The Little League postseason began Saturday, June 20, and the Whidbey Island 11/12 all-star softball team got the local teams off to a resounding start by thumping South Skagit 18-3 in four innings in the District 11 tournament in Anacortes.

The Whidbey team, which includes players from the North, Central and South Whidbey Little League programs, took advantage of walks early to run by South Skagit.

Whidbey plays Anacortes, winners over Sedro-Woolley, at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 21, in Anacortes. A win Sunday will propel Whidbey into the championship round.

In Whidbey’s win over South Skagit, Chloe Wheeler, Haley Abbott, Deanna Brooke Gilham and Audrianna Shaw all walked in the first inning, and the first three all eventually scored on wild pitches as Whidbey led 3-0.

Whidbey added five runs in the second inning, which started with two more walks (Makenna Morley and Coral Caveness). Consecutive singles by Wheeler, Scout Smith and Abbott helped push across the runs.

South Skagit scored two in the bottom of the second, making it 8-2, then Whidbey tacked on another run in the top of the third on a walk to Caveness and a hit by Loralai Snyder.

A nine-run fourth put the game out of reach. Patti Messner led the charge with two hits (one a double) in the inning. Snyder, Smith, Mackenzie Davis, Gilham and Marenna Rebischke-Smith singled in the inning, while Gilham, Madelynn Tucker and Krislyn Ramsauer walked.

All-star action in other divisions begin soon.

North and Central Whidbey will face each other at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 30,  in the opening game of the 9/10 softball District tournament at South Skagit.

The 11/12 baseball tournament, which will be played in Langley, begins at noon Saturday, July 11, when Central Whidbey meets Anacortes. The winner fill face North Whidbey at noon Sunday, July 12.

(Thora Iverson listens to first base coach Ian Somes in the big win over South Skagit. Photo by Jim Waller.)