Central Whidbey will get a rematch with North Whidbey in the finals of the 9/10 Little League District 11 tournament in Sedro-Woolley.

Central Whidbey overcame early mistakes to defeat Burlington 16-9 Wednesday, July 2, to set up the all-Whidbey showdown.

The win over Burlington ended a run through the consolation bracket and earned a spot in the finals with North Whidbey.

Central Whidbey needs to beat North Whidbey twice to claim the crown and earn a trip to state.

The first game is 6 p.m. Thursday, July 3. The second, if necessary, is 11 a.m. Saturday.

North Whidbey nipped Central Whidbey 10-9 earlier in the tournament.

In the Burlington game, errors and base-running miscues allowed Burlington to go up 3-1.

In the bottom of the third inning, Central Whidbey tied the score at 4 when two runs scored on a passed ball with Ty Hamilton at the plate.

“Just when I was starting to grow more gray hair,” coach Steve Hilborn said, “the bats (came alive) in the bottom of the fourth.”

Consecutive two-out hits by Scott Hilborn, Luke Vrable, Hawthorne Wolfe, Xavier Murdy, Cody Roberts and Caleb Meyer put CW up 9-4.

A six-run fifth sealed the win.

Scott Hilborn started on the mound for Central Whidbey, followed by Vrable, “who pitched a few good innings,” coach Hilborn said.

Drake Borden relieved Vrable, facing the final hitter.

Murdy finished the game with a “fantastic barehanded play,” coach Hilborn said, on a ball that deflected off Borden.