Keeping its post-season hopes alive, the Oak Harbor High School softball team slipped by host Stanwood 2-1 Friday, May 1.

With two outs in the seventh-inning, Hannah Salmons drilled a double into the left-center field gap to score Kelly Findley, who had singled, to secure the Wildcat win.

Oak Harbor (4-7, 5-13) is in a three-way tie for second place in the North with Everett (4-7, 5-13) and Marysville-Getchell (4-7, 6-12) with two games left. Only two of the teams will earn district berths.

The Wildcats finish the regular season with a game at Shorecrest (9-2, 13-5), who is second in the Wesco South, Monday, May 6, and at home with North leader Marysville-Pilchuck (7-4, 10-8) at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The playoffs begin Tuesday, May 14.

Oak Harbor and Stanwood battled through four scoreless innings, then the Spartans pushed across a run in the fifth on a single, sacrifice and double.

The Wildcats answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Morgan Young reached on an error and scored on Findley’s single.

Oak Harbor worked out a two early bases-loaded jams.

In the first, Stanwood filled the bases with one out, then Oak Harbor pitcher Emily Saar fanned two to escape.

Saar, again, had a hand in thwarting a Spartan bases-loaded threat in the third. With one out, she snared a ground ball, threw home for the force and catcher Shawna Steele fired to first to complete the double play.