Déjà vu.

For the second time in the less than a week, the Central Whidbey Little League 9/10 baseball team lost to North Whidbey 10-9. The second game, Thursday, July 3, was in the championship game of the District 11 tournament in Sedro-Woolley.

The loss denied the Central Whidbey boys from joining the Central Whidbey 9/10 softball team at the state tournament. Earlier in the week, the softball team wrapped up the district title and qualified for state.

In both Central Whidbey baseball losses to North Whidbey, Central Whidbey fell in a deep hole early. In the first loss, it trailed 5-0 after the first inning. In Thursday’s loss, North Whidbey raced to an 8-2 second-inning lead.

From there, Central Whidbey began to chip away.

Central Whidbey scored four runs in the third inning to trim the lead to 8-6.

In the fourth, Central Whidbey squandered a chance to score when it left the bases loaded.

North Whidbey tacked on two runs in the fifth, making it 10-6.

Central Whidbey wasn’t about to quit, and with the help of hits by Drake Borden and Luke Vrable, pushed across three runs.

It needed four, however, and North Whidbey escaped with the win, title and state berth.