South Whidbey uses no-hitter to advance in district tournament / 10-12 baseball

By Jim Waller • July 11, 2019 1:30 am

After firing a one-hitter at Central Whidbey in the opening game of the Major Little League District 11 tournament Monday, July 8, in Oak Harbor, South Whidbey backed that stellar performance with an even better one — a no-hitter in Tuesday’s 11-1 victory in four innings over North Whidbey.

The wins over its island rivals lifted South Whidbey into the semifinals against Burlington at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at Oak Harbor’s Windjammer Park.

If South Whidbey defeats Burlington, it will advance to the championship series, which is 2 p.m. Saturday (and Sunday, if necessary). There it will face the survivor of the losers’ bracket, which will have to beat South Whidbey twice to take the district title and the berth into the state tournament.

If South Whidbey loses to Burlington, it will face either Anacortes, Central Whidbey or North Whidbey at 6 p.m. Friday, July 12. That winner would then have to defeat Burlington twice over the weekend to claim the district crown.

South Whidbey 11, North Whidbey 1

Pitchers Kasen Parsell, Malachi Pierson and Grady Davis combined to toss the no-hitter. Parsell struck out four and Pierson and Davis two each.

North Whidbey scored its lone run in the second inning on four walks.

South Whidbey took control of the game early, scoring four times in the bottom of the first inning. Dylan Paine walked, Connor Bartel reached on an error, Parsell singled and Davis tripled to get things started.

In the second inning, South Whidbey tacked on three more runs as Sage Northrup reached on an error, Cohen Criswell walked, Bartel singled and Davis doubled.

South Whidbey ended the game in the fourth when it scored four runs to put the mercy rule into action. Pierson, Jaden Adragna, Northrup and Parsell all singled, while Paine and Davis added doubles.

Davis finished with three hits — two doubles and a triple.