North and Central Whidbey District 11 Little League all-star teams got off to a slow start as the playoffs began this week.
The first club to see action was the Central Whidbey 11/12 softball team which lost twice to South Skagit at Oak Harbor’s Volunteer Park and was eliminated. Central Whidbey fell 11-1 Wednesday, June 26, and 4-0 Friday, June 28.
South Skagit went on to win the three-team tournament over Sedro-Woolley.
In Wednesday’s loss, Katrina McGranahan scored Coupeville’s lone run when she boarded on an error and stole second, third and home.
In Friday’s contest, Central Whidbey had several chances to score but couldn’t come up with a timely hit. It had runners at second and third with one out in the fourth and loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth.
Lauren Rose led off the second game with a single, Central Whidbey’s only hit.
In the 9/10 baseball tournament in Langley, Burlington-Edison defeated North Whidbey 10-1 Saturday, June 29, then added Central Whidbey to its victims’ list with a 13-6 win Sunday.
Burlington took advantage of nine walks and two hit batters to defeat North Whidbey. It scored six runs in the third on no hits thanks to seven free passes.
North Whidbey scored its lone run in the second on walks to Hayden Rude and Andrew Dixon, an error and a fielder’s choice.
Will Rankin collected the only North Whidbey hit.
Central Whidbey coach Derik Vrable called Burlington a “really good team.”
He added, “They hit, they pitched well and they made all the plays.”
Vrable said his team, for the most part, took advantage of its opportunities, adding, “We started creeping back into it late.”
North and Central Whidbey both play at 6 p.m. Monday, July 1, in elimination games. North Whidbey faces host South Whidbey, which defeated Anacortes 9-8 and lost to Sedro-Woolley 7-4.
Central Whidbey squares off with Anacortes, which topped South Skagit 18-3 after the loss to South Whidbey.
Central Whidbey’s 11/12 baseball team opens its tournament against South Skagit at 6 p.m. Monday, July 1, in Sedro-Woolley.
The North Whidbey 11/12 team gets a bye Monday then takes on the winner of Sedro-Woolley/Anacortes at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Oak Harbor is hosting the 10/11 tournament, and North Whidbey gets things started at 6 p.m. Monday, July 1, against Sedro-Woolley.
