Coupeville Sports

   Freshman hurler Daniel Olson clinched the Olympic League baseball crown for Coupeville Monday with his first, and, so far, only varsity pitch. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

One pitch.

That’s all it took for Coupeville High School freshman Daniel Olson to pen his name into Wolf baseball history.

Coming on in relief Monday after starting pitcher Matt Hilborn burned through all 105 pitches he was allowed by state rules, Olson threw more warm-up pitches than game ones.

Not that it mattered, as his one and only heave caused a Klahowya hitter, who was staring at a two-strike deficit when the Wolves were forced to change pitchers, to go down swinging.

And with that final strike and final out, Coupeville capped a 5-0 road win and officially clinched its second Olympic League title in three seasons.

The win, the sixth straight and 10th in their last 11 games for the Wolves, lifts them to 7-1 in conference action, 13-4 overall.

After closing the regular season Wednesday at home against Port Townsend (it’s Senior Night and first pitch is 4 PM), CHS is playoff-bound.

The Wolves open the double-elimination district tourney May 8 in Tacoma.

Coupeville faces the #2 team from the Nisqually League, and will need two wins in three games to advance to state for the first time since 2014.

To see the bracket, pop over to:

http://www.olympicleague.com/tournament.php?tournament_id=2654&sport=6

Monday afternoon the Wolves made their final trip to Silverdale a business trip. Get in, win, get out, then celebrate.

And, despite hitting into a rare double play, Coupeville netted the only run it would really need in the top of the first.

With two outs and no one one base, Hunter Smith drew a walk, moved up on a single from Dane Lucero, then scampered home when Klahowya booted a ball off the bat of Jake Hoagland.

Wolf catcher Gavin Knoblich, who has been on a hot streak of late, gunned down an Eagle on the base-paths to get Coupeville out of a small jam in the bottom of the first, then helped CHS add an insurance run.

Knoblich walked, moved around thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Jacob Zettle, then ceded his spot at third to speedy punch-runner Nick Etzell, who bolted home to score on an RBI ground-out from Shane Losey.

Coupeville had a chance to keep the run-scoring binge going in the third, but left Smith aboard after he bashed a one-out double.

Not wanting to repeat the goose egg, however, the Wolves tacked on two runs in the fourth and a final tally in the fifth.

Zettle and Hilborn whacked RBI singles to plate runs, while Hoagland doubled and ambled home on a passed ball to round out the scoring.

While CHS was putting runs on the (nonexistent) scoreboard, Klahowya could get little going against Hilborn, who whiffed six and didn’t give up a hit from the second through the sixth inning.

The Eagles finally got to the Wolf hurler, a bit, putting two on base in the seventh.

That was merely a way for Coupeville to pull off the surprise finale, with Olson coming out of the pen Goose Gossage-style to slam the door.

The Wolves scratched out six hits in the clincher, getting doubles from Smith and Hoagland, as well as singles from Hilborn, Zettle, Dane Lucero and Joey Lippo.