Klahowya took a huge leap forward in the race to the Olympic League baseball crown by defeating defending champion Coupeville High School 11-6 Friday, April 21, in Silverdale.

The Eagles used a five-run fifth inning to put the game away and beat the Wolves for the second time this season.

Klahowya (5-0, 6-3) remains undefeated in conference play and Coupeville (2-2, 7-7) is tied for second with Chimacum (2-2, 4-4). The Eagles will need to drop at least three of their final four league games for Coupeville to move back into first, assuming the Wolves can win out.

Coupeville scored first in Friday’s game. Hunter Smith singled and scored on a groundout by Clay Reilly.

Klahowya immediately countered with three runs and added another in the second to make it 4-1.

Coupeville cut into the lead by scoring twice in the third inning. Matt Hilborn singled and scored on Taylor Consford’s double. Consford scored on an error.

The Eagles scored again in the bottom of the third, making it 5-3, then Coupeville got the run back in the top of the fourth. Kory Score reached on an error, moved up on Joey Lippo’s base hit and scored on a passed ball.

Klahowya tacked on a run in the bottom of the fourth and then made it 10-4 with six runs in the fifth.

The Wolves scored twice in the seventh. Hilborn singled and scored on Consford’s base hit, then Consford scored on Reilly’s single.

Coupeville starting pitcher Dane Lucero had the Wolves’ only other hit in the game, a single in the fifth.

Coupeville goes to Chimacum for a 3:30 p.m. game Monday, April 24, and then hosts Port Townsend (0-5, 0-7) at 3:30 Wednesday.