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Posts Tagged ‘Jonathan Valenzuela’

Nasty day, splendid victory

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on April 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Chase Anderson deals. (Morgan White photo)

Hit and run like the wind, through the wind.

Overcoming another brutal bout of prairie weather Thursday, the Coupeville High School varsity baseball squad used booming bats, fleet feet, and nimble work on defense to stagger the top team in the Northwest 2B/1B League.

Riding inside-the-park home runs from seniors Jonathan Valenzuela and Scott Hilborn, and a dandy pitching performance from fab frosh Chase Anderson, the Wolves bounced visiting Mount Vernon Christian 5-1.

The victory, Coupeville’s sixth in its last seven games, nets Steve Hilborn’s team a season split with the Hurricanes and pulls the defending NWL champs a half-game back of MVC.

The Wolves, who have already clinched the #1 playoff seed among the league’s 2B teams, are 8-1 in conference action, 10-4 overall heading into a road trip Saturday to Orcas Island.

Mount Vernon Christian falls to 9-1 in league, 9-3 overall.

The first time the Hurricanes and Wolves clashed, back on March 30, MVC made off with a 12-7 win.

This time around, with a bone-chilling prairie wind swirling, howling, and slapping splatters of rain into the faces of fans, it was a different tale.

Coupeville grabbed the lead early, led from start to finish, and got big contributions from nearly everyone in uniform.

Anderson went the distance on the bump, scattering three hits while whiffing seven Hurricanes.

The young hurler, already in his second season as a varsity regular after debuting last season as an 8th grader, is made for the spotlight, even on a cloudy day.

Twice he faced bases loaded jams, and both times he calmly backhanded the Hurricanes and strolled back to the dugout, a smile on his face.

The first dance with the devil came in the top of the first inning, with Anderson jamming the hitter and forcing a weak grounder to shortstop Cole White, who flipped the ball to Valenzuela at second for out #3.

After buzzing through the Hurricanes 1-2-3 in three of the next four innings, and giving up a single, solitary run in the fourth, “The Magic Man” found himself briefly in danger in the top of the sixth.

A couple of walks and an error loaded the bags, but Anderson wasn’t having it.

The bags were juiced, the count was full, and the MVC batter was looking to carve away at Coupeville’s 4-1 lead.

Instead, all the Hurricane saw was a blur, as he swung from the heels and connected with nothing but the prairie breeze, Anderson’s pitch smacking into Scott Hilborn’s glove as the umpire punched him out.

After that, the seventh inning was sweet and short, with MVC hitting three consecutive groundouts to end the game.

One was a comebacker to Anderson, another a short chopper which freshman third-baseman Camden Glover plucked off the grass, firing a BB to Peyton Caveness, stretching out at first.

The final bouncer went to Caveness, who waved off two of his teammates as he easily beat the incoming Hurricane to the bag to seal the deal.

Coupeville got on the board quickly, sending two runners across the plate in the bottom of the first.

Scott Hilborn led off with a single, one of three hits he had on the day, Anderson dropped a beautiful sacrifice bunt, and then Valenzuela and Glover whacked back-to-back RBI base hits.

Valenzuela, never breaking stride, motored into third with the first of his three extra-base hits, while Glover scorched a run-scoring single to left to make it 2-0.

The Wolves had a chance to add more, loading the bases after Caveness was plunked with a wayward pitch and Coop Cooper swatted a single to left.

But it wasn’t to be, as a wild pitch came off the backstop faster than the Wolves expected, allowing the MVC catcher to snag the ball and sprint to tag Glover as he rumbled home.

Jonathan Valenzuela, pitching in an earlier game, belted two triples and a home run Thursday, while playing lights-out defense at second base. (Morgan White photo)

Coupeville stretched the lead to 3-0 in the third, with Valenzuela, still swattin’ lasers and running wild, cracking a leadoff inside-the-park home run.

The ball splashed down to Earth in the farthest corner of right field, and the throw back in arrived long after the Wolf senior was already getting high-fives from his bench.

Not content to do it just once, CHS got another longball in the fifth inning, with Hilborn cranking a shot to center field and motoring around the bags while all the MVC coach could do was scream in despair, his words swept away by the never-ending breeze.

With Anderson in control, and his defense playing inspired ball — Valenzuela had a gold glove day at second — the Wolves didn’t need any more runs, but they got one anyway.

