By Tim Clinton

SPORTS EDITOR

A pummeled first pitch paved the way to a 9-5 victory for PacWest over South Highline National in the District 7 Majors age 10-12 Little League baseball championship Saturday.

Wybrand Barron of PacWest launched the game's initial offering over the fence in left center field to give his team a lead it never relinquished.

"He led off three or four games with home runs this year," said PacWest manager Luke Hagler. "It gets the kids going."

Barron also dropped a high fly over the center field fence for a solo home run and a 3-0 lead in the top of the second and teammate Lamont Richardson hit a three-run shot out to right in the sixth to turn a still close 4-2 game into a 7-2 contest at the time.

"We probably have eight or nine kids who can get into a ball," Hagler said. "It's a very solid group of kids. We also have good pitching and defense, and it's nice to have a lot of depth on the team, too. It's very helpful."

PacWest hopes to continue its wild ride when it advances to the state tournament at the Federal Way National complex that opens Saturday, July 15.

"We took third in the state when we were 11's last year," Hagler said. "We set a goal to reach for the stars one game at a time. Our goal is to win state and this is the first step. We'll see what we can do down there."

The winner of the state tournament gets a trip to San Bernardino, Calif. for regionals and the winner there goes to the World Series in Williamsport, Penn.

But South Highline National presented a bit of a problem after coming all the way back through the loser's bracket following its opening 13-5 loss to PacWest to earn the right at a rematch.

National needed two wins to take the District 7 title, while PacWest was determined to end it in one championship game.

After Barron started off the game with his home run, Zak Ufford singled and came around on a Micah Hagler double and a ball hit into an error by Zach Hatcher.

National left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first before Barron blasted his second home run with two out and nobody on in the top of the second.

National got one of the runs back in the bottom of the second when Andy Perovich walked and came around on singles by Jack Sun and Coleman Hollabaugh.

Richardson and Hatcher hit into outfield errors for another PacWest run in the third that made it 4-1, but another run was cut down when Hatcher was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Jeffrey Joe while trying to score on a Kaleb Fitzpatrick single.

National scored one run in the bottom of the inning and also had a runner thrown out at the plate.

Peter Hollabaugh walked and Andrew Kubik and Joe singled to load the bases for Austin Wade, who hit a would-be sacrifice fly to Barron in center. But Barron threw out Hollabaugh instead.

Kubik went to third on the play and Andy Pervoich walked to load the bases for Mason Quijano, who was hit by a pitch to force in the run.

The score remained at 4-2 before PacWest mounted a five-run rally in the sixth, with Richardson's three-run home run being the big blow.

The surge turned out to be much needed for PacWest as National rallied for three in the bottom of the inning.

Tanner Jackson singled and Coleman Hollabaugh doubled ahead of a three-run home run to left center by Mason Hayes.

But Ufford took the mound after the shot with one down and got the final two outs on a grounder to shortstop and a strikeout.

Brandon Barron and Greg Hatcher assist Hagler as coaches and the PacWest president is Mitch Stone, while the National manager was Bjorn Jackson, the coaches were Mead Fenton and Nick Perovich and the league president is Ryan Laurencio.

PacWest players are Wybrand Barron, Brandon Bernard, Ian Chilson, Diego Cigarroa, Kaleb Fitzpatrick, Jack Gorney, Micah Hagler, Zachary Hatcher, Sam Hostetter, Cameron Keller, Zach McFarlane, Damico Parker Jr., Lamont Richardson and Zak Ufford.

National players were Cole Fenton, Mason Hayes, Coleman Hollabaugh, Peter Hollabaugh, Tanner Jackson, Jeffrey Joe, Andrew Kubik, Andy Perovich, Mason Quijano, Fernando Sanchez, Jack Sun and Austin Wade.