Wolf bats fall silent

Cedarcrest hurler one pitch short of perfect game

The Coupeville baseball team needs a victory.

Coming off three straight losses to defending Class 2A state champion Granite Falls to open the 2007 season, the Wolves then dropped a pair of games to Archbishop Murphy.

On Monday, Coupeville squared off against the Cedarcrest Red Wolves who entered the game with a 2-3 record, and hopes were running high in the Wolves’ dugout that maybe today was the day to get back on the winning track.

That was before Cedarcrest pitcher Travis Cook took to the mound.

The Red Wolves’ right hander retired the first 13 Coupeville batters he faced and was one pitch short of throwing a perfect game before he hit Alex Evans with a pitched ball with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning.

No matter, the game still was a no-hitter and the Red Wolves were 10-0 winners in a game called after five innings of play on the 10-run rule.

After the game, Coupeville coach Willie Smith was nearly at a loss for words and trying to figure out what ails his team.

In six games this season, Coupeville has managed to score just six runs.

“We threw too many balls and got behind on hitters so we were always going 2 and 1 or 3 and 2, something in the hitters’ favor,” Smith said. “Then all they had to do was sit on the fast ball and hit it, and they did.”

Cedarcrest pushed across a run with two out in the bottom of the second inning off Coupeville starting pitcher Kyle Wilcox on a single by Tommy Edwards, a stolen base and a single by Matt Coltom.

In the fourth inning the Red Wolves scored five more runs, three of them crossing the plate on a 3-run blast off the bat of Mark Bishop.

“Kyle actually made a nice pitch. He kept the ball down and the kid went down and got it,” Smith said.

Bishop connected on his second home run leading off the fifth inning when Cedarcrest scored four additional runs to put the game away.

Bishop saw two pitches in his two trips to the plate and hit both of them over the left field fence.

Meanwhile, Cook kept mowing down Coupeville’s batters. He struck out just two and the Red Wolves played solid defense behind him.

“We hit the ball hard, but we hit it right at someone,” Smith said. “I don’t know, I’m at a loss right now. I don’t know what to do. They’re making plays and we’re not.”

The Wolves (0-6) travel to Cedarcrest today for a 4 p.m. game and then play a makeup game Thursday at Archbishop Murphy.

Cedarcrest 10, Coupeville 0

Cedarcrest 010 54 — 10 15 0

Coupeville 000 00 — 0 0 0

Travis Cook and Craig Crittenden; Kyle Wilcox, Alex Evans (4) Jake Hill (5). W — Cook. L — Wilcox (0-2). 2B — Crittnenden, Cameron Pardon (Ce). 3B — none. HR — Mark Bishop 2 (Ce).