Chase Anderson is playoff-bound. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
They control their own destiny.
Playing fast and furious Tuesday afternoon, the Coupeville High School varsity baseball squad thwacked visiting Friday Harbor 4-0, claiming the #1 seed for the District 1/2 postseason tourney.
The victory, keyed by seven strong innings from starting pitcher Scott Hilborn and a big two-run single from fellow senior Jonathan Valenzuela, lifts the Wolves to 7-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 9-3 overall.
That record includes the recent addition of a forfeit win over Concrete from a game that was supposed to be played April 8.
Coupeville still has eight games left on the regular season schedule — six of them league contests.
The Wolves remain in a battle for the league title with 1B Mount Vernon Christian (9-0, 9-2) — which it hosts Thursday — but Tuesday’s win means CHS will be the top 2B squad.
Having beaten both Friday Harbor and La Conner twice already, the Wolves are 4-0 in that three-team round-robin and own all the tiebreakers.
So, when the playoffs arrive in mid-May, Friday Harbor, as the #2 team from District 1, faces off with the only school playing baseball in District 2 — Northwest Christian.
The winner advances to face Coupeville in a loser-out, winner-to-state game.
That’s still several weeks away however, so for now, the focus is on finishing strong.
The Wolves are scheduled to play four times in a five-day span, following up their shutout of Friday Harbor by traveling to South Whidbey Wednesday, hosting MVC Thursday, then bouncing to Orcas Island Saturday.
Game one in the hardball odyssey finished almost an hour before the Coupeville vs. Friday Harbor softball game across the street did, as Hilborn mowed down the Wolverines.
Scott Hilborn fires BBs.
Scattering four hits and two walks in seven innings of work, the senior righty set nine batters down on strikes, including two of three in the final frame.
He was never in trouble but did pick a runner off of first base and got some help from his defense when Valenzuela and Peyton Caveness combined to turn a double play.
Coupeville got the only runs it would need in the bottom of the first inning.
Hilborn reached on an error, freshman Chase Anderson plunked a single, then Valenzuela ripped a two-run single to centerfield to stake the Wolves to a quick 2-0 lead.
CHS added a run in the second, with Hilborn socking an RBI double that sent Cole White skittering home, before scraping out a final tally in the bottom of the sixth.
Valenzuela led off the frame with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Camden Glover, stole third, and tapped home after a Friday Harbor error.
Tuesday stats:
Chase Anderson — One single
Peyton Caveness — One single, one walk
Coop Cooper — One single
Scott Hilborn — One double
Jonathan Valenzuela — Two singles
Coupeville Sports 
Leave a comment