Lacking a timely hit, the Coupeville High School baseball team fell 3-1 to top-ranked Klahowya Wednesday, April 29, at Robert Sherman Field.

Wolves’ pitcher C.J. Smith did his job in keeping Coupeville in the game, limiting the undefeated Eagles (5-0, 14-0) to their lowest run total of the season. The Wolves, however, collected only one hit (a first-inning, leadoff single by Cole Payne) and struck out 11 times.

“C.J. was very good on the mound; he kept them extremely off balance, striking out four while walking just two,” coach Willie Smith said. “Three of the hits they got were Texas leaguers that they were able to muscle just out of the reach of our guys, so even their hits were off of great pitches.

“I was extremely pleased with his poise on the mound and his ability to pitch around some errors and not let it get to him.”

Although the Wolves had only one hit, they had several opportunities to score.

In the first after Payne singled, he and was bunted to second but was left stranded.

A hit batter and catcher’s interference put two on with two out in the third inning, but a fly out ended the threat.

In the sixth inning, the Wolves scored. Payne and Josh Bayne walked and moved up  on a ground out. A wild pitch on a squeeze play allowed Payne to score. That was followed by a slow groundout that could have scored a run, but the Wolves failed to take advantage of the opportunity. Aaron Trumbull walked and stole second, putting runners at second and third with two outs, but a strikeout ended the inning.

Klahowya took advantage of several Coupeville defensive miscues to score its runs. In the third inning, a single, followed by a passed ball and error, turned into the game’s first run.

The Eagles scored their other runs in the fourth, the first coming on a botched rundown.

“We played much better,” coach Smith said. “Even though all three of their runs were unearned, what we didn’t do is roll over and implode, which we have been doing lately. So, in that respect, our mental game was much better, and to be honest, it was just a really good pitchers duel that we fell one hit short of getting the better of them.”

The Wolves (3-3, 7-8) head to Port Townsend (1-4, 1-10) at 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 1.