After defeating Central Whidbey 3-2 Friday, July 12, South Whidbey will play Burlington for the District 11 Major Little League championship this weekend in Oak Harbor.
A loss to Burlington Thursday dropped South Whidbey into the losers’ bracket and forced South Whidbey to get by Central Whidbey in an elimination game to get another shot at Burlington.
Since Burlington is undefeated, South Whidbey will need to defeat the Skagit team twice to collect the district crown and earn a berth in the state tournament.
The teams will meet at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (if necessary) to determine the District 11 champion.
South Whidbey 3, Central Whidbey 2
The game wasn’t anything like the contest the two teams played against each other in the tournament opener on Monday. In that one, South Whidbey cruised to a 6-0 win as five pitchers combined to throw a one-hitter and strike out 16.
This time around, Central Whidbey put up a much bigger fight and forced South Whidbey to come from behind to snag the win.
Central Whidbey scored two runs in the third inning on a hit batter, two errors and a sacrifice to go ahead 2-0.
South Whidbey, which had 10 hits when the teams met Monday, had just one (a single by Connor Bartel in the second inning) off Central Whidbey starter Camden Glover until the fifth inning.
In the fifth, South Whidbey scored three times with two outs to take the lead. With one out, Sage Northrup singled. After another out, Bartel was hit by a pitch. Back-to-back doubles by Kasen Parsell and Grady Davis, an error and a walk to Dylan Paine put South Whidbey in front.
Parsell and Malachi Pierson struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth to cement the win.
Parsell pitched 5.2 innings and gave up three hits and no earned runs while striking out 13, including nine of the final 11 batters he faced.
After he reached his pitch limit, Bartel was replaced by Pierson, who fanned the final batter and picked up the save.
After fielding a comebacker, South Whidbey pitcher Kasen Parsell throws to first base for an out. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)
Catcher Matthew Tarantino calls for a fastball. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)
