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Diamond men claim huge win

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on March 28, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Fab frosh Chase Anderson, ready to make the magic happen. (Morgan White photo)

“The Magic Man” delivered.

Freshman Chase Anderson, already a grizzled vet in his second season of high school ball, smacked a game-busting RBI single in the top of the sixth inning Tuesday, lifting Coupeville to an important early-season win.

That base knock, and a stellar pitching performance from senior Scott Hilborn, sparked the Wolves to a 3-1 win on Friday Harbor.

With the victory, CHS gets to 2-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 4-2 overall.

Even more important, those first two conference W’s have come against La Conner and Friday Harbor — the other two 2B schools in the seven-team NWL.

While 1B schools Orcas Island and Mount Vernon Christian look ready to tangle with the 2B schools for the league title, Coupeville’s shot at making the state playoffs solely rests on how it does against schools in its own classification.

The Wolves play both La Conner and Friday Harbor twice more in the regular season, but a 2-0 start bodes well for the future.

Especially after CHS won a true gut-check on the road Tuesday afternoon.

Trailing 1-0 through three innings, the Wolves knotted things at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, thanks to timely hitting and some Friday Harbor miscues.

Anderson dropped a bunt, then flustered the host team badly enough to land on second base during the ensuing error-fest by the Wolverines.

The frosh phenom moved to third base on a Cole White single, only to be picked off the bag.

No worries, however, as Wolf senior Jonathan Valenzuela promptly lashed an RBI single to center, sending White scrambling home with the tying run.

Friday Harbor’s opening tally, which came thanks to an error and an RBI double off the bat of senior Geoffry Volk, was the only time the hosts dinged Coupeville ace Scott Hilborn.

Pitching the way dad (and coach) Steve taught him, the Wolf senior whiffed 10 batters across six innings of work, with most of his K’s coming at clutch moments.

With the game knotted at 1-1, and the younger Hilborn throwing heat, Coupeville surged ahead in the top of the sixth.

The Wolf hurler zipped a one-out single to center, then stole second and third to set the stage for his young teammate.

Anderson’s blow also landed in the middle of the outfield, then Coupeville notched an insurance run thanks to a walk to White and a sac fly from Valenzuela.

Desperate to get back into the game, Friday Harbor pushed hard, getting two runners aboard in the bottom of the sixth, and another in the seventh, and final, frame.

Both times Coupeville pitchers came up huge.

First, Scott Hilborn induced a grounder back to the mound to end the sixth, pivoting and plopping the ball into the waiting glove of Landon Roberts at first base.

Then, in the seventh, Valenzuela came out of the bullpen to slam the door shut, ripping off back-to-back strikeouts to open things.

Friday Harbor slipped a single into a gap, bringing the tying run to the plate, but the Wolverines were denied, their final out of the day a weak grounder to second.

All that left was the celebration, with the Wolves flexing the win all over Instagram.

Coupeville, which has a road game at MVC Thursday and a home clash against Orcas Saturday, got something from everyone in the lineup in the road win.

Jack Porter led the way, pasting a pair of hits, while White collected a base knock and a walk.

Scott Hilborn, Anderson, and Valenzuela had singles, with Coop Cooper, Roberts, Peyton Caveness, Johnny Porter, Aiden O’Neill, and Seth Woollet also seeing field time.

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A hit, a hit, my kingdom for a hit

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on March 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Jonathan Valenzuela drops straight heat. (Morgan White photo)

For one batter, the hit attack was ready to go.

And then it ended.

Unable to get a second hit after leadoff batter Scott Hilborn whacked a first inning single Saturday, the Coupeville High School varsity baseball squad lost a pitcher’s duel, falling 2-1 to visiting Forks.

The non-conference loss drops the Wolves to 3-2 heading into the first of three regular season clashes with Northwest 2B/1B League arch-rival Friday Harbor.

The first meeting between the conference heavyweights goes down this Tuesday, Mar. 28, with Coupeville having to endure a long bus and ferry ride to get to the game.

When they meet the Wolverines, CHS will strive to have its bats beating out a merry tune on the incoming baseball.

That wasn’t the case Saturday, as Forks hurlers Ryan Rancourt and Gunner Rogers combined to throw a one-hitter, making life tough on the Wolves.

Coupeville did eke out six walks, including one batter who was bonked with a wayward pitch, but it couldn’t push across more than one run.

That lone tally came in the bottom of the third, when Hilborn walked, stole second and third, then scrambled home on an error to knot the game at 1-1.

Forks had struck first, pushing across a run thanks to a two-out RBI double from Walker Wheeler in the top of the second inning.

With the game tied at 1-1, the two teams struggled to break free of the tyranny imposed by the pitchers.

