The South Whidbey Little League All Star minor team made a valiant effort against South Skagit in its first game of the series, but lost 3-2 on Monday at Community Park.

“They were a little nervous out there, a lot of pressure,” coach Bill Patterson said of the team, made up of 9- and 10-year-olds.

“It’s one thing to practice at 10 a.m. with no one around, and quite another when you come out and there’s a line of lawn chairs set up, people watching your every move,” he said.

Indeed, at least 80 South Whidbey fans were on hand, with another 60 or so rooting for South Skagit.

South Whidbey’s Charlie Patterson was on the mound, striking out eight of the first nine batters. In the fifth inning, his teammate Will Simms hit a grounder that drove in Conor Antich for the first score, 1-0.

South Skagit took the lead on two RBIs, then Patterson doubled to drive in Simms to make it 2-2.

“In the first inning we had some nerves but managed to shake them off as the game went on,” Charley said. “When I started throwing some walks in the fifth, my dad took me out. But I’m glad I was able to drive in a run for my team.”

In fact, Little League rules dictate that a pitcher, no matter how hot he is, can only throw 75 times, so Patterson left and Antich and Simms finished out the night.

Skagit scored the final run on a grounder into left field for the final, 3-2.

“Our pitchers all did an outstanding job,” coach Patterson said. “The Skagit boys are scrappy and really hung in there.”

Last year in Oak Harbor, the team beat the boys from South Skagit 2-1.

This was South Whidbey right fielder Lewis Pope’s first All Star game, and he admitted to some butterflies.

“I like to hit, but I was so nervous the first time, I struck out,” he recalled. “I did get a hit later on, but was tagged at first.”

There’s something special about an All Star game. When a South Whidbey player took an errant ball to his right ear and fell to the ground, he was instantly surrounded by coaches, parents and emergency medical staff. When he stood up, he got a round of applause from everyone watching.

At 6 p.m. tonight, the minor team plays either north or central Whidbey.

“If we play as good as we practice, we should win,” Lewis noted.

Next door at the high school’s Falcon Field, the junior South Whidbey team lost 3-2 to Central Whidbey.

“It was a tough loss, since we beat them three times this year,” said South Whidbey coach Chris Nelson. “Pitchers Colton Sterba and Patrick Monell did a great job for us.”

The score was tied 2-2 at the bottom of the sixth and the game went into extra innings.

“In the eighth, Skagit hit an inside dribbler and scored the winning run, and the final was 3-2,” Nelson said.

The championship game is set for 6 p.m. tonight at the high school field.

Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or sports@southwhidbeyrecord.com.