Getting hot at the right time, the Coupeville High School baseball team won its third consecutive game by trashing host Sultan 14-7 Wednesday, April 17.

The Wolves (3-8, 3-12) entered the week in a three-way scramble with Sultan (1-9, 1-14) and Granite Falls (1-9, 3-12) for the fourth and final playoff spot allotted to the North Sound Conference.

Coupled with its win over Sultan Monday, Coupeville’s second victory over the Turks Wednesday gives the Wolves the tie-breaker over the Sultan. Although not mathematically eliminated, the Turks’ playoff chances are now slim.

That leaves Coupeville and Granite Falls fighting – most likely – for the final berth. The two teams square off next week in a three-games series. They will play in Coupeville on Monday and Friday and in Granite Falls Wednesday.

Sultan and Coupeville play the final game of the their three-game series at 4 p.m. Friday, April 19, in Coupeville.

Coupeville 14, Sultan 7

The Wolves raced to a 6-0 lead before Sultan cut the gap to 7-5 after four innings and 9-7 after five. Coupeville scored five runs over the final two innings to cement the win.

The Wolves opened the game with four runs in the first inning. The first five hitters all reached base and the first four scored.

Matt Hilborn and Hawthorne Wolfe singled, Jake Pease walked, Dan Lucero reached on an error and Gavin Knoblich singled to get the Wolves off to their hot start.

Two errors and Lucero’s double made it 6-0 in the top of the second.

After Sultan scored twice in the bottom of the third, Coupeville tallied once when Wolfe singled and scored in the top of the fourth to make it 7-2.

Sultan scored three times in the bottom of the fourth, then Coupeville got two back in the top of the fifth. Singles by Gavin Knoblich, Daniel Olson and Bryce Payne mixed with two errors led to the two runs.

Sultan sliced the lead to two, 9-7, in the fifth.

Pease walked and scored in the sixth, then Coupeville pulled away with a four-run seventh, thanks to three walks and hits by Hilborn, Knoblich and Olson.

The Wolves finished with 12 hits, three by Knoblich. Hilborn, Wolfe and Olson had two each; Lucero doubled; and Ulrik Wells and Payne added singles. Pease walked three times and scored three runs.