Meridian slips past Wolves | Baseball

A pair of two-out doubles drove in all of Meridian’s runs in the Trojans’ 4-2 non-league win over the host Coupeville High School baseball team Saturday, April 23.

A pair of two-out doubles drove in all of Meridian’s runs in the Trojans’ 4-2 non-league win over the host Coupeville High School baseball team Saturday, April 23.

Coupeville pitchers Julian Welling, who pitched the first five innings, and Matt Hilborn threw a combined four-hitter, but two of those hits proved to be the difference.

A bases-clearing double by the No. 9 hitter scored three runs for Meridian in the second inning, then a double by the No. 7 hitter in the sixth added the fourth.

The Trojans (7-9), ranked 10th in the latest 1A state poll, had only one runner in other five innings.

While Meridian belted a couple of clutch hits, Coupeville squandered several scoring opportunities. The Wolves left the bases loaded in the second inning and had a runner at second with no outs in two others.

After the Trojans scored three runs in the top of the second, Coupeville plated one in its half. Welling walked and courtesy runner Joey Lippo scored on Kory Score’s double. Score was left at second after three consecutive strikeouts.

Coupeville finished with seven hits and four came in a row with two outs in the third as CJ Smith, Cole Payne, Welling and Score strung together singles to tally the Wolves’s other run.

Score led off the sixth with his third base hit, then Gabe Wynn singled. A pop out and line-drive double play ended the threat.

“Great game,” Coupeville coach Marc Aparicio said. “Both teams had great defense. We threw our No. 3 pitcher, sophomore Julian Welling, (and) he did great.”

Coupeville (4-0, 7-8) will try to hold on to its Olympic League lead when it plays three conference games this week. The Wolves host Chimacum (1-3, 4-8) at 3:30 Monday, April 25, and Port Townsend (0-4, 0-11) at 4 p.m Friday, April 29. They go to Klahowya (3-1, 12-3) at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 27.

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Kory Score pulls in a pop up in Saturday’s game. Photo by John Fisken.