Getting all the way to the championship is good, of course. Winning it is better than that, and, sorry to say for those thinking the next words would be good, but the former and not the latter would be South Highline National's fate in 2007.

Losing in the title game to West Seattle, 13-3, in the Washington State District 7 Little League 10 and 11 year old All Star Tournament at Bar S Playfield Saturday was not so great.

West Seattle will represent District 7 in the Washington State tournament starting in mid-July in Kirkland.

Tough game?

"Yeah," said Riley McCoy, who pitched this game and made it so his SHN teammates and himself could have won if the bats had offensively done more than one inning of scoring runs all game long.

But, back to McCoy, it wasn't as tough as last year for this kid.

"I pitched one pitch to this (West Seattle) team last year here and they won the game off that pitch," said McCoy.

So it wasn't as bad as last year for sure, even though it was bad?

Losing is never good is it?

"Yeah, no, I didn't have to have that happen this time," said McCoy, who came in to stop the bleeding in the third with the score already 6-3 in favor of West Seattle .

The score was 4-0 West Seattle after the bottom of the second inning, four runs on two hits that inning for the foe to start the scoring off in this game. South Highline National quickly battled back in their bottom half of the second, scoring three runs on three hits. Joey Hignite led off with a single looped into center field.

McCoy drew a walk and others helped SHN score including Brian Huynh, getting the score to 4-3 on a sacrifice fly. But, with one out, and three in the next two batters, grounded and struck out and that was it. Literally, the offense completely stalled after that for SHN, no more runs scored. Besides, McCoy's leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth, no batters hit the ball but for Brandon Scott's single and a close but no cigar out for Andrew Baca, who hit the ball almost over the left field fence in the same inning for SHN.

And West Seattle came up next, in what was a one-run game at the time. And they quickly changed that by getting back-to-back singles and a couple runs in. And, with the score, 6-3, the first SHN pitcher was pulled. McCoy came in and allowed one run, but that was a run charged to the other pitcher before him. McCoy pitched well, getting out of that inning with West Seattle leading, 7-3, no earned runs on his ledger and he came in with three runners on and no outs before stopping the bleeding.

McCoy then shut down West Seattle in the third and fourth innings, too, for no runs, before West Seattle scored two more in the top of the fifth. And, both were unearned, scored off errors. A SHN infielder's throw to home was not to the glove of Hignite, who outstretched for the ball but could not jump and reach high enough. Not one but two runs scored on that play as the ball caromed off home plate a long ways.

The game was over then, for all practical purposes, six runs down, and West Seattle scored four more runs in the top of the sixth off McCoy, but, by then, it would be hard for any pitcher to maintain complete concentration down so many runs.

So, McCoy pitched great this game. Period.

McCoy noted that he was not a great pitcher during the season but really got better in the second half of the season as he was able to change things.

"I was helped more with my pitching," McCoy said.

He pitched one other game completely in the all stars for 10-11 this year, beating Pac-West, 13-2, as the winning pitcher.

Of West Seattle, McCoy said, "They all can hit and they have some good pitchers. They were hitting low strikes that were mostly pitched by me down the middle and inside."

But this was, although not the best, certainly not as bad as last year and McCoy and these SHN teammates of his hopefully will improve, with even more help. And that will mean success at the next level Majors, or, for some of these younger players, perhaps, still again at the 10-11 level next year at this time.

So, this experience was good?

"Yeah, this was good experience," said McCoy.

Losing is a good experience? Did we all hear that right?

"Yeah."

Players for the SHN 10-11 all stars for 2007 were Ryan Alfrejd, Andrew Baca, Adam Badley, Ben Clayton, Jimi Fay, Colin Gillies, Joey Hignite, Brian Huynh, Micah Lorenz, Riley McCoy, Brandon Scott and Tanner Seramur. The manager was Jim McLaughlin and Dave Scott was the coach.