The Juanita High baseball team might not have knocked off the league leaders on Friday on Mercer Island, but the Rebels at least got the chance to play spoiler — and get a taste-test before the upcoming league tournament.

Christian Blackburn’s double in the top of the sixth inning broke up a no-hit bid from Mercer Island’s Harrison Goonewardene and Andrew Pickles, but the Islanders pulled out a 6-1 victory to clinch the 3A KingCo title for the first time since 2010.

Mercer Island (16-3 overall, 16-2) scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, small-balling six hits out of Juanita starter Carter Rusch.

JD Worchester and Dexter Mell pitched the next five innings for Juanita (7-13, 7-11), allowing four hits and two earned runs.

Goonewardene struck out 11 of 16 batters through five innings with one walk — Jayson Schroeder in the top of the fourth inning. Pickles allowed two hits and struck out four batters in the final two innings.

Cody Wilson had the lone RBI for the Rebels.

Next, as the No. 4 seed from the 3A KingCo League, Juanita is scheduled to take on the No. 1 seed — Mercer Island — at 10 a.m. on May 7 at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue in the first round of the league tournament.