Payless Food Store was the top seeded co-ed softball team for a reason.

The Freeland grocery store-sponsored softball sluggers showed why at the South Whidbey Parks & Recreation District playoffs Friday and Saturday en route to a league title. Payless squeaked past Clinton Foodmart in back-to-back games, 2-1 and 3-2, for the title.

The nine-team tournament featured squads sponsored by Central and South Whidbey businesses like Hanson’s Building Supply, Frontier Building Supply, Clinton Foodmart, Whidbey Getaways, Wells Fargo, A/C Electric/Ebey Bowl, Carols Coffee Barn and Island Closet Systems. With matching shirt colors (some times), clear skies and cut grass, the teams took to three of the fields Friday night and Saturday morning at South Whidbey Community Park.

Clinton Foodmart’s team beat two-time defending champion A/C Electric/Ebey Bowl to advance to the championship games.