North Whidbey falls at district tournament / 8-10 baseball

By Jim Waller • June 24, 2019 1:30 am

It was two-and-out for the North Whidbey Little League 8-10 baseball team over the weekend in the district tournament at South Whidbey’s Community Park.

North Whidbey lost to Anacortes 11-0 in four innings Saturday, June 22, and then fell to Sedro-Woolley 16-10 Sunday in the five-team, double-elimination tournament.

Anacortes 11, North Whidbey 0

Anacortes jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first inning to take control early.

“Anacortes was aggressive on the bases and we just weren’t able to get anything going with only four hits in the game,” coach Kenny Roper said.

After Anacortes took the 5-0 lead, North Whidbey tried to battle back in the bottom half of the inning as Matthew Graham and Chase Bader led off with back to back singles. The two, however, were left stranded.

North Whidbey managed only two more hits the rest of the way, a singles by Graham and Cameron Plummer in the third.

Roland Garrett reached base twice with a walk and hit by pitch.

Graham took over on the mound in the second inning and finished with seven strikeouts and cut down Anacortes in order in the third.

Sedro-Woolley 16, North Whidbey 10

After going scoreless for the first seven innings of the tournament, North Whidbey erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning against Sedro-Woolley.

The explosion erased most of Sedro-Woolley’s 9-0 lead and got NWLL back into the game.

Sedro-Woolley, however, countered with a six-run sixth to cement the win.

North Whidbey’s big fourth inning started with consecutive walks to Jack Farrell, Garrett and Connor Reed.

Heath Roper singled in one run and another scored on an error off the bat of Dirk Fleese. Graham ripped a hit to center that eluded the fielder and resulted in three runs. North Whidbey tallied three more runs after Bader was hit by a pitch, Brayden McGhee reached on an error and Cooper Hall grounded out.

North Whidbey scored twice in the bottom of the sixth when Hall walked and Garrett and Reed singled.

Roland Garrett steals second base for North Whidbey. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times)

North Whidbey first baseman Sierra Brown scoops up a ground ball and heads to first for the force out. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times)

Catcher Jack Ferrell snags an outside pitch as umpire Jim Honold looks on. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times)

Jack Ferrell slides into second base as the ball eludes the Sedro-Woolley fielder. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times)

Shortstop Conner Reed runs down a loose ball for North Whidbey. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times)

After making a diving catch, third baseman Roland Garrett jumps to his feet to throw to second to complete a double play. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times)