as the Wolf defense imploded, before CHS put together a marquee win Tuesday to even things up.
Cue May 4, with the game played on Friday Harbor, as the grand finale.
“Well, the first objective is complete,” said CHS coach Kevin McGranahan.
“Now we need to go out and take care of business the rest of the league season and we can once again hang a plaque on the gym wall.
“The defense is getting better; still making little mistakes, but we aren’t compounding them.”
In fact, on a day when a cold prairie breeze huffed and puffed and tried to blow the little pig’s house down — sending a near-constant wave of infield dirt directly into everyone’s face for 150 minutes — it was the defense, on both sides, which sparkled.
Friday Harbor catcher Bella Ross tracked down two twisting popups in foul territory, including snagging one while sliding towards the Wolf bench.
But Coupeville responded strongly.
CHS catcher Teagan Calkins, only a fab frosh, came up firing against the wind and gunned down a pair of wanderin’ Wolverines.
One was trying to steal second, only to have the ball waiting in shortstop Madison McMillan’s glove upon arrival, while the other wayward runner briefly hesitated on her way to third-base and lived to regret it.
Exiting with a bang, Coupeville pulled off three defensive gems in the top of the seventh, and final inning, mercifully sending the sand-blasted, chattering masses back to the warmth of their wind-sheltered homes.
Wolf pitcher Maya Lucero nimbly plucked a bunt attempt out of the swirling dirt, then made the throw to twin sister Allie at first in the nick of time for out #1.
That was followed by second-baseman Taylor Brotemarkle starting to her right, then reversing to her left to spear a tumbling ball out of midair as it strained to reach the outfield grass.
Finally, it was 8th grader Haylee Armstrong, on a dead sprint towards the line in short right field, reaching up and snaring a shot madly tailing off to the side, pushed by one last burst of gut-wrenching, goosebump-popping wind.
Haylee Armstrong hauls in the game’s final out.
Coupeville gave up its only run in the top of the first, then largely shut down Friday Harbor’s bats after that.
Starting pitcher Allie Lucero had the radar gun jumpin’, striking out nine hitters before giving way to her sister midway through the fifth inning.
Maya Lucero kept the K’s coming, picking up three more before the day was done.
And while the Wolves didn’t throw up any crazy numbers on the scoreboard, they did find enough holes in the wind to push runners across in five of the six innings they hit.
Coupeville knotted things up at 1-1 in the bottom of the first, with Calkins being plunked by a pitch, stealing second, advancing on a wild pitch, then scoring on a long sac fly from Taylor Brotemarkle.
An RBI single off the bat of Gwen Gustafson pushed the Wolves ahead 2-1 in the second, though a double play thwarted any hopes of busting out a big inning.
Not that it mattered all that much, as CHS plated three more runs in the third and two in the fourth to push the lead out to 7-1.
The third inning was the killer for Friday Harbor, as Coupeville’s 7-8-9 hitters racked up consecutive RBI singles to bust things open.
Jada Heaton smashed a hit off a glove, Sofia Peters lined a base knock into a gap, then the red-hot Gustafson launched a ball which caught the wind, curled in, and bit grass just inside the right-field line.
While the third inning hit parade was about precision, the fourth was all about power.
McMillan mashed an RBI double to center, followed by Maya Lucero swatting an RBI triple, with only the wind preventing both balls from clearing the fence.
After that, there was time for one more Maya Lucero RBI single in the sixth, the defensive stand in the seventh, and then the postgame celebration song from the Wolves as the wind howled along with the words.
Off to the side, Coupeville’s coach nodded, a small smile on his (likely frozen) face.
“Not so fast Friday Harbor,” Kevin McGranahan said. “It’s still our crown and we aren’t done with it yet.”
Tuesday stats:
Teagan Calkins — One walk
Mia Farris — One single, one walk
Gwen Gustafson — Three singles
Jada Heaton — One single, one walk
Allie Lucero — One double, one walk
Maya Lucero — Two singles, one triple, one walk
Madison McMillan — One double, one walk
Sofia Peters — One single
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