Coop Cooper smacked a home run Thursday on Orcas Island. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
All or nothing.
The Coupeville High School baseball squad only collected two hits Thursday on Orcas Island, but they were both big time shots.
Coop Cooper cranked a two-run home run over the fence in centerfield — the first out-of-the-park tater for the Wolves this year — while Landon Roberts missed going yard by about five feet, settling for a ground-rule double.
Unfortunately for the Wolves, there wasn’t enough other offense, and too many errors on defense, as they fell 12-2 in a game mercy-ruled in the bottom of the fifth.
The loss drops Coupeville to 5-5 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 6-10 overall.
Next up is a palate cleanser Saturday, when Steve Hilborn’s team travels to Langley to clash with South Whidbey in a non-conference tilt.
After that, the Wolves close the regular season with two against current league leader Mount Vernon Christian as they chase a playoff berth.
Riley Lawless awaits a throw in an earlier game.
Thursday’s game, coming on the heels of a razor-close loss to Orcas in Cow Town Tuesday, was a tense one for three-and-a-half innings.
The Vikings pushed a run across in the bottom of the first, after Roberts kicked off the game with his double, only to be stranded at third.
But the Wolves held tough, with freshman pitcher Carson Grove holding Orcas down, and that gave Cooper a chance to be a hero.
Leo Rodriguez was aboard thanks to a walk, when Coupeville made its move in the top of the third.
Cooper’s blast pushed the visitors ahead 2-1, though the Vikings knotted things back up at 2-2 in the bottom half of the frame.
Unfortunately for the Wolves, they went seven up and seven down after the home run, while having one really rough inning in the field.
Orcas exploded for eight runs in its half of the fourth, using a mix of base knocks and CHS errors, and effectively took control of things.
Coupeville finished with eight errors on the day, while the Vikings played error-free ball themselves.
From there, two more runs in the bottom of the fifth pushed the lead to 10 runs, and the mercy rule brought things to an early end.
Grove and Roberts combined to whiff six Orcas hitters.
Thursday stats:
Coop Cooper — One home run
Riley Lawless — One walk
Landon Roberts — One double
Leo Rodriguez — One walk
Appreciate Coupeville teachers? Next week is your time to show it.
Coupeville Sports 