The Oak Harbor Babe Ruth baseball team cleared a big hurdle in its attempt to secure a berth in the state 13-year-old tournament with a 6-1 win over Mount Vernon in the district tournament in Sedro-Woolley Monday, June 26.

Oak Harbor, Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley are competing in a round-robin playoff to determine which two teams advance to the state tournament.

Oak Harbor meets host Sedro-Woolley at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 27. Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley finish the tournament Wednesday.

If the three teams tie, the state slots will be determined by run differential.

Oak Harbor used a four-run fourth inning to do most of its damage in the win over Mount Vernon. Three walks, an error and a single by Will Rankin produced the four runs.

The Wildcats scored their first run in the bottom of the first inning on singles by John Blankman and Ethan Abbott.

The game stayed 1-0 until the four-run fourth.

Mount Vernon picked up its run in the top of the fifth, then Oak Harbor added its last run in the bottom half of the inning. Cody Duchnowski walked and eventually scored on Brock Boyer’s sacrifice fly.

Blankman, Rankin, Abbott and Gage McLeod recorded Oak Harbor’s only hits in the game.

Boyer finished with three stolen bases.

Blankman was the winning pitcher, throwing a five-hitter with two strikeouts.

Brock Boyer steals second base standing up in Monday’s win. Boyer finished with three stolen bases in the game. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times)

Cody Duchnowski leans out of the way of a high and inside pitch. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times)