Facing a NCAA Division I caliber pitcher can be a daunting task with little room for error.

The Oak Harbor baseball team nearly answered the tough challenge against Marysville-Pilchuck’s Nick Haughian on Monday, before one little hiccup in the top of the fifth led to a 3-1 loss.

“We just wanted to make sure we got our hacks in,” OHHS head coach Jim Waller said. “We didn’t want the kids to get up there and be intimidated and I thought they did a good job.”

Tied 1-1 after four innings, Oak Harbor was in position to grab a victory from the University of Washington-bound Haughian.

The wheels briefly came off for the Wildcats, however, with one out in the top of the fifth. An error in the infield, a hit batter and a wildpitch, put two Tomahawk runners in scoring position. Number eight and nine hitters, Kyle McKenzie and Shawn Bennett, then came through for the Tomahawks, ripping two singles through the left side of the infield for what were the game-winning runs.

Aside from those hits, Oak Harbor pitcher Camden Schutte was in control for most of the game. He scattered just six hits, had three strikeouts and walked only one.

“He pitched very well — well enough to win,” Waller said.

Marysville took the initial lead in the top of the third after loading the bases with nobody out. Oak Harbor worked its way out of trouble turning a double play on a ground ball. A run came home to score for the Tomahawks on the play, but the Wildcats caught McKenzie in a rundown between third and home for an unconventional triple play.

Oak Harbor struck against Haughian in the bottom of the fourth. Trace Mead struck out, but advanced to first base on a passed ball. He then moved to second on a balk from the pitcher and took third on a wild pitch.

Senior Jake Jansen then stepped to the plate and came through big for the Wildcats, ripping an RBI single up the middle just over the pitcher’s head.

“It was a fastball inside,” Jansen said. “I took it right off the handle, it hurt really bad.

I swear that guy was going to catch the ball so I was pretty pumped when it got through.”

That was Oak Harbor’s only hit off Haughian, but they did manage to mount one more rally in the bottom of the seventh off relief pitcher Brandon Williams.

With one out Justin Lewis singled past the first base bag and Chris Royce followed with a bloop single. Wildcat catcher Mike Bighouse then reached on an error to load the bases with only one out. Oak Harbor’s rally quickly came to an end, however, on a hard-hit ball from Trace Mead that was turned into a game-ending double play.

“We just couldn’t get that one big hit, it would have been nice,” Waller said.

Marysville 001 020 0 – 3 6 2

Oak Harbor 000 100 0 – 1 3 1

Haughian, Williams (6) and Betz. Schutte and Bighouse. WP-Haughian. LP-Schutte (2-4). S- Williams.

MVHS 14, OHHS 10

Oak Harbor got eliminated from the playoff picture on Friday night, losing 14-10 at home to Mount Vernon.

The Bulldogs took an 11-0 lead behind six Wildcat errors and seven walks.

Despite the huge deficit, Oak Harbor did battle back into the game, bring the score to 11-8 after six innings.

Prior to last night’s game against Marysville, Oak Harbor was 6-9 in league and 9-9 overall. They close out the year today, May 11 on the road against non-league Sedro-Woolley.

Mount Vernon 253 010 3 -14 8 0

Oak Harbor 000 044 2- 10 14 6

Mosqueda, Gates (7) and Jungquist. Kays, Jansen (2), Schutte (7) and Bighouse. WP-Mosqueda. LP- Kays 2-3.