WHIDBEY
SPORTS
GAME OF THE WEEK
The Oak Harbor High School boys golf team hosts a four-team match at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 8.
Saturday, April 5, 2014 • Whidbey News-Times
Sports editor
To say the MarysvillePilchuck High School pitching staff is loaded is an understatement. Just ask the Oak Harbor High School baseball team. The Wildcats mustered only six hits in two games against the Tomahawks this week, losing 10-0 in five innings in Marysville Tuesday and falling 6-2 in Oak Harbor Wednesday. Three pitchers were named to the Wesco North all-league first team last spring, all three were from M-P and all three (Cody Anderson, Alex Gray and Greg Luton) returned this season. Anderson struck out nine and yielded two hits in the five-inning game Tuesday. Gray pitched the first six innings Wednesday, giving up three hits and one earned run while K’ing six. The teams completed their three-game series yesterday; results were not available at press time. Oak Harbor goes to Marysville Getchell at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 8. In the first MarysvillePilchuck game, the Tomahawks mixed four hits with
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SPORTS IN BRIEF
Expo features Rauschenberg
four ’Cat errors to score eight runs in the first inning. Anderson retired eight in a row with four strikeouts to start the game before C.J. Meders singled for the Wildcats. Brandon Bailey picked up the other Oak Harbor hit two innings later. Wednesday, the Tomahawks’ first five hits were all doubles. Three in the second inning produced the game’s first two runs; two in the second inning added another tally. Oak Harbor scored in the fourth to make it 3-1 on a walk to Danny Wolfe followed by two of the three hits Gray surrendered, backto-back singles by Meders and Bailey. M-P added two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh. Oak Harbor’s other run came in the sixth. Meders walked and pinch runner Robert Herring eventually scored on a passed ball. Kevin Johnson went 2-for-4 for the Wildcats.
Dane Rauschenberg, who completed 52 marathons in 52 consecutive weekends, will be the featured guest at the Whidbey Island Marathon Expo, which runs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at North Whidbey Middle School. Rauschenberg will preview and show his new film at 1 and 4 p.m at the expo. After the film, he will participate in a question-andanswer session and a book signing. In addition to his 52-marathon feat, he has completed a 202-mile relay alone and a 350-mile run up the Oregon coast. His message is “regardless of the task ahead, one should always ignore the impossible.”
CWSA schedules safety classes The Central Whidbey Sportsmen’s Association is offering free safety classes for women and youth. The women’s class is Saturday, April 19, and the youth classes are Saturdays, June 7 and Aug. 30. All classes begin at 9 a.m. at the CWSA Clubhouse on Safari Lane just south of Coupeville.
Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times
Right: Oak Harbor’s Robert Herring prepares to dive into third base while advancing on a wild pitch.
SEE BRIEFS, A10
Coupeville can’t slow down 1st-place Tigers softball team
April Fool’s lacks fun for Wildcats
To the Oak Harbor High School softball team, this was a cruel April Fool’s joke. Sometimes in sports, a team has a game where nothing goes right. Such was the case in Oak Harbor’s 26-0, five-inning loss to visiting Everett April 1. Conversely, the Seagulls, who came into the game with a 1-5 record, could do no wrong. Every ball found a hole as Everett scored 11 runs in the first inning and finished the game with 23 hits. On the mound, Everett pitcher Erin Gordon threw a perfect game, including striking out seven of the 15 batters she faced. Alexis Dittoe hammered two
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Wildcats struggle against M-P staff By JIM WALLER
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Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times
Shortstop Laura Anderson makes a backhand stop for Oak Harbor. home runs for the Seagulls. Oak Harbor (0-2, 1-6) travels
to Stanwood (0-1, 1-5) at 4 p.m. Monday, April 7.
Granite Falls upped its Cascade Conference record to 6-0 by defeating the host Coupeville High School softball team 12-3 Wednesday, April 2. The Tigers scored six runs over the first three innings while the Wolves rarely left the batter’s box. After Maddi Roberts grounded out to lead off the bottom of the first, Granite Falls pitcher Lauren Harding struck out the next eight batters. “Our hitters are letting too many good strikes go by,” Coupeville co-coach David King said. “We are giving up too many at bats with strikeouts. We need to be more
aggressive and make the defense make a play.” The Coupeville offense finally perked up in the fourth. Roberts and Bree Messner led off with consecutive bunt hits; Roberts later scored on a sacrifice fly from Hailey Hammer. Coupeville added two runs in the sixth with Roberts, Messner and Hammer in the mix once again. Roberts was hit by a pitch and Messner walked ahead of Hammer’s two-run single. The Wolves could have had more, but the Tiger center fielder made a great play on MaKayla
Bailey’s line drive just before Hammer’s hit. The Coupeville defense was a mixed bag. The Wolves committed five errors but turned three double plays and left fielder Haley Sherman gunned down a runner at the plate. “Defensively, we are making some strides in the right direction,” King said. “On the mental side of things, we are seeing good improvement throughout.” Coupeville (1-3, 1-3) plays at Archbishop Murphy (2-2, 3-2) at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 8.