The game was a 10-inning thriller, but it wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t a win for the Coupeville High School baseball team.
The Wolves fell 7-6 to visiting Lynden Christian Tuesday, March 31.
A blown lead was balanced by a nice comeback, but poor base running, defensive miscues, questionable calls, a lack of timely hits and a fit of wildness produced an ugly finish for the Wolves.
The final inning typified the day for Coupeville.
An error and three walks resulted in the winning run for the Lyncs in the top of the 10th inning.
Coupeville countered by getting its leadoff hitter on in the bottom half of the 10th, but two base-running errors on the same play resulted in a “unique double play” that ended the threat, Coupeville coach Willie Smith said.
The game got off to a promising start for the Wolves.
RBI singles by Kyle Bodamer and Carson Risner gave Coupeville a 2-0 first-inning lead.
In the third, the Wolves made it 3-0 after Aaron Curtin singled and eventually scored on an error off the bat of C.J. Smith.
Then “the wheels fell off,” coach Smith said, in the top of the fourth.
After two walks and two errors, the Lyncs tied it at 3-3.
An inning later, Lynden Christian scored three more runs on four Coupeville errors.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Clay Reilly stroked a run-scoring single and Hunter Smith walked with the bases loaded to get the Wolves within one, 6-5.
Coupeville tied it in the sixth. Cole Payne singled, stole second and scored on Curtin’s double.
From that point, LC pitcher Marc Meenderinck blanked the Wolves, although Coupeville left seven runners stranded over the final four innings, including leaving the bases loaded with one out in the eighth.
The game wasn’t all bad for the Wolves. Curtin finished 4-for-6 with a double, run and RBI. He also pitched the final five innings, striking out seven and allowing only one run.
Kyle Bodamer went 2-for-4 with a run batted in.
Starter Aaron Trumbull pitched 4.2 innings and had three strikeouts. Only two of the six runs he surrendered were earned.
Coupeville (2-4) travels to Cedarcrest (5-1) at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 2.
