Jonathan Valenzuela and friends racked up 19 runs, 13 hits, and 15 walks Tuesday afternoon in a big win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Back on track.
After absorbing a couple of close non-conference losses, the Coupeville High School varsity baseball team bounced back with a vengeance Tuesday afternoon.
Raining down runs and getting a strong pitching performance from 8th grader Chase Anderson, the Wolves walloped visiting La Conner 19-9 in a game mercy-ruled after five innings.
The victory, coming in Coupeville’s conference opener, lifts it to 1-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League action, 2-3 overall.
It’s also a nice kick-off to a stretch where the Wolves play seven straight games against league foes.
Coupeville dominated in the early going, ringing up seven runs in the bottom of the first, then tacking on another two in the second and four in the third.
That left CHS up 13-0 when Anderson departed the mound after three innings of work in his high school pitching debut.
After playing in the infield previously this season, the middle school ace was darn near impeccable on the mound Tuesday, retiring nine of the 11 Braves hitters he faced.
Anderson whiffed five while giving up just a single hit and a lone walk.
“Chase pitched awesome, especially for an 8th grader,” said Coupeville coach Will Thayer.
La Conner got to the Wolf bullpen a bit, pushing across six runs in the top of the fourth, and another three in the fifth, but the CHS hitters matched them step-for-step, ending the game early.
On the day, 15 Wolves saw action, with eight of them recording at least one base-knock.
Coupeville leadoff hitter Hawthorne Wolfe crunched a double and single to pace the hit attack, while Scott Hilborn, Cody Roberts, Jack Porter, and Anderson each delivered a pair of singles.
Sage Sharp, Xavier Murdy, and Jonathan Valenzuela also rapped out a hit apiece, as the Wolves piled up 13 base-knocks and 15 walks.
Three of those free bases carried a sting however, as La Conner pitchers plunked a trio of CHS sluggers with wayward pitches.
Thayer was able to keep most of his players busy, with Cole White, Alex Murdy, Aiden O’Neill, Zane Oldenstadt, Camden Glover, Johnny Porter, and Cole Hutchinson also seeing the field.
It was the high varsity debut for 8th graders Glover and O’Neill.
