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.
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