MOUNT VERNON — The recipe to win a district baseball championship is simple.

A complete game on the mound, a few swings of the bat, a routine pop fly catch and a throw to second base won the game for South Whidbey.

Josiah Sergeant and Charlie Patterson secured a 2-0 victory for South Whidbey’s 11- and 12-year-old Little League All-Stars against South Skagit on both ends Friday night.

Patterson pitched a complete game. It was only his third start after he injured his throwing arm in the first game of the season.

“I was in control,” Patterson said. “I was coming back from an arm injury and I felt pretty good.”

In the top of the sixth inning, South Whidbey led 1-0 as the rain changed from a sprinkle to a shower. South Whidbey coach Eddie Sergeant needed another run to breathe easier.

Will Simms hit a lead-off pop fly to South Skagit shortstop Cooper Tobiason. That’s one out; two more remained.

Patterson hit a line-drive single to right field. Sergeant, South Whidbey’s first baseman, stepped into the batter’s box and took a ball low and outside that passed South Skagit catcher Carsen Goodman. Patterson advanced to second base on the passed ball. Then, with the defenders playing tight and a gap between first and second base, Sergeant slapped a single through the gap to score Buchanan from second base — the first run scored since the top of the first inning.

“I was going home all the way, but coach (Sergeant) sent me and I felt pretty pumped up when I touched home. I was really proud,” Patterson said.

South Whidbey led 2-0 after the “insurance run,” as Sergeant called his second RBI.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play — do something — and hit the ball,” Sergeant said. “It’s like one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”

The threat of South Skagit’s offense was far from over. Three outs away from returning to the state Little League tournament, Patterson looked to close out the game.

Skagit substituted starting pitcher Logan James back into the game to lead off the inning.

Patterson worked James to a pitcher’s count at one ball and two strikes. James connected on a fastball over the middle of the plate for a single past shortstop Connor Antich. South Skagit’s bench and bleachers erupted in celebration and anticipation of a sixth-inning rally. After all, Skagit only trailed by two runs.

Skagit left fielder Colby Hollands hit a single past Antich into left field. The third base crowd cheered, whistled and crashed the fences with excitement.

Patterson threw a low fastball that Skagit batter Goodman popped up into foul territory behind first base. Sergeant tracked it: one step, two steps back; two steps to his left; one step back. He put his glove above his head, arched back to see the ball as rain fell on his face. The ball dropped straight into the pocket of his glove.

“I just ran over to catch it and the guy was way off the base,” Sergeant said.

Sergeant heard his coaches and teammates yelling to throw to second base, where James took an unnecessary lead halfway to third base. Sergeant threw to Antich and converted a double play, eliminating a potential game-winning hit.

“That was big; that was huge,” Patterson said. “That got me going to get the last guy.”

Skagit right fielder Josiah Nelsen grounded to Whidbey third baseman Max Divina. Divina routinely threw one of the most important outs of his Little League career to Sergeant for the third and final out of the game — the out that sent South Whidbey to the state tournament in Vancouver.

Sergeant had both RBIs. The first run came in the top of the first inning. Will Simms was on third base with two outs when Sergeant hit a double into left field to score Simms.

“I’m glad I could be a part of it,” Coach Sergeant said, as tears welled in his eyes, of watching his son Josiah hit both RBIs and make the double play.

Patterson got into a few potential costly innings. He put two batters on first and second base in the bottom of the second inning. A fielder’s choice by Simms at second base and two strikeouts brought South Whidbey out unscathed.

In the fourth inning, Patterson opened the bottom half with a called strikeout against Zavala. He walked Hollands after a full count. Skagit’s Goodman fell to a 2-2 count to Patterson and fouled off five more pitches before popping out to Patterson off the mound by third base. Patterson ended the inning by striking out Nelsen.

Errors in the fifth inning almost cost South Whidbey the game. Skagit first baseman Zach Douglas hit a grounder to Simms at

second base which he bobbled as he fielded it, allowing Douglas to reach first base. A pinch runner was put in for Douglas before a fly out kept the runner on first. A fielder’s choice to Sergeant was relayed to second base to force out the lead runner, but Antich dropped the catch in transition for a double play — both runners were safe.

Skagit’s lead-off batter, Ryan Schubkegel, hit a sacrifice bunt down the third base line to Divina, who threw him out at first. With runners on second and third base, Skagit reserve Bryson Smith grounded out to Antich’s throw from shortstop to first base.

“Give South Skagit credit, they battled those last couple of innings, got some guys on base, but we rose to the occasion,” Coach Sergeant said.

Charlie Patterson pitched the complete game in 77 pitches and tallied six strikeouts, and allowed five hits and walked one batter.

The win and return to the state tournament was meaningful for South Whidbey’s coach. Sergeant coached most of this team on last year’s 10- and 11-year-old All-Star team that also went to the state Little League tournament.

“I get emotional as I talk about it because it’s a special group of kids,” Coach Sergeant said. “And I’ve just been incredibly blessed to be able to work with them and be part of this.”

South Whidbey plays Spokane South, the District 13 champions, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 23 at Fort Vancouver Little League Complex on the south field. The winner plays the host team from District 6, Salmon Creek All-Stars, at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 24.