Wrapping up at least a tie for the North Sound Conference pennant, the Coupeville High School softball team ripped South Whidbey 18-5 Tuesday, May 7, in Langley.
The Wolves finished the league season with a 9-3 record and are 12-7 overall.
Granite Falls (8-3, 11-7) and Cedar Park Christian (8-3, 13-4) could each claim a piece of the title with wins in their final conference games Thursday.
Coupeville plays in the eight-team, double-elimination district tournament starting Thursday, May 16, in Sedro-Woolley.
Coupeville 18, South Whidbey 5
When the Falcons threatened to make a game of it late, the Wolves buried South Whidbey with an eight-run seventh inning.
Coupeville led 10-5 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Falcons began to rally by loading the bases with no outs.
The Wolves used a double play, their third of the game, to end the threat, and then put the game away with the big seventh inning.
In the seventh, the first 10 Coupeville batters all reached base and the first eight scored.
The Wolves scored three runs in the first inning and never trailed. They added three more in the third, and South Whidbey countered with three of its own to make it 6-3.
Coupeville increased its lead to 10-3 before the Falcons scored their final two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Chelsea Prescott rapped three singles for two RBI and five runs to guide the Wolves’ offense. Sarah Wright added two doubles and four runs, and Mollie Bailey chipped in with a single, double and three runs batted in.
Scout Smith had a double and two RBI, Nicole Laxton two singles and Emma Mathusek a base hit.
“We out hit them and played good defense,” coach Kevin McGranahan said, noting the three double plays that snuffed potential rallies.
Third baseman Mollie Bailey scoops up a ground ball. (Photo by Karen Carlson)
Mackenzie Davis attacks a pitch in Tuesday’s game. (Photo by Karen Carlson)
Chelsea Prescott tracks down a slow roller. (Photo by Karen Carlson)
Nicole Laxton puts the ball in play. (Photo by Karen Carlson)
