It was baseball’s equivalent of “It’s a first down and more.”

Everett needed two runs to tie in the seventh inning of its softball game at Oak Harbor, and the Seagulls scored eight to win 9-4 Tuesday, April 30.

Everett blended four hits with two errors and three walks in the big inning. Sydney Taggart’s three-run triple was the big blow.

Oak Harbor tried to rally in their half of the seventh. Hannah Salmons and Lexie Findley singled, and Salmons scored on a ground out. The game ended on Shawna Steele’s long fly just short of the fence.

The Wildcats scored two runs in the first and never trailed until the seventh.

Findley led the attack with three hits. Morgan Young had two hits, including a triple and RBI. Starting pitcher Emily Saar singled in two runs and Natalie Fiallos had a hit and RBI.

Oak Harbor coach Jess Boswell said her team “lost focus and didn’t play as a team” in the seventh-inning melt down.

She added, “We did great things from innings one to six and for that part of the game the girls should be proud. If we could erase the seventh inning, we would. Everett, however, wouldn’t want that. They came together and never once gave up. They played a great last inning from top to bottom.”

The loss dropped Oak Harbor (3-7, 4-13) into fourth, one game behind Everett (4-6, 5-12) and Marysville Getchell (4-6, 6-11) and one game ahead of Stanwood (2-8, 4-13). Only the top three teams advance to the district tournament.

The Wildcats have three games left. First they go to Stanwood Friday, May 3, and then finish with two tough games. They travel to the South Division’s second-place team Shorecrest (8-2, 12-5) Monday and then host North leader Marysville-Pilchuck (6-4, 9-8) at 4 p.m. Wednesday.