The Oak Harbor Babe Ruth baseball team couldn’t overcome a rugged first inning and fell 15-8 to Mount Vernon Thursday, June 22, at Clover Valley Park.

The Diamond Dogs, a team of 14-year-olds, scored 10 runs in the first inning, and although Oak Harbor, a team of 13-year-olds, outscored Mount Vernon 8-5 from that point, it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the early deficit.

That wrapped up the regular season for the Wildcats. Now the league will split into two division — 13-year-olds and 14-year-olds — for the district tournament.

Oak Harbor, Sedro-Woolley and Mount Vernon will field teams in the 13s division and play a round robin tournament at Janiki Field in Sedro-Woolley next week.

Oak Harbor meets Mount Vernon at 6 p.m. Monday, June 26, and Sedro-Woolley at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The top two teams qualify for the state tournament.

Mount Vernon 15, Oak Harbor 8 (6 innings)

The Diamond Dogs’ first 10 hitters all reached base (eight hits, an error and a walk) and all scored in the first-inning explosion.

A walk to Cody Duchnowski, a hit by Will Rankin and a bunt by Gage McLeod helped Oak Harbor score two runs in the bottom of the first.

The Wildcats (6-12-1) scored four runs in the third. Shawn Day reached on an error and Chandler Gisvold and Rankin walked. A passed ball and consecutive singles by McLeod, John Blankman and Jamie Rider pushed across the four runs.

Oak Harbor added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

In the fourth, Jordan Ronning singled and eventually scored on Duchnowski’s bunt.

Three walks helped lead to the run in the fifth.

Oak Harbor recorded 11 stolen bases in the game, led by McLeod and Rankin with three each.

McLeod was also the most effective of the Wildcats’ four pitchers, allowing only one earned run and striking out four in three innings.