Caveness reached on an error to lead off the sixth, before Johnny Porter smoked a pinch-hit RBI single to right field to cap the 5-1 win.

Johnny Porter waits for his pitch. (Morgan White photo)

 

Thursday stats:

Peyton Caveness — One walk
Coop Cooper — One single
Camden Glover — One single
Scott Hilborn — Two singles, one home run
Johnny Porter — One single
Jonathan Valenzuela — Two triples, one home run

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Hardball squad locks down #1 playoff seed

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on April 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Chase Anderson is playoff-bound. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

They control their own destiny.

Playing fast and furious Tuesday afternoon, the Coupeville High School varsity baseball squad thwacked visiting Friday Harbor 4-0, claiming the #1 seed for the District 1/2 postseason tourney.

The victory, keyed by seven strong innings from starting pitcher Scott Hilborn and a big two-run single from fellow senior Jonathan Valenzuela, lifts the Wolves to 7-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 9-3 overall.

That record includes the recent addition of a forfeit win over Concrete from a game that was supposed to be played April 8.

Coupeville still has eight games left on the regular season schedule — six of them league contests.

The Wolves remain in a battle for the league title with 1B Mount Vernon Christian (9-0, 9-2) — which it hosts Thursday — but Tuesday’s win means CHS will be the top 2B squad.

Having beaten both Friday Harbor and La Conner twice already, the Wolves are 4-0 in that three-team round-robin and own all the tiebreakers.

So, when the playoffs arrive in mid-May, Friday Harbor, as the #2 team from District 1, faces off with the only school playing baseball in District 2 — Northwest Christian.

The winner advances to face Coupeville in a loser-out, winner-to-state game.

That’s still several weeks away however, so for now, the focus is on finishing strong.

The Wolves are scheduled to play four times in a five-day span, following up their shutout of Friday Harbor by traveling to South Whidbey Wednesday, hosting MVC Thursday, then bouncing to Orcas Island Saturday.

Game one in the hardball odyssey finished almost an hour before the Coupeville vs. Friday Harbor softball game across the street did, as Hilborn mowed down the Wolverines.

Scott Hilborn fires BBs.

Scattering four hits and two walks in seven innings of work, the senior righty set nine batters down on strikes, including two of three in the final frame.

He was never in trouble but did pick a runner off of first base and got some help from his defense when Valenzuela and Peyton Caveness combined to turn a double play.

Coupeville got the only runs it would need in the bottom of the first inning.

Hilborn reached on an error, freshman Chase Anderson plunked a single, then Valenzuela ripped a two-run single to centerfield to stake the Wolves to a quick 2-0 lead.

CHS added a run in the second, with Hilborn socking an RBI double that sent Cole White skittering home, before scraping out a final tally in the bottom of the sixth.

Valenzuela led off the frame with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Camden Glover, stole third, and tapped home after a Friday Harbor error.

 

Tuesday stats:

Chase Anderson — One single
Peyton Caveness — One single, one walk
Coop Cooper — One single
Scott Hilborn — One double
Jonathan Valenzuela — Two singles

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Diamond men rack up stats

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on April 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

CHS baseball coach Steve Hilborn has the Wolves at 3-1 in league play. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The games roll on, the numbers add up.

The Coupeville High School baseball squad is now eight bouts deep into a 20-game regular season schedule and sits at 5-3 on the campaign.

The Wolves are off until Saturday, when they travel to Concrete for a Northwest 2B/1B League rumble with the Lions, so let’s fill in the break with some season stats.

All numbers are plucked from GameChanger, which CHS coaches use to track everything.

Ready to rule the diamond.

