The North/Central Whidbey 11/12 Little League softball team used some fifth-inning magic of its own to defeat Sedro-Woolley 8-3 Tuesday, June 28, in the second game of the District 11 tournament at Volunteer Park Fields.

The win evened the best-of-three series at a game apiece, setting up a winner-to-state game at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Oak Harbor.

In the tournament opener, Sedro-Woolley scored six runs in the fifth inning to come from behind and top the Purple Thunder 9-5.

Tuesday, North/Central Whidbey plated six runs of its own in the fifth to erase a 3-2 deficit.

Sedro-Woolley jumped to a 2-0 first-inning lead when its first four batters singled.

The Purple Thunder got one run back in the bottom of the first when Emily Wilson walked and moved around on a series of stolen bases and wild pitches.

Sedro-Woolley tacked on a run in the top of the second. North/Central Whidbey starting pitcher Macy Oliver blanked Sedro-Woolley in the third inning, and then Izzy Wells added three more scoreless innings in relief. Together, they didn’t allow a Sedro-Woolley base runner over the final four innings.

Sedro-Woolley pitcher Riley Pirkle struck out seven consecutive North/Central Whidbey batters before Layla Roberts walked in the third. After another strikeout, Oliver was hit by a pitch, Arianna Bickley walked and Kayla Carr was hit by a pitch and the Purple Thunder had their second run.

Jaden Damrill started the fifth-inning rally with a walk. After an out, Oliver, Bickley and Carr all walked, then Kayla Crocker ripped North/Central Whidbey’s only hit of the game, driving in a run.

Wells’ fielders choice resulted in two throwing errors and three runs. Walks to Megan Sumner and Abby Mulholland and an error off the bat of Wilson finished the scoring.

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Macy Oliver (29) takes off to third base while Ariana Bickley waits for the pitch from Riley Pirkle. Photo by Jim Waller.