Led by some good pitching by committee from relief pitchers, Jeremy Hoefer and Sam Maitland, and, not to forget starter Robert Jones, the South Highline National 10-11 All Stars team, which bounced back from a demoralizing, 7-6, last-ups loss to West Seattle two nights earlier, beat Rainier, 7-1, in the loser bracket final at Pacwest Fields Friday.

Now SHN's 10-11 all stars gets to play West Seattle again, which was a game played Saturday morning (after press time) for all the marbles of getting to represent District 7 at state.

"We can play with those guys," said manager Doug Thurber, with the winning pitcher against Rainier, Jones, standing nearby.

"We can beat them," said Jones.

Well, if it's anything like this game of one little error of insignificance in the fifth inning, by Jones of all people, SHN just might beat West Seattle. For SHN to win, it will have to be two good games, since SHN is coming through the loser's bracket already having lost once to West Seattle.

What will it take?

"Focus, making our plays, and, our bats," said Jones, who threw three and a third good innings before Hoefer came in to preserve Jones' good start and Maitland pitched well, too, with the Rainier run on the error by Jones.

"I sort of tripped when running, trying to pick it up in right field," said Jones.

"The grass is kind of lumpy out there," said Thurber, looking at Jones, defending his mistake.

"Yeah," said Jones.

But Jones was the winning pitcher and he was the first spark that burst the offense into the game for SHN against Rainier.

Even in throwing 20 pitches in the second inning, after having thrown only seven in the first inning, Jones was able to scatter the three singles in between a nice inducement of a double play ball by second baseman Tyler Morine, tossing to shortstop Andrew Lenaburg sliding a foot on the second base bag before firing to first baseman Hoefer .

"We had a couple nice double plays," said Thurber.

The nicest things, as far as SHN offense goes, came in the SHN top half of the fourth, but before that, in the top of the second, was a score off a Jones single to start things off. Then there was a Hoefer single, and a Manny Dorhofer line-drive sacrifice scored Alex Metros, who made it to first himself on a fielder's choice that got Jones out at second the play earlier to make it 1-0, SHN.

Then, in the third inning, Lenaburg singled, stole second base and on the overthrow into a place in the outfield somewhere between center field and no man's land, Lenaburg rounded third and home, 2-0.

Now we're to the fourth and what a fourth it was, just like, hey, how about a fireworks analogy because SHN exploded for five runs on six hits and all but snuffed out the lights on Rainier. Starting off, Metros singled and stole second base. Caleb Swift beat out a throw to first base so runners were at bags one and two then. Next up, Haiden Pierce pounded the ball for a RBI single to make it 3-0. Maitland ripped the cover off the ball for a three-RBI double, finding the hole between the left and centerfielder's and that ball rolled to the fence to make it 6-0. Lenaburg finished off the bat bonanza with a RBI single, 7-0.

So Jones was one to single out in this one though a whole team made this happen, of course.

"He had 3 1/3 very good innings," said Thurber.

And Jones knew how to have those good innings too.

"They (Rainier) have some good hitters," said Jones.

Added Thurber, "The No. 1 thing is keeping the ball down, right?."

"Yeah," said Jones, who would probably have been the starter, according to Thurber, if SHN could beat West Seattle last Saturday and force the if-necessary game that would have been played the following day on Sunday.

So now it will be important against a traditionally strong Little League club like West Seattle for Thurber and his assistants, Rick Morine and Rob Jones, to be emphasizing the things that win games. Thurber made note of something that could get them to taking the next step that was West Seattle's last year at this time, beating SHN in the 10-11 title game.

"Definitely not beating ourselves," he said.