Coupeville Sports

  Korbin Korzan threw three shutout innings Thursday, striking out five. (Shelli Trumbull photos)

Aaron Trumbull and teammates were all smiles, again, after rapping out 14 hits.

The bats were smokin’.

A long bus trip did nothing to slow down the Coupeville High School baseball squad Thursday, as it banged out 14 hits en route to a 13-0 romp at Concrete.

Scoring in each of the first four innings, while hurlers Ben Etzell and Korbin Korzan combined on a one-hit, 11-strikeout gem, the Wolves made quick work of their non-conference foes, getting off the field in just five innings.

The win lifted Coupeville to 3-1 on the season, with one more non-conference game (Saturday at Nooksack Valley) before it faces off with Cascade Conference biggie Archbishop Thomas Murphy.

Wolf coach Willie Smith came away from Thursday’s game with a huge smile plastered on his face, pleased with every facet of his team’s performance.

“It was a great game for us: pitching, defense, and hitting,” Smith said. “It was great to see us come out and score early and often and hit the ball consistently and hard.

“We played like we were the better team and we never let off the gas until the last out, which was very encouraging.”

Coupeville never offered their former league rivals — from back in the Northwest League days — a chance.

Etzell was nasty from the first pitch, striking out all six hitters he faced.

He turned the ball over to Korzan to start the third, and the junior was spot-on. He whiffed five, while surrendering just one lonely hit.

“Korbin really established his fastball and then began mixing in his off-speed pitches,” Smith said. “It was a great outing for him and for us because he can be a major factor for us on the mound if he continues to throw with the confidence and control he’s shown in his two outings so far.”

At the plate, the Wolves hit everything that came their way.

Kurtis Smith, Aaron Curtin and Etzell each rapped out three hits, while Aaron Trumbull and Morgan Payne swatted two apiece. Payne, Etzell and Smith all collected doubles.

Payne was the leader of the pack on the RBI chart with four, while Smith and Etzell both knocked in three.

“We hit the ball throughout our lineup and there wasn’t really any cheap hits,” Smith said. “They were all hit hard and even our outs were hit hard at them.

“I’m pretty excited about where we are at right now and the focus that we have.”