After a 10-year absence, Coupeville rejoined the area Legion summer baseball league; however, the Merchants, an A-level team, got off to a rugged start with a pair of losses to South Whidbey.

The Merchants fell 9-6 at home Monday, May 21, and 14-4 in Langley Friday, May 25.

Coupeville coach Willie Smith said after playing poorly in the first game, his club performed better in the second match but couldn’t come up with timely hits.

“The difference in the game,” he said after Friday’s contest, “was when they (South Whidbey) got men on, they were able to get them home.”

In the opener, South Whidbey jumped to a 6-0 lead before Coupeville got back in the game with a four-run fourth. Josh Bayne and Wade Schaef started the inning with singles. After an out, Morgan Payne was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After another out, a single by Aaron Trumbull and a double by Aaron Curtin pushed across the four runs.

Over the next two innings, the Falcons added three runs to go up 9-4.

The Merchants cut into the lead with two runs in the sixth. Jake Tumblin and Payne walked and eventually scored on ground outs.

Payne led the offense by going 2-for-3.

In Friday’s five-inning game, South Whidbey scored 14 runs on nine hits, five walks, five errors and six hit batters.

Three walks, a hit batter and an error gave South Whidbey the game’s first three runs in the second.

Coupeville grabbed the lead in the fourth with four runs. Bayne walked, and then with one out, Tumblin doubled. After the second out, Curtin lined a two-run single.  Kurtis Smith was hit by a pitch and Trumbull and Kyle Bodamer boarded on errors. Brendan Coleman’s single finished the Merchants’ scoring.

South Whidbey scored five in the fourth and six in the fifth to run away with the win.