The Coupeville High School baseball team will need to get over the pain of a frustrating 2-1 home loss to Lynden Christian in the first round of the district tournament in a hurry.

The Wolves face a loser-out game against Nooksack Valley (6-14) at 1 p.m. today (May 2) at Blaine’s Pipeline Fields.

If Coupeville wins, it will face the loser of Mount Baker (8-13) and Friday Harbor (16-3) at 10 a.m. Saturday in Blaine. That winner earns a trip to tri-district. Another game will follow at 4 p.m. to determine the third and fourth seed out of district.

Coupeville defeated Nooksack Valley 9-8 March 16.

The Wolves (10-11) wasted a strong outing by pitcher Ben Etzell in the loss to Lynden Christian (9-11). The junior right hander struck out 11 and walked one in a complete-game five-hitter.

All of the game’s scoring came in the second. With one out in the top half, Etzell yielded his lone walk. After a strikeout, the Lyncs dinked a single in front of center fielder Wade Schaef, then Jamie Heystek doubled in both runs.

Etzell went on to face the minimum number of hitters over the final five innings, picking off the one batter who had a hit after the second.

In the bottom of the second, Jake Tumblin doubled and scored on Kyle Bodamer’s base hit.

While Etzell was mowing down the Lyncs, the Wolves couldn’t take advantage of their scoring opportunities.

Coupeville got its leadoff man aboard in both the sixth and seventh.

In the sixth, Drew Chan led with a single and Etzell bunted him to second. Morgan Payne followed with a line shot off the pitcher that resulted in a ground out. Had the ball gone through, pinch runner Korbin Korzan most likely would have scored.

In the seventh, Bodamer led with a walk and was bunted up by Aaron Trumbull. Lynden Christian then committed the game’s only two errors sandwiched around a pop out, putting runners at second and third, but a strikeout ended the threat.

Lynden Christian pitcher Truman Van Dalen, whose breaking ball frustrated Coupeville hitters throughout the game, finished with five strikeouts and a five hitter.