Oak Harbor wins district play-in game / Baseball

A four-run final inning broke open a tight game and propelled the Oak Harbor High School baseball team into the district tournament.

The Wildcats defeated host Ferndale 9-5 in a play-in game Thursday to earn a berth in the eight-team, double-elimination district playoffs.

Oak Harbor will have its hands full in the district opener, playing at top-ranked and unbeaten Arlington at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 4. The Wildcats lost three close games (1-0, 3-1, 2-1) to the Eagles during the regular season.

The second round is Tuesday, May 7.

If the Wildcats defeat Arlington, they will pay the winner of Snohomish and Shorewood at 3:30 p.m. at Everett’s Memorial Stadium.

If Oak Harbor loses to Arlington, it will play at the loser of Snohomish/Shorewood at 4 p.m.

Oak Harbor 9, Ferndale 5

The Wildcats led by only one, 5-4, heading into the seventh inning, then put up a four-spot to put away the Eagles.

Both teams made key mistakes on defense, and each team scored only one earned run in the contest.

Oak Harbor, which was aided by nine walks and five Ferndale errors, also left nine men on base.

The Wildcats did, however, get clutch at bats in the seventh when they needed them the most.

Aiden McCarthy started the Oak Harbor seventh with a walk and was replaced by courtesy runner Kyto Morrow. Morrow moved to second on an error and scored on Andrew Dixon’s base hit.

Gage McLeod bunted Dixon to second. After an out, Austin Boesch was hit by a pitch and Noah Meffert walked to load the bases. Donny Kloewer followed with another walk to force in run.

Thomas Anderson finished the rally with a two-run single.

Ferndale scored the game’s first run on a single, walk and error in the bottom of the first inning.

Oak Harbor took the lead with two runs in the third.

Dixon walked and was sacrificed to second by McLeod. Caleb Fitzgerald reached on an error, and Meffert walked with two outs to load the bases. An error off the bat of Kloewer plated Dixon, then Anderson walked to push home Fitzgerald.

An error and two singles allowed Ferndale to make it 2-2 in the bottom of the third.

Oak Harbor scored once in the fourth. With one out, Dixon singled and McLeod and Fitzgerald walked. Ferndale was called for catcher’s interference when Boesch attempted a suicide squeeze bunt, allowing Dixon to score.

The Golden Eagles took the lead, 4-3, with two runs in the bottom of the fourth on three singles.

Oak Harbor quickly regained the advantage with two runs in the fifth. Anderson reached on an error, McCarthy singled and then McLeod drove in both with a base hit. That made it 5-4, setting up Oak Harbor’s big seventh inning.

Dixon finished with two hits and three runs. McLeod, a freshman, had a productive day at the plate with a two-run single, two sacrifice bunts and a walk. Anderson had a single and three RBI, Meffert doubled and McCarthy singled.

Jack Lovendale pitched the first 5.2 innings, giving up eight hits and only one earned run. Dixon finished the game, allowing one hit.

The key to the win, according to coach Cody Anderson, was “being smart at the plate.”

“We made their guy throw a lot of pitches and then put the ball in play,” he said.

“Jack pitched a great game, and we got a good game out of our freshman (McLeod),” he added.

Oak Harbor shortstop Noah Meffert jumps to snag a line drive as second baseman Gage McLeod and left fielder Caleb Fitzgerald look on. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News-Times)