The Wolverines flexed their muscle at the plate and finesse in the field, and posted win No. 1 of the year with a 13-2 victory over Coupeville Thursday in their home debut.
Unlike recent showdowns between the two interisland 1A rivals, this one was never close.
Friday Harbor (1-1) needed just five innings to seal the win by turning an early 1-0 lead into a rout with a dozen runs in the final three frames.
Junior Maggie Andersen, with six RBIs and a pair of extra-base hits, had a career day at the plate. She put the Wolverines on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, stroked a double that scored two and sealed the win in the fifth, and in between drove in another three runs in the first homer of her high school career — a towering shot into deep right field which she turned into an inside-the-park home run.
“I knew I hit it pretty well, but I thought it was maybe a double,” Andersen said. “When I rounded second I saw coach waving me on, so I just kept going.”
Andersen had plenty of help at the plate. Shortstop Hannah Starr was 2-of-4 with two RBIs and scored three runs and Liz Taylor had a pair of base hits, including a double, scored twice and drove in a run. Senior Kerri Goff contributed a base hit and an RBI as well.
While explosive at the plate, the Wolverines were equally impressive in the field, committing just a single error over five innings of play. On the mound, Goff collected the win without giving up a base hit, but struggled with her control. She struck out two and gave up five walks, two of which Coupeville turned into its only runs of the game.
With the win, the Wolverines evened their record and eased the sting of a 5-3 loss on the road to Orcas in their season-opener. It’s reassuring, Head Coach Kevin Carlton said, to have that sub-performance at Orcas in the rear view mirror.
“It’s like we were a completely different team today,” Carlton said. “Even our energy level and enthusiasm and motivation, it was all a lot better.”
Next: The Wolverines are on the road Saturday to take in a multi-team jamboree. They host Darrington Tuesday and Division 2A South Whidbey on Wednesday.
