The Oak Harbor High School baseball team strengthened its playoff chances when the Wildcats upset visiting Snohomish 3-0 behind Trent Benson’s six-hitter Wednesday, April 26.

Snohomish beat the Wildcats 8-1 Tuesday in the first game of the series.

Five Wesco North teams advance to the postseason, and Oak Harbor currently sits in fifth with a 4-13 record (4-15 overall). The Wildcats complete the regular season at Lynnwood (5-9, 8-9) at 6 p.m. Friday, April 28.

Marysville Getchell (3-12, 3-14) and Everett (2-12, 2-13) could pass Oak Harbor in the standings. Getchell has three league games remaining and the Seagulls four. Oak Harbor holds the tie-breaker over the Chargers; Everett owns the tie-breaker over the Wildcats.

Of Oak Harbor’s four conference wins, two were over a pair of the league’s best teams. They handed South leader Edmonds-Woodway (12-1, 13-3) its only Wesco loss, and Wednesday’s win over Snohomish (11-4, 12-5) broke the Panthers’ 10-game winning streak and kept them from moving into a tie with Arlington atop the North.

Oak Harbor 3, Snohomish 0

Had Oak Harbor not won this game, it would have been another of several this season put into the “frustrating loss” file. The Wildcats left 14 men on base, including the bases loaded four times.

Benson helped Oak Harbor avoid that disaster with a strong performance from the hill. The senior struck out three and walked two and was able to turn back the Panthers although they put a runner on in every inning. Snohomish left eight men on base. Three were stranded at third, including in the top of the seventh.

While Benson was sharp, two Snohomish pitchers were not, combining for 11 walks.

Oak Harbor scored twice in the fifth without a base hit. Thomas Anderson started the inning with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Caleb Fitzgerald. Chad Spradlin then reached on an error. Back-to-back walks to Will Davidson and Kamren Mebane forced in one run, then Spradlin scored on a wild pitch.

In the sixth, Benson doubled and then was forced home when Anderson, Austin Boesch and Mebane walked.

Oak Harbor collected only three other hits in the game, two singles by Steven Richards and one by Aiden McCarthy.

Snohomish 8, Oak Harbor 1

After Oak Harbor scored in the third, Snohomish plated three runs in its half of the inning and four more in the next to pull away.

Fitzgerald scored the Wildcats’ run, getting aboard on a walk and advancing on singles by Dylan Bailey and Benson.

Benson and Richards had two hits in the game and Mebane doubled.