A South Whidbey little league softball team has an undefeated record heading into its final game of the season.
Keasha Campbell is a coach for the Cardinals, a group of fifth and sixth grade girls who play fast-pitch softball at a competitive level. The majority of players on the team are brand-new to the sport, which makes their success especially unusual.
“We have a lot of talented girls on the field,” Campbell said. “The bond between them is so strong, that’s what’s carrying them through the game.”
The girls recently earned the honor of being district champions, edging out Coupeville and North Whidbey during a tournament May 21-22.
“We scored 74 runs in 13 innings over the weekend,” Campbell said. “It was pretty incredible.”
Charley Lasick had a no-hitter and Kennedy Strevel and Sophia Jennings both pitched complete games. Gretta Jones and Charley Lasick hit home runs.
The girls snapped up another win against Coupeville on May 25, bringing their record up to 13-0.
The team’s final game of the season is against Anacortes and is slated for 6 p.m. on June 1 at the South Whidbey Sports Complex, field 4.
The Cardinals are part of District 11, which encompasses Whidbey Island, Anacortes, Sedro Woolley and South Skagit. Only three or four games out of 12 have been on home turf, meaning the team has covered a lot of miles since the season started in early April.
Besides Campbell, Mason Strevel and Daryl Blanchard also help coach the girls.
Annika Hastings, Jolene Coleman, Gretta Jones, Sophia Jennings, Lena Heggeness, Kaia Prael, Sophie Zeigler, Georgia Johnson, Ella Shutt, Reagon Harrod, Charley Lasick and Kennedy Strevel are all part of the team.
A South Whidbey High School alum, Campbell was a softball player.
“Our softball team, when we went to state, we were winning titles and banners,” she said. “We’re trying to build the program back up in the community for our girls. It kind of fell through the cracks over the years.”
She added that the league is always looking for community support of volunteers for umpires and concessions.
Photo provided Sophia Jennings pitching against Coupeville in a 15-5 win.
