Coupeville hammers Klahowya / Baseball

Published 1:30 am Thursday, March 29, 2018

The Coupeville High School baseball team made quick work of Klahowya in the Wolves’ 13-3 league-opening win Wednesday, March 28, in Silverdale.

Coupeville scored two runs in the first inning and five in the second to pull away early. The Wolves played add-on the rest of the way, scoring in all but one inning.

At the center of the Wolves’ effort was senior Hunter Smith. Smith pitched a four-hitter, gave up no earned runs or walks and struck out five. At the plate, he swatted two hits, including a triple, drove in four runs and scored four times.

Smith wasn’t the only offensive star. Joey Lippo (three hits), Matt Hilborn (two hits, three runs), Jake Pease (two hits, two RBI), Nick Etzell (double), Dane Lucero (single), Julian Welling (two walks, three hit by pitch, two RBI) and Kyle Rockwell (two walks, two RBI) all chipped in.

Three Eagle pitchers helped Coupeville along by walking nine and hitting eight (yes, 8).

Hoagland’s run-scoring single and Rockwell’s walk with the bases loaded plated two runs in the first inning.

Etzell led off the five-run second with a double and eventually scored on Smith’s bases-loaded walk. Welling and Rockwell also walked to force in runs. Pease later singled in two more.

Klahowya (1-2, 2-6) scored twice in the second inning to make it 7-2.

Coupeville scored once in the third when Hoagland was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

The Eagles finished their scoring with a run in the bottom half of the inning.

In the fourth, Pease singled, moved up on Lippo’s hit and scored on Smith’s single.

Coupeville tacked on three runs in the sixth. Hilborn was hit by a pitch and Lippo singled, then both scored on Smith’s triple. Smith scored on Welling’s groundout.

The Wolves wrapped up the rout with a run in the seventh. Hilborn singled and scored after two errors.

Coupeville (1-0, 4-3) continues Olympic League play when Port Townsend (0-1, 0-4) visits at 4 p.m. Friday, March 30.