McGranahan tosses no-hitter and two-hitter as Coupeville wins pair / Softball

By Jim Waller • April 24, 2017 1:30 am

Katrina McGranahan and her Coupeville High School softball teammates were tough as the Wolves picked up two important wins over the weekend.

The Wolves took over sole possession of second place in the Olympic League with a 5-2 win at Klahowya Friday, April 21.

The next day at home, Coupeville knocked of traditional power Lynden Christian for the first time, winning the non-league game 5-1.

Both games featured strong all-around performances by the Wolves. Pitcher McGranahan was dominating — she threw a no-hitter Saturday — and her teammates backed her with errorless play and hot bats.

Coupeville (3-1, 11-1) goes to Meridian (2-9) for a non-league game at 4 p.m. Monday, April 24, and then hosts Port Townsend (0-4, 0-7) at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26.

Coupeville 5, Klahowya 2

McGranahan, who faced just two batters over the minimum over the first six innings, finished with eight strikeouts and a two-hitter.

Coupeville got on the board with a run in the second when Veronica Crownover doubled and Hope Lodell singled.

The Wolves scored twice in the third with two outs. Sarah Wright walloped a home run, then Mikayla Elfrank singled and scored on an error.

In the fourth, Coupeville tacked on its final two runs on singles by Tiffany Briscoe, Robin Cedillo, Lauren Rose and McGranahan.

Both of Klahowya’s runs came in the seventh inning.

Wright added a single to her home run; Briscoe and Crownover each had a double and single; and McGranahan singled twice.

“We dominated from start to finish,” coach Kevin McGranahan said. “Our offense was on fire with 12 hits, (and) we played error-free softball.”

The win helped the Wolves (3-1, 11-1) stay on the heels of first-place Chimacum (4-0, 6-1) and pushed Klahowya (1-3, 4-4) back in the standings.

Coupeville 5, Lynden Christian 1

Again, Katrina McGranahan was stellar in the circle, the defense sharp and the offense steady.

McGranahan fired a no-hitter, striking out 11. She surrendered a hit batter and three walks, one which came around top score on a passed ball.

The junior faced just two batters over the minimum. Wright gunned one runner trying to steal and left fielder Briscoe, backing up on a play, nailed another trying to score the tying run in the top of the fifth inning.

McGranahan and Wright singled in the first inning to help produce the Wolves’ first run.

Wright reached on an error in the third inning, then after Elfrank was hit by a pitch scored on Crownover’s single.

In the fifth, McGranahan singled and scored on Crownover’s double.

Briscoe and Cedillo singled in the sixth and scored on an error.