Payback.

After losing a 1-0 heartbreaker in nine innings Monday to Cedarcrest, the Coupeville High School baseball team returned the favor by nipping the Red Wolves 6-5 in another nine-inning game Wednesday, April 11, in Duvall.

The game ended a five-game conference losing streak for Coupeville (3-5, 4-5) and handed Cedarcrest, the 10th-ranked team in the latest state 2A poll, its third loss in 10 games.

“A lot of clutch performances,” coach Willie Smith said.

Production on offense has been a problem lately for the Wolves, but they received two hits each from Wade Schaef, Morgan Payne, Aaron Trumbull and Kurtis Smith.

Schaef added a double and RBI, Trumbull had two RBI and Smith a triple and RBI.

Coupeville plated the game winner with one out in the ninth when Payne singled, stole second and scored on an error off the bat of Trumbull.

Reliever C.J. Smith put the Red Wolves down in order in the bottom half of the ninth, with the help of a nice play by Ben Etzell, to wrap up the win.

Until the ninth, every time Coupeville scored, Cedarcrest answered.

The Wolves loaded the bases and scored on a double play in the third. Cedarcrest matched the run in its half.

In the fifth, Coupeville struck for three runs, all with two outs. Etzell walked, stole second and scored on Schaef’s double; Payne singled in Schaef. After Jake Tumblin was hit by a pitch and a pitching change, Trumbull singled, scoring Payne.

Cedarcrest scored two in the bottom of the fifth, chasing starter Aaron Curtin. With a runner on second, C.J. Smith took over and induced Cedarcrest’s top hitter, Colton Sandhofer, who leads the league with four home runs, to fly to center.

Cedarcrest scored a run in the sixth to tie the game and stranded runners at second and third.

In the seventh, Trumbull singled with two outs and Kurtis Smith singled him home.

Once again, the Red Wolves came back. With two on and no one out, Etzell made a diving, back-hand stop at third and touched the bag for one out. A walk loaded the bases.

The next hitter singled to left, tying the game, and Curtin, now playing left field, gunned down the runner trying to score from second for the second out.

C.J. Smith struck out the next batter to send the game to extra innings.

“Defensively we were great,” coach Willie Smith said. “Two double plays, threw a runner out at the plate, (catcher) Tumblin threw another runner out at second, two diving stops by Etzell at third and C.J. coming in and giving us three and a third of solid, ice-in-his-veins innings of relief.”

“A great effort, great team win and a great way to rebound after Monday’s heartbreaker,” he added.

Cedarcrest and Coupeville close out their series at 4 p.m. Friday, April 11, in Coupeville.