With two outs and no one on in the bottom of the seventh, the South Skagit Junior Baseball (13/14) all-star team rallied for two runs to defeat North Whidbey 7-6 at Fort Nugent Park Sunday, July 1.

The two teams clash again at 6 p.m. Monday at Fort Nugent in the second of the best-of-three series to determine which team from District 11 heads on to the state tournament.

While South Skagit rallied at the end to get the win, North Whidbey had to come back twice to get the lead.

South Skagit scored two runs in each of the first two innings to go up 4-0.

After what NWLL coach Shawn Philp called a “cold” and “nervous” start for his team over the first few innings, NWLL scored three in the third to get back in the game. Avery Aguirre doubled, Dominic Jones sacrificed, Cory Score reached on an error, then consecutive singles by Chris Levy, Brandon Philp and Zack VanHeuklom produced the three spot.

South Skagit tacked on a run in the fourth, then NWLL took the lead, 6-5, with another three runs in the fifth without a hit.

With two outs in the seventh, South Skagit strung together a double, single and double to net the victory.

Score and Cooper Stone each finished with two hits for North Whidbey, and Chris Levy, Brandon Philp, VanHeuklom, Aguirre and Jones had one each.

NWLL coach Shawn Philp said starting pitcher Aguirre “did a really good job” and “pulled us through five innings.”

He was also pleased with his team’s two double plays, one unassisted by first baseman Score.