While Rancourt and Rogers were on point for Forks, Coupeville got equally strong work from its chuckers — Hilborn and fellow senior Jonathan Valenzuela.

The Wolf duo combined to strike out eight Spartans and held the game close until Forks used a well-timed hit and some alert base-running in the sixth inning to create the game-busting run.

Coupeville put two runners aboard in the fourth, thanks to Cole White and Jack Porter walks, and had the tying run at first in the seventh, represented by freshman Aiden O’Neill.

Both times, however, the Wolves were left wanting, unable to get a hit and prolong the game.

Hilborn finished with his team’s lone base knock, walked twice, and stole four bases, while Chase Anderson, White, Porter, and O’Neill also walked.

Peyton Caveness, Valenzuela, Coop Cooper, Landon Roberts, and Seth Woollet also saw game time for Steve Hilborn’s squad.

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JV hardball squad debuts

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on March 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville High School JV baseball coach Jon Roberts surveys the action. (Morgan White photo)

Consider it the first building block.

The Coupeville High School JV baseball team made its season debut Saturday, and immediately faced a stern test, tangling with 3A Oak Harbor.

While the 2B Wolves ultimately fell 10-0 in the non-conference rumble, they got a chance to play at home in front of their own fans.

Plus, eight of the 12 CHS players to see the field were doing so for the first time this season, giving JV coach Jon Roberts a chance to see how his young charges would respond to live action.

The Wolves second unit, which currently has eight games on the schedule but is looking for more, racked up three hits and three walks against Oak Harbor.

Johnny Porter led the way with a single and a walk while Seth Woollet and Aidyn McDermott both whacked base hits.

Johnny Porter, ready to rip a liner. (Morgan White photo)

Marcelo Gebhard and Camden Glover earned walks to round out Coupeville’s offensive attack.

Freshmen Glover and Coop Cooper shared pitching duties, with the former whiffing four Wildcats and the latter gunning down a pair.

Ethan Gill, Jaje Drake, Piotr Bieda, Skylar Sand, Myca Clarkson, and David Dominici also saw action for the Wolf JV, which returns to action Apr. 4 with a rematch against Oak Harbor, this time up North.

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Crack of the bat, song of the stat man

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on March 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Johnny Porter streaks for home. (Morgan White photo)

The stats, like the wins, are booming.

The Coupeville High School baseball squad is off to a 3-1 start on the season heading into a clash Saturday at home against non-conference foe Forks.

While it’s still early, four games is a solid 20% into a 20-game regular season, so it’s time to take our first look at the numbers being piled up by the Wolves.

All numbers are plucked from GameChanger, which CHS coaches use to track everything:

 

HITTING:

 

At-Bats:

Peyton Caveness – 14
Scott Hilborn – 14
Jack Porter – 13
Chase Anderson – 12
Aiden O’Neill – 10
Jonathan Valenzuela – 8
Cole White – 8
Coop Cooper – 7
Johnny Porter – 6
Camden Glover – 5
Landon Roberts – 4
Jaje Drake – 1
Yohannon Sandles – 1

 

Hits:

Hilborn — 10
Valenzuela — 7
Cooper — 5
Anderson — 4
Caveness — 4
Ja. Porter — 4
O’Neill — 3
White — 3
Glover — 2
Jo. Porter — 1

 

Runs:

Hilborn — 8
Valenzuela — 6
Caveness — 4
O’Neill — 4
Anderson – 3
Cooper – 3
Jo. Porter — 3
Glover — 2
Ja. Porter — 2
White — 2
Drake — 1

 

2B’s:

Hilborn — 3
Anderson — 1
Ja. Porter — 1
White — 1

 

RBI:

Ja. Porter — 6
Valenzuela — 6
Hilborn — 5
Caveness — 4
Anderson — 3
Cooper — 3
White — 3
Glover — 1

 

Walks:

Valenzuela — 5
Glover — 3
Hilborn – 3
White – 3
Cooper – 2
O’Neill – 2
Anderson – 1
Drake – 1
Jo. Porter – 1
Roberts – 1

 

Stolen Bases:

Valenzuela — 13
Hilborn — 9
Anderson — 5
White – 3
Caveness — 1
Cooper — 1
O’Neill — 1
Ja. Porter — 1
Jo. Porter — 1

 

Batting Average:

Valenzuela — .875
Cooper — .714
Hilborn — .714
Glover — .400
White — .375
Anderson — .333
Ja. Porter — .308
Anderson — .300
Caveness — .286
Jo. Porter — .167

 

PITCHING:

 

Earned Run Average:

Anderson — 0.00
Hilborn – 2.63
Cooper – 8.40
Valenzuela – 10.40

 

Games:

Anderson — 3
Hilborn – 2
Cooper – 1
Valenzuela – 1

 

Starts:

