For the second game in a row, the Central Whidbey 11/12 Little League baseball team came from behind to secure a win in the District 11 playoffs in Sedro-Woolley, this time roaring back from eight runs down to defeat South Whidbey 10-9 in extra innings Tuesday, July 2.
The win put Central Whidbey one game from the championship, while the North Whidbey teams are still looking for their first win in district play.
The North Whidbey 10/11 baseball team lost 8-3 Monday to Anacortes and 12-2 to South Skagit Tuesday in Oak Harbor and was eliminated.
The North Whidbey 11/12 baseball team dropped its opener 11-1 to host Sedro-Woolley Tuesday and plays a loser-out game with South Skagit at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 3.
11/12 Baseball
Trailing 8-0 heading into the bottom of the third, Central Whidbey stuck for four runs with the help of a Jake Pease two-run double.
An inning later, Central Whidbey repeated the act, scoring four runs behind another two-run double by Pease to tie it.
Jered Brown took the mound in the fifth and shut out South Whidbey the rest of the way with “strong, smart pitching,” according to coach Bob Brown.
Central Whidbey loaded the bases and scored in the bottom of the seventh for the win.
Coach Brown said, “(It) was an exciting game to be a part of and proud of the team for never letting up.”
Central Whidbey plays the only other undefeated team, Sedro-Woolley, at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 4. Sedro-Woolley won both of its games 11-1.
The winner advances to the finals and will have two chances to win one game against the team that comes through the losers’ bracket to earn the championship.
North Whidbey was stung by Sedro-Woolley’s power in its four-inning, 11-1 loss Monday. Woolley belted two home runs and seven doubles in its win.
North Whidbey countered with only three hits, two singles by Brandon Wells and another from Ethan Cosper.
Sedro-Woolley homered in the first to go up 1-0, and North Whidbey tied it in the bottom of the second. Wells singled, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. After a walk to Micah Franklin, Wells scored on a double steal.
The tie didn’t last long as Sedro-Woolley scored seven runs in the third. In one stretch of five batters, Sedro-Woolley hit three doubles, a home run and another double.
Sedro-Woolley tacked on three runs in the fourth on three hits, including two more doubles.
North Whidbey plays South Skagit in a loser-out game at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 3, in Sedro-Woolley.
10/11 Baseball
South Whidbey used two big innings to sink North Whidbey 8-3 Monday.
It combined five hits and a walk to score five runs in the second and added three more runs in the fifth on two hits and two walks.
North Whidbey’s offense woke up late, scoring a single run in the fifth and two in the sixth.
In the fifth, Noah Miller doubled and scored on Logan Gonzales’ single.
In the sixth, Miranda Wilson walked and Austin Boesch singled. David Sisson tripled them home and scored on an error.
South Skagit took control early in Tuesday’s game, scoring three runs in the first and five in the second.
North Whidbey collected six hits but couldn’t string them together. Gonzales led the way with a double and single, and Dylan Roberts, Zion Bates, Boesch and Sisson all singled.
