Showing its mental toughness, the Coupeville High School softball team came back to defeat visiting Lakewood 8-6 Friday, April 18.

The Cougars (4-4, 6-4), who defeated Coupeville 9-1 earlier this spring, jumped to leads of 3-0 and 6-1 over the first two innings, and with pitcher Hailey Malakowski, who had defeated the Wolves four straight times over the past two seasons, on the mound, things looked bleak for the home team.

The Wolves refused to fold and chipped away until eventually taking the lead in the sixth inning.

None of the offensive heroics would have mattered had Lakewood continued to push across runs.

Coupeville pitcher McKayla Bailey made sure that didn’t happen.

After surrendering six runs and seven hits in the first two innings, the junior blanked the Cougars on three hits the rest of the way. She never allowed more than one base runner in any inning over the final five frames.

Opening the seventh inning, Bailey faced Malakowski, who, besides pitching Lakewood by Coupeville four consecutive times, torched the Wolves for five home runs in those four games. Bailey cut down Malakowski with a swinging strikeout on a 3-2 count to keep Lakewood from gaining any last-inning momentum.

A nice running catch by left fielder Haley Sherman produced the second out, and Bailey recorded another “K” to put an exclamation point on the win.

Down 3-0 after one inning, Coupeville scored one run in its half. Maddi Roberts led off with an infield single and eventually scored when she escaped a Lakewood run down between third and home.

The Cougars added three more runs in the second and Coupeville responded with two.

Singles by Sherman and Emily Coulter and a walk to Emily Licence loaded the bases. One run scored on Roberts’ ground out and another on Messner’s base hit.

Coupeville still trailed 6-3 going into the bottom of the fifth when the Wolves rallied to tie it.

Roberts led with a single and scored on Messner’s double down the left field line. Messner moved to third on a wild pitch and Bailey walked. Messner scored on Hailey Hammer’s fielder’s choice, and Bailey scored the tying run when Sherman ripped a triple.

The Wolves completed the comeback with a two-run sixth.

Coulter doubled and moved to third on Roberts’ single. Messner followed with a hit, driving in Coulter. Bailey walked to fill the bases, and Hammer’s long sacrifice fly scored Roberts.

“This game, we put everything together,” co-head coach David King said. “Pitching, defense, hitting and base running. The team came out focused and, after getting down three before we even hit and then 6-3 after two, remained focused the whole game.”

Roberts finished with three hits, two RBI and three runs; and catcher Messner was 3-for-3 with three RBI and threw out a would-be base stealer.

Coulter and Sherman each added two hits.

“Others throughout the line up put together good at bats,” King said.

“Defensively we played solid, made all of the routine plays and added a few ‘wow’ plays.”

Coupeville (3-6, 4-6) hosts first-place Granite Falls (8-0, 8-1) at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 22.