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Rivalry game, epic win

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, extra innings, Jack Porter, SWHS Falcons on March 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Freshman Jack Porter delivered a walk-off RBI single Tuesday, lifting Coupeville to an extra-innings win over South Whidbey. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

“This was a momentum game!”

Coupeville High School varsity baseball coach Will Thayer was a happy man Tuesday as he headed home for dinner.

His Wolves had just upended visiting South Whidbey 3-2 in extra innings, getting the game-winner on a walk-off RBI single from freshman Jack Porter in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The non-conference win evens Coupeville’s early-season record at 1-1, with a big trip to Lynden Christian on the schedule for Wednesday.

Even better for the Wolves, it’s a rivalry win over their next-door neighbors, and a bit of payback for a “loss” to the Falcons in a three-inning game at a jamboree last week.

“This was a game that sets the tone for us for the rest of the season,” Thayer said. “It gets us heading in the right direction.”

The game threatened to be an offensive bonanza in the early going, then turned into a pitcher’s duel.

Scott Hilborn whiffed seven hitters in seven innings of work.

South Whidbey jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning, but Coupeville responded immediately.

Xavier Murdy and Scott Hilborn punched back-to-back one-out singles to set the scene in the bottom half of the first frame, before Peyton Caveness brought out the big lumber.

The sophomore first-baseman bopped a two-run double to put the Wolves in front 2-1, a lead they would hold until the fifth inning.

While South Whidbey garnered that game-tying run, Coupeville put runners on base almost every inning, but couldn’t break through.

CHS had two guys sitting on bags in the second, fourth, and seventh innings, and loaded the bases in the sixth, but time and again the Falcons found a way to fly free.

Hilborn did his job for the Wolves, whiffing seven through seven innings of work on the pitcher’s mound, but left with the game knotted at 2-2.

Heading into extra innings, Thayer handed the ball to senior Hawthorne Wolfe, and the wily one was nearly perfect coming out of the bullpen.

The senior slinger retired the Falcons 1-2-3 in the eighth, then surrendered a lone walk in the ninth.

Coupeville catcher Xavier Murdy erased that Falcon baserunner, throwing him out on a stolen base attempt, before Wolfe reared back and punched out what would be South Whidbey’s final hitter.

After going seven long innings without a runner tapping home plate, the Wolves found some magic in the bottom of the ninth.

With two outs and no one aboard, CHS took advantage of Hilborn reaching on an error.

Jonathan Valenzuela and Caveness eked out walks to juice the bags, setting up Porter for his game-winning swat.

The walk-off hit capped a day in which the Wolves collected nine hits and five walks.

Caveness (1B, 2B), Sage Sharp (1B, 1B), and Porter (1B, 1B) paced the attack, with Murdy, Valenzuela, and Hilborn chipping in with singles.

Cole White walked twice, while Chase Anderson, Valenzuela, and Caveness each got aboard once thanks to showcasing eagle eyes.

Peyton Caveness reached base three times in the rivalry win.

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Your stadium can’t contain Joey Lippo!

Posted in Baseball, Wolves in college, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Florida, Joey Lippo, University of Maine at Presque Isle on March 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Joey Lippo (right) mashed four hits Monday, including his first home run of the season. (Photo courtesy Connie Lippo)

The bat is sizzlin’.

Day two of a five-day jaunt to Florida brought more success for Coupeville grad Joey Lippo, as he continued to tear up college baseball pitching.

The former Wolf bashed four hits across two games Monday, including launching a home run to left center.

But while Lippo’s bat was getting work done, his University of Maine at Presque Isle hardball team didn’t have as much luck, dropping both games it played.

After absorbing a 14-3 loss to Rutgers University-Newark and an 18-4 defeat at the hands of SUNY Plattsburgh, the Owls fall to 1-5 on the season.

Presque Isle, which is playing five straight days in Florida, has its lightest schedule Tuesday, with just a single game against SUNY Brockport.

The Owls wrap up their southern jaunt with doubleheaders Wednesday (Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts) and Thursday (Colby-Sawyer College), then are off for nine days.

Lippo opened play Monday by bashing three hits off of Rutgers pitching, before topping his day with a round-tripper against Plattsburgh.

Through six games, he tops Presque Isle in virtually every offensive category, from batting average (.500) to hits (9), runs (4), RBI (3), on-base percentage (.524), and slugging percentage (.778).

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Lippo lashes frozen ropes in the sun

Posted in Baseball, Wolves in college, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Florida, Joey Lippo, University of Maine at Presque Isle on March 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

CHS grad Joey Lippo racked up five hits Sunday, as his college baseball team split a doubleheader. (Photo courtesy Connie Lippo)

Like Superman before him, Joey Lippo seems to draw power from the sun.

Kicking off a nine-games-in-five-days road trip to Florida, the Coupeville grad rapped out five hits Sunday as he and his college baseball team split a doubleheader.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle slipped past Gallaudet University 3-2 in the opener, then fell 8-7 in extra innings in the nightcap.

The Owls, now 1-3 on the young season, get right back at it Monday with games against Rutgers University-Newark and SUNY Plattsburgh.

Lippo put up quality numbers in both games Sunday, lashing a leadoff triple in the opener.

