Marc Aparicio, Coupeville High School’s new baseball coach, received an early indication of the stresses of the job when his team eked out a 13-12 in over Concrete Wednesday, March 16, at Sherman Field.

Cole Payne slashed a single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive in the winning run, helping the Wolves overcome a sixth-inning melt down.

Coupeville scored five runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to take what seemed to be a comfortable 12-5 lead heading into the final inning.

The Lions tied the game as they rallied for seven runs and left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, adding a few gray hairs to Aparicio’s beard.

Coupeville committed four errors to fuel the Lions’ comeback.

Unfazed, the Wolves scored the game winner in their half of the inning. Ty Eck, down 0-2, battled back for a walk. Hunter Smith also walked, and when a passed ball allowed the runners to advance, Concrete chose to intentionally walk C.J. Smith to set up a force at each base. Payne then drilled a 3-1 pitch through the box for the win.

“It was a fun, good game,” Aparicio said, patting his chest over his heart. “Perseverance — that’s the word we talked about after the game. We hung in there.”

Aparicio also liked how is club “got all the calls down” after a few mixups in the season-opening loss to Sultan Monday.

“People were doing what they were supposed to do,” he said.

Coupeville took an early lead with a run in the first.

The Smith brothers each reached on an error, and Payne walked to load the bases. After two outs, Matthew Hilborn walked on a full count to force in a run.

The Wolves made it 2-0 in the third. Payne walked, stole second, moved to third on Dane Lucero’s single and scored on a passed ball.

Concrete used two walks and two doubles to score three times in the fourth. Three walks and an error helped the Lions add another run in the fifth and go up 4-2.

In the fifth, Eck and Hunter Smith walked and C.J. Smith singled to load the bases.

Payne singled in two runs and Lucero and Joey Lippo each singled in another for a 6-4 lead.

A walk, single and two errors allowed Concrete to add a run in the sixth.

Coupeville countered with five runs. Two walks, a hit batter, an error, a single by Matt Hilborn and a double by Payne sparked the inning.

Payne finished the day 3-for-4 with a double, five RBI and three runs.

“Cole, if I had to pick one, would be the player of the game,” Aparicio said.

Besides this big day at the plate, Payne, the catcher, “called a good game,” Aparicio said. “He talked to his pitchers and certainly was a leader today.”

Aparicio also like the work of Hilborn, who pitched the rugged seven-run seventh inning.

Hilborn “kept his composure” even when his defense was making mistakes, Aparicio said.

Coupeville (1-1) plays the Lions (0-1) again at 4 p.m. Friday, March 18, in Concrete.