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Wolf bats stuck in neutral

Posted in Baseball, tagged ATM, baseball, CHS Wolves on April 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Aaron Trumbull had one of Coupeville's four hits Wednesday. (John Fisken photo)

Aaron Trumbull had one of Coupeville’s four hits Wednesday. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

There wasn’t a big play or a defining moment.

For that matter, Archbishop Thomas Murphy, despite its reputation and unbeaten Cascade Conference record, didn’t look all that special.

But, the Wildcats played error-free ball, made the small moments count, and slipped past Coupeville 8-0 to take the middle game of a three-game baseball series on a sunny, wind-free Wednesday afternoon on the prairie.

The loss dropped the Wolves to 3-3 overall, 2-3 in league play, while ATM improved to 6-2, 6-0.

The teams will play again Friday in Everett, the final time the two schools will meet on a baseball diamond as league rivals, since CHS is leaving the 1A/2A Cascade Conference and moving to the 1A Olympic League in the fall.

Wednesday’s game was fairly close for the first four innings, with ATM holding a narrow 2-0 lead.

The Wildcats got a run in the top of the first when Coupeville blew a rundown.

With a runner trapped between second and third and two outs, the Wolves made two good throws, then had a third throw dropped, allowing the runner to get back to the bag while another ATM player strolled home.

The inning had started with a bang, when ATM’s lead-off hitter crushed the first pitch Wolf hurler Aaron Curtin threw his way, sending a rocket into right field.

Pushing his luck, the Wildcat hitter swung hard around first and went for a double, only to have Wolf outfielder Kurtis Smith come up firing and nail him at second with a sensational throw.

Unfortunately for Coupeville, they couldn’t mount a similar attack at the plate, scraping together just singles from Ben Etzell, Morgan Payne and Jake Tumblin through the first four innings.

ATM finally broke through in the fifth, putting together five hits, a walk and a bobbled ball in the outfield, driving Curtin from the mound.

Wade Schaef trotted in from center to toe the rubber and eventually closed things out, but not before the Wildcats amassed a six-run rally.

From there it was academic, as Coupeville could only get one hit — a single from Aaron Trumbull — over the final three innings.

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“And that’s just a bit inside!!”

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Jake Tumblin, Shelli Trumbull photos on April 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Aaron Curtin surveys the scene. (Shelli Trumbull photos)

Korbin Korzan inches towards third.

Kurtis Smith, ever-watchful.

Jake Tumblin comes up, ready to fire.

“And that’s just a bit inside…”

And then Shelli went and got all artistic on us.

So, who exactly was selling insurance Monday?

It wasn’t Shelli Trumbull, I’ll tell you that, as Coupeville High School’s most faithful photographer was on the road in Everett, documenting the Wolf baseball squad as it faced off with ATM.

The photos above are courtesy her, and don’t worry, you can go buy insurance from her today, if you feel like it.

So, win-win.

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Well, blind umps don’t help…

Posted in Baseball, Ranting and Raving, tagged ATM, baseball, blind umps, CHS Wolves on March 31, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Wade Schaef scored Coupeville’s only run Monday, plated by a Josh Bayne double. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

“We certainly are capable of beating them.”

That’s how Coupeville High School baseball coach Willie Smith is looking at the situation after game one of a three-game series against the beast of the Cascade Conference, Archbishop Thomas Murphy.

Monday, the Wolves took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth, but couldn’t quite close the deal. A combination of questionable calls, a bit of nerves by CHS and a couple of clutch plays from ATM propelled the host Wildcats to a 5-1 victory.

The loss dropped Coupeville to 3-2 overall, 2-2 in league play. ATM is 5-2, 5-0.

For four innings, Wolf starting pitcher Ben Etzell was throwing a beautiful game. Up to that point, he had whiffed eight ATM batters while surrendering just a pair of singles.

Then, things fell apart a little.

A flubbed grounder and a double put two men on base, before ATM knotted the game on a bloop single.

Enter the umps (without their seeing eye dogs). Exit reason.