He came around to score on an RBI single from teammate Timothy Burns, then added an RBI on a sac fly to stake Presque Isle to the win.

Playing the all-around game, Lippo also gunned down a runner at the plate, launching a cannon shot from deep in center field.

Returning to the field for game #2, the former Wolf stayed en fuego, bashing four hits against Gallaudet pitching.

Through four games, Lippo, a sophomore at Presque Isle, is hitting .455 with a .462 on base percentage and a .636 slugging percentage.

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Hardball pics frozen in time

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, John Fisken photos, Morgan Payne, Xavier Murdy on March 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »

“Sit down, son! You were out by a mile.” (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Spring sports are sprung, no matter what the thermometer says.

A hardy prairie wind made it seem colder than it probably was Saturday, but we endured.

Players, coaches, some fans, and even a wanderin’ photographer or two stayed around for both halves of a baseball doubleheader in Coupeville.

The photos seen above and below capture moments from both the varsity and JV contests and come to us from John Fisken.

To see everything he shot, and ponder the possibility of purchasing some glossies for Grams in Great Neck, pop over to:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/Coupeville-Baseball-2021-2022/BB-2022-03-12-vs-Mt-Baker/

“Get in my glove!”

Feeling a random raindrop, Hawthorne Wolfe has a stare-down with Mother Nature.

Seth Woollet pivots into prime bunting position.

Xavier Murdy slaps the tag on an incoming runner.

Camden Glover flings the high, hard cheese.

Peyton Caveness patiently waits for the throw.

“Cold? This ain’t freakin’ cold!” Morgan Payne, the living legend who once slid through frozen mud to tap home and end the harshest CHS baseball game I’ve endured on the wind-torn prairie. It was -450 degrees that day. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

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Glover, White spark opening day win

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, Camden Glover, CHS Wolves, Cole White, JV, Mount Baker on March 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville 8th grader Camden Glover made an impressive high school baseball debut. (Photo courtesy Stevie Glover)

Welcome to the Camden Glover Experience.

Making his high school baseball debut while still attending middle school, the burly right-hander had an immediate impact Saturday as a pitcher, hitter, and fielder.

Five strikeouts in four innings of work on the mound. Two hits and four RBI at the plate. A perfect read on a bunt back to him.

Toss it all together, liberally season with strong work from his teammates, and it’s not a surprise Glover paced the Coupeville High School JV baseball team to an 8-5 win over visiting Mount Baker on opening day.

The victory, coming as a few fat rain drops mixed with gusts of prairie wind, gave the Wolves hardball program a split on the afternoon and offers the promise of good days ahead for Central Whidbey baseball.

Glover — giving mom Stevie, aunt Alexa, Grandma Tammy, and all of his lil’ family fan club members plenty of opportunities to cheer — didn’t pitch like an 8th grader.

Or at least he didn’t show off any of the butterflies one might expect, as he picked up exactly where he left off after dominating little league play.

Camden busted through the first two innings, notching three strikeouts while getting an assist from Cole Hutchinson, who made a pretty snag on a fly to right.

With their ace throwing liquid heat, the Wolves jumped on Mount Baker, rolling up three runs in the bottom of the first, then sending another three runners across in the third inning.

Cole White stroked a leadoff single to center to get the opening rally going, followed by another base-knock off the bat of Seth Woollet.

That set up Glover, who promptly mashed a two-run double to straight-away center in his first high school at-bat, providing the answer for a trivia question which will likely be asked one day.

A balk by the Baker pitcher sent a third run home for the Wolves, who came back around to match the run total two innings later.

Cole White? He can beat you with his bat, and his arm. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The third inning started off with back-to-back walks for White and Woollet — though the latter had to wear a ball as he was plunked.

Glover punched an RBI single to keep the good times rolling, while Coop Cooper and Marcelo Gebhard brought runs home with a fielder’s choice and an infield single, respectively.

Coupeville’s only stumble on defense came in the top of the fourth in a five-inning game.

Putting together a string of singles, while also taking advantage of a couple of Wolf miscues, Mount Baker shaved the lead all the way down to 6-5.

That was when Glover seized the moment, punching out the final batter he would face on this day, stranding the tying run on base.

Coupeville made up for its defensive letdown by tacking on a pair of insurance runs in its half of the fourth, with Woollet and Glover picking up RBIs.

Up 8-5, three outs away from the win, the Wolves needed their version of Mariano Rivera, and they found him in the lanky (and lethal) Cole White.

He may not have entered the game to the strains of Enter Sandman, like the greatest relief pitcher in Major League Baseball history always did, but Riley White’s big bro proved to be just as devastating with the ball in his mitt.

Making his first-ever pitching appearance, Cole walked his first opponent — on a questionable call — then dropped the hammer.

A strikeout, with the batter catching nothing but the last gusts of prairie wind as he swung, then a force-out at second, and a soft fly ball to center.

Save #1 for White, win #1 for the Wolf JV.

The legend begins.

Glover (2), Woollet (2), White (2), and Gebhard (1) rapped hits for CHS, with Zane Oldenstadt, Hutchinson, Johnny Porter, Woollet, and White eking out walks.

Kai Wong and Cooper rounded out the opening day lineup for the JV, which returns to action Mar. 16 with a game at Lynden Christian.