Coupeville Sports

   Dane Lucero went the distance Friday, tossing a three-hit gem in a 9-1 win at Port Townsend. (John Fisken photo)

Maybe Dane Lucero is the new CJ Smith.

Like the former Wolf ace, Lucero, a Coupeville High School sophomore, adopts an easy-going style on the mound, disguising his emotions beneath a placid exterior.

Add in the fact he’s been virtually untouchable when taking the ball this season, and the comparisons grow.

Friday, Lucero was flawless for much of the game, with especially effective moments at the beginning and end, pitching the Wolves to a 9-1 win at Port Townsend.

The conference victory, coming in Chris Smith’s debut as varsity head coach, lifts Coupeville to 1-1 in Olympic League play, 5-3 overall.

CHS sits in a tie with Chimacum (1-1), a game off of Klahowya (2-0), with seven league clashes left on the schedule.

Port Townsend (0-2) is currently mired in the cellar.

Smith, who moved up from his position as JV coach after Marc Aparicio resigned Thursday due to work conflicts, got stellar stuff from his hurler.

Lucero retired the first nine RedHawk hitters, faced the minimum batters through four innings, and closed the game by striking out the side in the seventh.

He scattered three hits and two walks, was never in trouble, and whiffed six batters total.

“We had solid pitching from Dane,” Smith said. “We played solid, error-free, defense behind him.

“Defensively, Matt Hilborn (SS) and Joey Lippo (2B) were sharp making a number of plays behind Dane. Good, clean baseball game.”

Coupeville gave Lucero plenty to work with, with six players combining to rap out nine hits as the Wolves scored in five of seven innings.

The Wolves plated two in the first, three in the second and another in the third as they built a 6-0 lead.

Another run in the top of the sixth stretched the margin to 7-0, and, after Port Townsend scraped out its only run in the bottom of the inning, CHS added two more in the seventh.

In a game where eight of Coupeville’s nine hits were singles, the biggest blow was an RBI triple off the bat of senior Taylor Consford.

Matt Hilborn, Julian Welling and Consford had two hits apiece, Jake Hoagland, Lucero and Jake Pease also punched singles and Lippo pilfered home off of a double steal.

The Wolves play five of their next six against non-conference foes (facing Chimacum at home April 12), then make their playoff run with six straight league games to close the regular season.