Oak Harbor’s Kaylee Andersen doesn’t like to lose, even if she finished among the top 100 in the United States.

Andersen competed in the regional finals of Major League Baseball’s Pitch, Hit and Run contest at Safeco Field following the Seattle Mariners’ game Sunday, June 21.

Andersen finished third in her division behind Haley Loffer of Hayden, Idaho, and Reilley Kellner from Langley, B.C.

Andersen, 14, qualified for the event by winning the sectional in Snohomish and posting one of the three best scores in the 13-14 age division from all of the sectionals held in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia.

Andersen called the opportunity to compete at Safeco Field a “good experience,” but added, “I’m competitive; I don’t like to lose.”

To avoid losing again, she said, she will develop a different “mind set.”

“I need to work a little harder,” Andersen said. “There are a lot of things I need to work on. I need to keep getting better and better; there is always something I can do better.”

The participants ran for time from second base to home plate, hit off a tee three times for distance and accuracy, and threw six times at a strike zone sized target from 35 feet.

The scores of the winners at each of the 30 Major League ballparks will be compared and the best will be invited to the finals in Cincinnati during the All-Star Game festivities July 13 and 14.

Did Andersen get any solace out of knowing she was one of only 90 in the country to reach this level of the competition?

“A little, I guess,” she said, quickly adding, “Winning would have been better.”

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Kaylee Andersen runs the bases and hits off a tee at Safeco Field Sunday. Photos by John Fisken.