ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republic East Valley’s Julia Valicoff, left, moves to tag out Ellensburg’s Gabby Eddings on Saturday in Ellensburg. ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republic The ball pops out of the glove of East Valley’s Ashlynn Valicoff allowing Ellensburg’s Meghan Kopczynski to slide safely into third for a triple on Saturday in Ellensburg. The Red Devils got out of the inning without allowing a run to score.
ELLENSBURG -- Renee Cuillier's facial muscles have as much wear and tear on them as her arm this year.
Because the East Valley starter smiles after every delivery home no matter what happens with the batter. She grinned right through a 1-0 loss to Ellensburg despite the only run being unearned, bouncing back for a 3-0 EV shutout victory in the second game of the regular-season-ending CWAC doubleheader.
She struck out seven in that opening loss Saturday at Ellensburg's field, managing one of the team's two hits against Bulldog starter Sarah McNamee. Cuillier then topped herself in the second game, whiffing eight and batting 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The split left Ellensburg and East Valley tied for second in the CWAC at 15-3 -- the Red Devils securing the second seed to districts next week behind a preseason number draw. And in Othello is where the competition between the friendly rivals will heat up since they'll join a group of eight teams vying for three Class 2A state berths.
"Personally, I don't like it," said Cuillier, who is teammates with some of the Bulldogs in a summer travel league. "I see them all the time and I want them to succeed and do well. We even cheer for each other."
The camaraderie was evident. Cuillier congratulated Ellensburg catcher Meghan Kopczynski, one of those summer teammates, on her triple in the first game. She also checked on center fielder Ellie Layman when an inside pitch found her side.
Questioning Cuillier's heart and competitiveness is foolish. She's pitched every inning for EV this season and delivered home 184 times in Friday's postseason preview. Yet there's definitely a tender side to her blue-collar work ethic.
"She's the team leader because she's always up and smiling," EV coach Scott Kokenge said. "She's almost like another coach in the dugout, helping kids with their swings."
Ellensburg managed only five hits on the day off her as she changed speeds well and kept hitters off balance. If not for a fielding error on a ground ball in the third inning, she and McNamee might have needed a plethora of extra frames to decide the opener.
McNamee also didn't allow a run against her and pitched 12 of the day's 14 innings. She handed the ball to Jessica Harris to start the second game, and EV used three hits and three Bulldog errors to plate three runs in the first two innings.
McNamee returned in the third and struck out four after fanning seven Red Devils in the opener. She struck out five in a row during a stretch of the first game, and EV mustered only two hits against her in the final five innings of the second.
Ellensburg just couldn't rally against Cuillier, getting only two base runners to second and one to third. Something they might have to address if the two teams meet again in a loser-out, winner-to-state game.
Last year in that very postseason contest, McNamee knocked a Cuillier delivery for a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. The shot secured Ellensburg's trip to state, where it went 2-2 and reached the semifinals for a fifth-place finish.
The loser-out, winner-to-state contest is a game neither coach wants to play again this year. Especially with fourth-seeded Selah and regular-season league champ Othello eyeing returns to state as well.
"I told Scott (Kokenge) that we should put the teams together and take them to state together," said Ellensburg coach Dave Kopczynski with a laugh.
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