Pacific Little League to play in winner-take-all state final

Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 28, 2018

Herald staff

SEDRO-WOOLLEY — The Washington State Little League Baseball championship will proceed to a winner-take-all final game for the right to advance to the Northwest Region Championship next week.

Pacific Little League, which is comprised of Edmonds and Lynnwood players, fell 7-6 to a team from West Seattle on Saturday at Tesarik Memorial Field. It was Pacific’s first loss in the tournament, and it could have clinched a berth at regionals with a victory.

Pacific and West Seattle will take the field at 2 p.m. Sunday to continue on the road to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The regional tournament begins Aug. 5 at the Little League Western Region Headquarters Complex in San Bernardino, California.

“Both teams had their chances, both teams made a few mistakes and both pitchers pitched well enough to win,” Pacific head coach Joey Webster said. “We just couldn’t get a big inning going.”

Webster said his team loaded the bases with one out or fewer in three different innings, but only pushed across one run in those situations.

Trailing 7-2, Pacific scored twice in the fifth to make it 7-4 and twice in the sixth and final inning to make it a one-run game, but stranded runs on second and third to end it.

“Their starter was really good, and he’s their number one for a reason,” Webster said. “We did a great job of fighting hin and eventually got him out. We had some chances against their reliever but couldn’t cash in.”

Webster said he is undecided on a starting pitcher for Sunday’s climactic battle, which will be the third meeting between Pacific and West Seattle in four days.

Pacific won 8-4 Thursday before falling short in Saturday’s matchup.