 

HITTING:

 

At-Bats:

Scott Hilborn – 25
Jack Porter – 24
Chase Anderson – 22
Peyton Caveness – 22
Coop Cooper – 19
Aiden O’Neill – 19
Cole White – 18
Jonathan Valenzuela – 17
Camden Glover – 11
Johnny Porter – 10
Landon Roberts – 7
Seth Woollet – 3
Yohannon Sandles – 2
Jaje Drake – 1

 

Hits:

Hilborn — 12
Valenzuela — 10
Ja. Porter — 9
Anderson — 7
Cooper — 7
Glover — 5
White — 5
Caveness — 4
O’Neill — 3
Jo. Porter — 1

 

Runs:

Hilborn — 12
Valenzuela — 9
Anderson — 6
Caveness — 4
Cooper – 4
Glover – 4
O’Neill — 4
Ja. Porter — 4
Jo. Porter — 3
White — 3
Drake — 1

 

2B’s:

Hilborn — 3
Anderson — 2
Valenzuela — 2
Ja. Porter — 1
White — 1

 

RBI:

Valenzuela — 9
Cooper — 6
Ja. Porter — 6
Anderson — 5
Hilborn — 5
Caveness — 4
Glover — 4
White — 4

 

Walks:

Valenzuela — 8
Hilborn — 6
White – 6
Anderson – 4
Glover – 4
O’Neill – 4
Cooper – 3
Drake – 1
Jo. Porter – 1
Roberts – 1
Sandles – 1

 

Stolen Bases:

Hilborn — 17
Valenzuela — 17
Anderson — 13
White – 9
Cooper — 2
Jo. Porter — 2
Caveness — 1
Glover — 1
O’Neill — 1
Ja. Porter — 1

 

Batting Average:

Valenzuela — .588
Hilborn — .480
Glover — .455
Ja. Porter — .375
Cooper — .368
Anderson — .318
White — .278
Caveness — .182
O’Neill — .158
Jo. Porter — .100

 

PITCHING:

 

Earned Run Average:

Glover — 0.00
Hilborn — 1.63
Anderson – 2.42
Cooper – 4.67
Valenzuela – 5.91

 

Games:

Hilborn — 5
Anderson – 4
Valenzuela – 4
Cooper — 2
Glover – 1

 

Starts:

Hilborn — 5
Valenzuela — 2
Cooper — 1

 

Hits:

Hilborn — 23
Valenzuela — 8
Anderson – 6
Cooper – 1
Glover – 1

 

Earned Runs:

Valenzuela – 9
Hilborn – 6
Anderson — 3
Cooper – 2

 

Walks:

Anderson – 9
Hilborn – 9
Valenzuela – 8
Cooper — 6
Glover – 2

 

Hit by Pitch:

Hilborn – 5
Valenzuela – 4
Anderson — 3
Cooper – 1

 

Strikeouts:

Hilborn – 29
Anderson – 12
Valenzuela – 8
Cooper — 5
Glover – 3

 

Innings Pitched:

Hilborn – 25.2
Valenzuela – 10.2
Anderson — 8.2
Cooper – 3.0
Glover – 2.0

 

Batters Faced:

Hilborn – 117
Valenzuela — 55
Anderson – 45
Cooper – 17
Glover – 9

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Crack of the bat, song of the stat man

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on March 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Johnny Porter streaks for home. (Morgan White photo)

The stats, like the wins, are booming.

The Coupeville High School baseball squad is off to a 3-1 start on the season heading into a clash Saturday at home against non-conference foe Forks.

While it’s still early, four games is a solid 20% into a 20-game regular season, so it’s time to take our first look at the numbers being piled up by the Wolves.

All numbers are plucked from GameChanger, which CHS coaches use to track everything:

 

HITTING:

 

At-Bats:

Peyton Caveness – 14
Scott Hilborn – 14
Jack Porter – 13
Chase Anderson – 12
Aiden O’Neill – 10
Jonathan Valenzuela – 8
Cole White – 8
Coop Cooper – 7
Johnny Porter – 6
Camden Glover – 5
Landon Roberts – 4
Jaje Drake – 1
Yohannon Sandles – 1

 

Hits:

Hilborn — 10
Valenzuela — 7
Cooper — 5
Anderson — 4
Caveness — 4
Ja. Porter — 4
O’Neill — 3
White — 3
Glover — 2
Jo. Porter — 1

 

Runs:

Hilborn — 8
Valenzuela — 6
Caveness — 4
O’Neill — 4
Anderson – 3
Cooper – 3
Jo. Porter — 3
Glover — 2
Ja. Porter — 2
White — 2
Drake — 1

 

2B’s:

Hilborn — 3
Anderson — 1
Ja. Porter — 1
White — 1

 

RBI:

Ja. Porter — 6
Valenzuela — 6
Hilborn — 5
Caveness — 4
Anderson — 3
Cooper — 3
White — 3
Glover — 1

