Oak Harbor finishes off Everett in 7th | AA American Legion Baseball

Four of the Oak Harbor AA American Legion baseball team’s runs in Thursday’s game were the result of extra-base hits. But the Wildcats played short ball and manufactured a run with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to claim a 5-4 victory over Everett.

“That was a very hard win to win it that way,” coach John Humphries said.

Starting pitcher Kian Mebane had a shaky top of the first inning and Everett put a pair of runs on the board to take an early 2-0 lead.

Oak Harbor came back with a double by Mebane and a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the first to tie the score.

Mebane settled down on the mound and retired six Everett batters in order before giving up a one-out single to Christian Smith in the top of the third inning.

Oak Harbor took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a one-out double by Yale Rosen followed by a swinging bunt by Nate Young and a throwing error.

Everett reclaimed the lead in what had become a see-saw battle with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth.

Taylor Bahme drew a lead-off walk and Tyler Arnsted and Smith had back-to-back singles.

Smith had three hits in the game for Everett and was intentionally walked on his fourth trip to the plate.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Kurtis Weaver led off with a triple to the base of the fence in left field and Rosen tied the game with a single through the drawn-in Everett infield to tie the score.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, the game got exciting.

J.D. Wilcox reached base on a one-out walk and Josh Higbee singled on a hit-and-run play to send Wilcox to third.

Humphries then put the steal on and Everett catcher Smith’s throw to second trying to nail Higbee was in the dirt allowing Wilcox to trot home with the game-winning run.

“When we’re not hitting, we just had to pull out all the stops, that’s why I put on the steal,” Humphries said. “Everybody’s juiced up at the end there and wants to make a play, so you never know what will happen.”

Rosen was 2-for-3 for Oak Harbor and Jason Bagby was the winning pitcher in relief, taking over from Mebane in the top of the fifth inning and holding Everett scoreless the rest of the way.

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