A Knight serenade for East County Little League in Washougal

The East County Knights were serenaded as champions Wednesday, at George Schmid Memorial Park in Washougal.

The Knights slayed the East County Blue Claws in the championship game, by the final score of 14-10. The team of 9- and 10-year-olds finished the season with a record of 16-0-1.

“It was a pretty exciting night for the kids. They had a blast,” said J.D. Jones, manager of the Knights. “That was the team we’ve had the toughest time with. They have a lot of talent and a lot of heart, but our kids never got down and they played their game.

“This is the best group of kids I’ve ever coached,” Jones added. “They listened and gave 100 percent in every game and every practice. It’s just been a really fun season for our kids and our coaches.”

The Blue Claws finished third in the league standings with a record of 8-6-1. They shredded the second-place East County Storm 14-9 to advance to the championship game.

Closing ceremonies kicked off the festivities. The first-place teams from each division were awarded with trophies. The Knights were the minor baseball division champions and the East County Grasshoppers were the major division champions. The East County Mud Hens were the minor softball division champions, the East County Rebels were the major division champions and the East County Extreme were the junior division champions. Extreme coach Cori Anderson was named Coach of the Year.

“It’s great for the kids to have something on their shelves that they can look at and remember,” Jones said. “It was pretty special for all of our teams to have so many people come and watch them play. It brought a lot more pride and excitement to the game.”

All-Star teams from each division were also announced. Tournaments begin on June 25.