 

Walks:

Valenzuela — 5
Glover — 3
Hilborn – 3
White – 3
Cooper – 2
O’Neill – 2
Anderson – 1
Drake – 1
Jo. Porter – 1
Roberts – 1

 

Stolen Bases:

Valenzuela — 13
Hilborn — 9
Anderson — 5
White – 3
Caveness — 1
Cooper — 1
O’Neill — 1
Ja. Porter — 1
Jo. Porter — 1

 

Batting Average:

Valenzuela — .875
Cooper — .714
Hilborn — .714
Glover — .400
White — .375
Anderson — .333
Ja. Porter — .308
Anderson — .300
Caveness — .286
Jo. Porter — .167

 

PITCHING:

 

Earned Run Average:

Anderson — 0.00
Hilborn – 2.63
Cooper – 8.40
Valenzuela – 10.40

 

Games:

Anderson — 3
Hilborn – 2
Cooper – 1
Valenzuela – 1

 

Starts:

Hilborn — 2
Cooper — 1
Valenzuela — 1

 

Hits:

Hilborn — 11
Valenzuela — 4
Anderson – 1
Cooper – 1

 

Earned Runs:

Valenzuela – 6
Hilborn – 4
Cooper – 2

 

Walks:

Anderson – 5
Cooper – 5
Valenzuela – 4
Hilborn – 2

 

Hit by Pitch:

Hilborn – 5
Cooper – 3
Valenzuela – 3

 

Strikeouts:

Anderson – 11
Hilborn – 7
Cooper – 3
Valenzuela – 2

 

Innings Pitched:

Hilborn – 10.2
Anderson – 6.2
Valenzuela – 4.0
Cooper – 1.2

 

Batters Faced:

Hilborn – 49
Anderson – 31
Valenzuela – 24
Cooper – 11

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Plenty of hits, not enough runs

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on March 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Landon Roberts was one of 10 Wolves to reach base Thursday. (Photo courtesy Sherry Bonacci)

They won the battle but lost the war.

Playing on the road for the first time this season, the Coupeville High School baseball squad outhit host Meridian 11-5 Thursday, only to fall 8-4 on the scoreboard.

The Wolves had their chances, putting base runners aboard in every inning, but couldn’t find that one big base knock to truly stagger the Trojans.

The non-conference loss, coming less than 24 hours after a home win against South Whidbey, evens Coupeville’s early-season record at 1-1.

The 2B Wolves get right back at it Saturday, travelling to North Mason to play their third consecutive game against a 1A opponent.

Thursday’s tilt started in favor of Coupeville, and the visitors were still within a run as late as the fourth inning, before several defensive mistakes stung them.

Wolf freshman Chase Anderson put his team on the board in the top of the first, whacking a one-out double, then scampering home to score on an RBI single from starting pitcher Jonathan Valenzuela.

Up 1-0, CHS had a chance to add to its lead in the second inning but stranded two runners after Landon Roberts walked and Aiden O’Neill singled.

Meridian scored the majority of its runs in two frames, pushing across four runners in the bottom of the second inning to claim the lead for good.

Coupeville stranded two more runners in the third, but Valenzuela shut down the Trojans and the Wolves rallied to cut the lead to 4-3 in their half of the fourth.

Scott Hilborn and Anderson delivered back-to-back two-out RBI singles to ruffle the Meridian pitcher, but the Trojans escaped and immediately got some payback.

The hosts tacked on three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Meridian only had one hit in the frame, but four walks and a passed ball proved to be the difference.

Trailing 7-3, Coupeville stranded two runners in the fifth and another in the sixth, before finally bringing home a runner in the top of the seventh, and final, inning.

Meridian had stretched the lead to 8-3, before Peyton Caveness reached on an error, then later scored on another Trojan miscue.

The rally died there, however, with Valenzuela thrown out at the plate while trying to score on a Coop Cooper single, and an ensuing groundout bringing an end to the game.

All 10 Coupeville players to see the field reached base Thursday.

Valenzuela paced the Wolves with three hits, while Hilborn and Anderson collected two base knocks apiece.

Caveness, Jack Porter, Cooper, and O’Neill also had hits, while Roberts, Johnny Porter, and Cole White got aboard thanks to walks.

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