Jonathan Valenzuela and Co. came within an out of upending the defending league champs. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Friday Harbor walked away with one.
One out away from losing a game, and its grip on first place in the Northwest 2B/1B League baseball standings, the Wolverines eked out five straight free passes to end the game Friday, nipping visiting Coupeville 3-2.
The loss drops the Wolves to 3-1 in league action, 4-4 overall, and knocks them a half-game back of Friday Harbor (3-0, 5-1) in the early season standings.
The first-place battle, which started late after a ferry delay, was supposed to be a doubleheader, but instead turned into one tense thriller.
“It was an amazing game,” said Coupeville coach Will Thayer. “Heartbreaking ending.”
Coupeville had rallied for a run in the top of the seventh to break a 1-1 stalemate, before Friday Harbor responded with two runs in the bottom of the final frame to deny the visitors, whose only losses since returning to the NWL before the 2020-2021 school year have come to the Wolverines.
Friday Harbor is scheduled to come to Whidbey Apr. 26, and it’s unknown at the moment whether Friday’s second game will make that meeting a doubleheader, or whether Coupeville will return to the outer kingdoms at some point to make up the contest.
The Wolves struck first Friday, pushing across a run in the top of the first inning with their own two-out rally.
Scott Hilborn blasted a double, then scrambled to third on a wild pitch.
After Peyton Caveness was plunked by a wayward pitch, Hilborn came home on a Xavier Murdy RBI single, staking CHS to a 1-0 lead.
The early advantage didn’t last long, however, as Friday Harbor plated its own run in the bottom of the frame.
From there, the game became a pitcher’s duel, with neither squad able to seize the lead.
Coupeville’s best chance to score came in the fifth inning, after Jack Porter walked and Hawthorne Wolfe doubled.
It wasn’t to be, though, as Wolf runners died at second and third when Friday Harbor closed the inning with a strikeout.
Hilborn was matching Friday Harbor’s hurler, striking out the side in the second, and limiting the Wolverines ability to get on base all afternoon.
Scott Hilborn, diving for home in an earlier game, had a strong performance at Friday Harbor.
With everyone’s butts on the edge of their seat, Coupeville made its move in the seventh.
Sage Sharp singled and advanced to second when the ball was misplayed, before a wild pitch got him over to third base, a perfect set-up for Alex Murdy to loft a go-ahead RBI sac fly to right field.
With the lead in hand, Coupeville opened the bottom of the seventh by offering up back-to-back punch-outs, the #8 and #9 Friday Harbor sluggers going down on strikes.
But then the top of the lineup rolled around, the strike zone got dicey, and Friday Harbor found a bit of magic, putting together a string of walks to pull the victory from the jaws of defeat.
The tying run headed home thanks to a batter wearing a pitch, while the winning run was forced in on a conventional walk.
Coupeville out-hit Friday Harbor 4-3, with Wolfe and Hilborn smacking doubles, while Xavier Murdy and Sharp collected singles.
But it was walks that hurt the Wolves, as they garnered just two — thanks to Caveness and Porter — while Friday netted nine, including the final five.
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