All three contests in the Oak Harbor/Marysville-Pilchuck baseball series followed a similar script, unfortunately the Wildcats dropped two of the three games.

In the series finale Friday, April 17, in Oak Harbor, the Tomahawks scored all the game’s runs in the top of the eighth inning for a 6-0 win.

The other two games were also close until one of the teams put together a big inning late for the win.

Friday’s win helped Marysville-Pilchuck (6-1, 9-3) hold on to first place in the Wesco 3A North; an Oak Harbor (4-3, 6-5) win would have knotted the two teams atop the standings.

Oak Harbor’s Avery Aguirre and M-P’s Parker House tangled in a pitcher’s duel.

House was particularly tough, taking a perfect game into the fifth inning. In that inning, Oak Harbor registered two of its three hits and most likely would have scored but committed a base-running blunder. That run could have saved the game from going to extra innings and earned Oak Harbor a 1-0 win.

House finished with five strikeouts and one walk.

Aguirre used off-speed pitches and control to keep the Tomahawks off balance, scattering six hits with two strikeouts and a walk in six-plus innings.

Trent Benson relieved Aguirre with two on in the seventh inning, and Tyler Snavely took over midway through the eighth.

The Wildcats’ defense helped recreate a mess in the eighth inning, committing two errors in the first three batters. Three hits and a walk followed as the Tomahawks plated six runs. All the runs were unearned.

“I thought we pitched well,” Oak Harbor coach Tyson VanDam said. “Avery pitched to contract and did a good job.”

Robert Herring rapped two of Oak Harbor’s three hits; Clay Doughty had the other.

Oak Harbor plays Stanwood (3-4, 5-7) three times this week at 4 p.m. The Tuesday and Friday games are in Stanwood; Wednesday the teams meet in Oak Harbor.