Coupeville wraps up conference title / Softball

By Jim Waller • April 23, 2018 1:30 am

It was a just split over the weekend for the Coupeville High School softball team, but the win was a big one.

The Wolves ripped visiting Klahowya 9-4 Friday, April 20, clinching the Olympic League championship.

Saturday, Coupeville battled back from a six-run deficit but fell to unbeaten host Lynden Christian 7-5.

The Wolves’ (9-4) next game is a non-leaguer when South Whidbey (7-4) visits at 4 p.m. Friday, April 27.

Coupeville 9, Klahowya 4

The Wolves and Eagles are the only schools in the Olympic League 1A division in softball. Chimacum and Port Townsend did not have enough girls turnout this spring to field teams.

Coupeville’s win over Klahowya Friday, along with a 15-1 win earlier this season, clinched the three-games series and the conference crown. The two teams wrap up the league season in Klahowya Monday, April 30.

The Wolves scored in all but one inning and built a 7-0 lead in the 9-4 win.

Katrina McGranahan slapped three hits, including a triple, and Scout Smith, Veronica Crownover, Hope Lodell and Emma Mathusek all slugged two singles. Mathusek had three RBI, and Smith drove in two runs. Crownover and Lodell each scored twice.

Sarah Wright added a triple and two runs.

McGranahan pitched a five-hitter with six strikeouts for the win.

“What a day for Wolf fastpitch,” coach Kevin McGranahan said. “These ladies went out and took control and would not be denied. They hit from the first batter on, and everyone contributed in one way or another.

“I am so proud for all the girls, but the seniors have fought from being less than mediocre to being dominant and doing it as a team and involving everyone. I couldn’t be more proud of every young lady wearing a Wolf fastpitch uniform — varsity or JV. It takes everyone to do this.”

Lynden Christian 7, Coupeville 5

In a battle of two of the area’s top 1A teams, the Lyncs took advantage of early Coupeville mistakes to raise their record to 13-0.

The Wolves, playing their third game in three days, committed two errors in the first inning that helped Lynden Christian score three runs. Two more errors in the third led to two more runs, and the Wolves trailed 5-0.

Coupeville scored once in the top of the fourth on McGranahan’s triple, but LC countered with a pair of runs in its half of the inning and built a 7-1 lead.

The Wolves fought back with two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings but couldn’t quite catch the Lyncs.

Lodell had three hits, one a double, and scored two runs.

Crownover, Mollie Bailey, MacKenzie Davis and Mathusek also recorded singles for the Wolves.

Katrina McGranahan “pitched well,” according to coach McGranahan, with a seven-hitter, six strikeouts and no walks.

“The bottom of our line up is clicking well and did the most damage today,” coach McGranahan said. “Emma is really doing well in the nine hole and learning that role is very important.”