Freshman Camden Glover whacked a double Wednesday in Langley. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Missed it … by that much.
The Coupeville High School varsity baseball squad stranded too many runners Wednesday in Langley, leaving host South Whidbey a chance to rally late for a 4-2 win.
The non-conference loss snaps a five-game winning streak for the Wolves, who tumble to 9-4 on the season.
With the victory, the Falcons even their mark at 7-7 and earn a split in the season series, after Coupeville clobbered them 13-2 in the season opener.
This time around the Wolves had plenty of chances to blow the game open, but left runners aboard in each of the first five innings.
Trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, South Whidbey finally broke through thanks to Coupeville’s lone error and a two-out RBI double from Tyson Henry.
With Falcon hurlers retiring the final nine Wolf hitters, the hosts capitalized on their chances in the sixth, pushing three runners across to claim the lead for the first time.
Three walks jammed the basepaths, with a Josh Sterba sac fly knotting things up at 2-2.
Coupeville was an out away from escaping, but Grady Davis delivered the game-buster, launching a two-out, two-run double to center to knife the Wolves.
The game opened as a pitcher’s duel, with CHS hurler Coop Cooper carrying a shutout through the first four innings.
The freshman flinger whiffed six Falcons and didn’t surrender a hit until the third, but his own team struggled to provide run support.
The Wolves stranded four runners through the first three frames, before finally breaking through to score in the top of the fourth.
Starting with the bases loaded and no outs after a Camden Glover double, a Peyton Caveness single, and Cooper being plunked by a pitch, things were looking explosive.
But while CHS did score twice, forcing in a run when Aiden O’Neill was hit by another pitch, and netting another tally off of a Scott Hilborn smash to third base, the Wolves offense sputtered out after that.
Other than a Jack Porter walk to open the fifth, Coupeville came up empty across the final three innings.
While the Wolves outhit the Falcons 4-3, South Whidbey walked 10 times to Coupeville’s five free passes.
The CHS hardball squad gets an immediate chance to fix that, as it plays its third game in as many days Thursday, when it hosts Mount Vernon Christian.
That game pits the top two teams in the Northwest 2B/1B League, with MVC sitting at 9-0 in conference action, and Coupeville right behind them at 7-1.
First pitch is 4:00 PM at Robert Sherman Field.
Wednesday stats:
Peyton Caveness — Two singles
Coop Cooper — One walk
Camden Glover — One double
Scott Hilborn — One single
Aiden O’Neill — One walk
Jack Porter — Two walks
Cole White — One walk
Coupeville Sports 