Whidbey grads turned college baseball players James Besaw (left) and Joey Lippo hang out at the ol’ ball field. (Connie Lippo photo)
Injuries are making life tougher than need be.
After roaring out to a 9-0 start to the summer season, the Lynnwood Llamas baseball squad has come back to the crowd a bit, going 5-6 since.
The Llamas, led by Coupeville grad Joey Lippo — one of the few Lynnwood players not to be injured or miss games — are still sitting pretty good at 14-6, with one week left in the regular season.
Lippo and Co. rebounded Sunday to beat the Seattle Sea Turtles 4-3, salvaging one win from a three-game series.
Lynnwood lost 6-0 Saturday, then fell 8-3 in Sunday’s first game.
The six-team Cascade Collegiate League, which features NCAA and NAIA players swinging away with wood bats, wraps its regular season August 1, with playoffs set for Aug. 6-8.
Lippo, who is heading into his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, did a little Shohei Ohtani impression, pitching and hitting against the Sea Turtles.
The former Wolf standout tossed four innings in the series opener, scattering four hits and giving up just a single unearned run.
Lippo picked up a pair of hits in the series, was plunked by a pitch, and added to his team-leading stolen base tally, while also patrolling center field and camping out behind home plate clad in catcher’s gear.
He made several strong throws while scampering around the wide open spaces, and also pulled in a catch while sliding.
With its roster a bit depleted by injuries, Lynnwood actually had to borrow a player from Seattle to field a full nine in the series finale.
Coupeville Sports 