An apparent force out at second was denied, when the ump called the runner safe, leaving the bags juiced.

A bases-loaded walk forced home the go-ahead run, then ATM capitalized on a long foul ball (“by about a foot and a half”) that was waved fair, allowing two more runners to scoot home.

While he wasn’t thrilled with the calls, Smith has been in the game too long to blame the loss on the arguable decisions alone.

“While it would seem those two judgement calls cost us, and they certainly didn’t help, we should have never been up by just one at that point in the game,” he said. “So I don’t believe, or use those calls as an excuse for why we lost.”

Coupeville had runners on second base in each of the first four innings, yet only got one man across home plate. The lack of a big hit at a key moment was a killer.

“So, for me and for our team, we didn’t put the bat on the ball and capitalize on opportunities when we needed to and they did and that was the difference in the game,” Smith said. “For us, it’s about being able to capitalize on opportunities and putting more pressure on them then they can on us.”

The Wolves scored their lone run in the fourth. Wade Schaef garnered a two-out walk and scooted home on a booming double into the right-center gap from Josh Bayne.

Etzell also had a double for CHS, and struck out nine while throwing a complete game.

The two teams pick things up again Wednesday, when ATM comes to Whidbey. First pitch is at 4 PM.

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It’s the look of excellence!!

Posted in Baseball, Boys Soccer, Girls Tennis, Softball, Track, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, John Fisken photos, Soccer, Softball, tennis, Track on March 31, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Wolf third-baseman Emily Licence comes up firing. (John Fisken photos)

Jacki Ginnings makes sweet net music.

Nick Weatherford prepares to launch the shotput.

Cole Payne gets low during fielding practice.

Brandon Bartley: “Of course we’re winning. We’re Coupeville!”

Mattea Miller (left) and Erin Rosenkranz pace the Wolves in the distance races.

The ball tries to sneak up on Jeremiah Pace.

Hailey Hammer makes the snag at first, while Emily Coulter charges in to back her up.

I’m talking about a .667 winning percentage.

That’s where Coupeville High School currently sits, with its spring sports teams boasting a combined 10-5 mark. Actually 11-5 if you count the fact the lone Wolf golfer, Christine Fields, won the individual title at her only meet.

But wait, it gets better.

The Wolves are a shiny 5-2 against their arch-rivals from down the Island, the bigger, but not necessarily better, South Whidbey Falcons.

How do you like them (road) apples, Langley?

But, enough of the bluster. There will be plenty of time for that as the spring plays out.

For now, I’ll shut up and move on, allowing you the time to do what you came here for — gazing at the glossy photos of traveling clicker John Fisken.

But did I mention CHS was 5-2 against South Whidbey?!?! I did? OK, good, good…

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Get off the bus! It’s sprinkling!!

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Nooksack Valley, rainouts on March 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

The ol’ ball coach, Willie Smith, works his magic with the umps. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

Assistant coach Chris Tumblin prepares to massacre the ball. (John Fisken photo)

They obviously prayed for rain in Nooksack Valley, and it worked.

Finding the only way to avoid taking a beating at the hands of the Coupeville High School baseball squad, the Pioneers relied on weather to wash away their scheduled non-conference game with the Wolves Saturday.

The game has tentatively been rescheduled for Saturday, April 19.

If it’s played, Coupeville (3-1) will have another nine games under its belt at that point, with three-game Cascade Conference series against 2A teams Archbishop Thomas Murphy, Cedarcrest and Lakewood.

The Wolves then close the regular season with similar series against Granite Falls and Sultan.

The series against ATM, with road games in Everett Monday and Friday of next week and a home game Wednesday (4 PM), will pit Coupeville against the current league leader.

The Wildcats are 4-0 in league play, 4-2 overall, while the Wolves (2-1 in league play) are tied with Lakewood, a half game behind Cedarcrest (3-1) for second place.

Coupeville is a game-and-a-half up on South Whidbey (1-3) in the battle for playoff positioning between the only two 1A teams to play baseball in the conference.

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