Hilborn — 2
Cooper — 1
Valenzuela — 1

 

Hits:

Hilborn — 11
Valenzuela — 4
Anderson – 1
Cooper – 1

 

Earned Runs:

Valenzuela – 6
Hilborn – 4
Cooper – 2

 

Walks:

Anderson – 5
Cooper – 5
Valenzuela – 4
Hilborn – 2

 

Hit by Pitch:

Hilborn – 5
Cooper – 3
Valenzuela – 3

 

Strikeouts:

Anderson – 11
Hilborn – 7
Cooper – 3
Valenzuela – 2

 

Innings Pitched:

Hilborn – 10.2
Anderson – 6.2
Valenzuela – 4.0
Cooper – 1.2

 

Batters Faced:

Hilborn – 49
Anderson – 31
Valenzuela – 24
Cooper – 11

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Pick your moment, then pounce

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on March 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Chase Anderson struck out nine batters in relief Tuesday afternoon. (Morgan White photo)

Not all mercy rule games are the same.

Case in point, Tuesday’s baseball clash on the prairie between Coupeville and visiting La Conner.

Heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, the league opener, played with sunny skies and virtually no wind, was a 3-3 stalemate.

Hop ahead 20 minutes, however, and Coupeville strolled off the diamond early, thanks to a 10-run frame which made the final score 13-3 in favor of the hometown Wolves.

The victory lifts CHS to 1-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 3-1 overall, with a non-conference home game against Forks set for this Saturday, Mar. 25.

Tuesday’s clash with La Conner was a mildly tense affair for most of the afternoon, as pitching issues dictated things.

A home plate ump with an ever-moving strike zone made things dicey, as the Braves — who were outhit 13-1 with their lone hit coming courtesy the first batter of the afternoon — hung around thanks to garnering a ton of free passes.

La Conner eventually struck out 12 times on the day, but nine walks, with five of them coming in one inning, stung the Wolves for a bit.

The visitors, without putting a ball into play, walked their way to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning and had the bags crammed full.

That was when Coupeville coach Steve Hilborn went to the bullpen, bringing in freshman hurler Chase Anderson.

“The Magic Man” ended the bleeding, whiffing the first batter he faced, then went on to strike out eight more Braves before his day was done.

It took the Wolves a bit to get their own offense going, however.

Facing a soft tosser, Coupeville went down 1-2-3 in the first, then loaded the bases in the second, only to come up empty.

Singles from Camden Glover and Johnny Porter put a man on every base with just one out, but La Conner’s lobber escaped with a strikeout and a comebacker to the mound.

The Wolves finally broke through in the bottom of the third, pushing three runs across to reclaim the lead at 3-2.

Scott Hilborn led off the frame by bashing a two-bagger to left, with Jonathan Valenzuela and Coop Cooper coming up with run-producing hits soon after.

CHS looked like it might get more, but La Conner pulled off a slick double play on a liner headed back up the middle, spearing the ball and doubling a Wolf runner off the bag.

Both teams put two men aboard in the fourth, only to see the opposing pitcher slam the door shut.

That set up La Conner’s last gasp, with the Braves turning two walks, a Wolf error, and a passed ball into the tying run.

On the play at the plate, the throw from catcher Peyton Caveness back to Anderson was blocked by the Brave hitter, who failed to get out of the way.

After much discussion, the umps declined to call defensive interference, and counted the run, making at least one vocal La Conner fan happy for about 2.1 seconds.

Her joy faded fast, however.

Anderson reared back and fired BB’s past the next batter, ending the inning with his ninth strikeout, then the Wolf hitters finally put everything together.

Aiden O’Neill rips a hit. (Morgan White photo)

Coupeville sent 15 runners to the plate in the bottom of the fifth, bashing hits, drawing walks, and making hustle play after hustle play.

Whether it was Jack Porter sliding headfirst into home to score, Valenzuela wearing a pitch which plunked him square in the back, or Caveness beating out an infield single, the Wolves were on fire in the final frame.

Cooper, Jack Porter, Hilborn, and Caveness all plated runners off of hits — with Cooper doing it twice in the same inning — before fab frosh Aiden O’Neill ended the day by dropping the thunder.

Cracking a two-run single to straightaway right field as younger sister Kennedy nodded her approval, he pushed the lead out to 10 runs and sent everyone off to find dinner.

Coupeville spread its hits out between eight players, with Cooper rapping three singles, while Jack Porter, Hilborn, and Caveness had two apiece.

Valenzuela, Glover, Johnny Porter, and O’Neill also collected base knocks, with Valenzuela (2), Jaje Drake, Anderson, and Glover earning walks.

Landon Roberts had the day off at the plate but played a fairly flawless defensive game at first base for the Wolves, as well.

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