The Bend North Little League team won the state Little League title, advancing to the Northwest Regional tournament in San Bernardino, California. On Wednesday, they lost to Washington to just miss out on reaching the Northwest Region championship game.

The fickle tides of Little League baseball reared their ugly heads in the Northwest Regional in San Bernardino, California, on Wednesday afternoon.

Leading 5-0 heading into the fifth inning of a six-inning elimination game, Bend North Little League had its chance to reach the championship game evaporate when Washington’s West Hills Little League exploded for 14 unanswered runs in the final two innings to win 14-5.

The 12-year-old state champions from Oregon saw their All-Star season come to an end just short of reaching the Little League World Series.

“It was a great ride and a great experience,” said Bend North coach Matt Gylling. “And our kids played really well. We had opportunities to score runs and make plays, and sometimes it just doesn’t happen. I’m proud of how our boys played and persevered.

“We are so proud of the work we put in, how much they have grown as baseball players and teammates and young men,” Gylling continued. “We are just super proud of what they accomplished and are excited to see them grow in the years to come. These are memories they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Early on, everything was working in Bend North’s favor as it tried to force a rematch against Idaho’s West Valley Little League in the regional championship game Thursday evening. In the first inning, a pair of hit batters and a walk led to a run being scored on a fielder’s choice to give Bend North the early 1-0 lead.

Bend North added another run in the second inning, when once again, hit batters and walks put multiple runners on base. The game’s first hit came off the bat of Jenson Flagel to drive home Porter Cole and extend Bend’s lead to 2-0.

In the third inning, Bend North added three more runs with first baseman Cade Craveiro and Ashton Martindale highlighting the inning with a pair of RBI hits to help their team take a 5-0 lead.

Bend North needed just six more outs to reach the championship game, but Washington’s bats came alive in a big way. In the fifth inning, West Hills sent 13 batters to the plate and scored 11 runs to blow the game open. Then in the sixth inning, Washington hit two home runs to take a commanding 14-5 lead.

“At this high of a level of baseball, other teams will capitalize on your mistakes and that is what happened,” Gylling said.

Washington will take on Idaho Thursday evening in the Northwest Region championship game for a spot in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Aug. 14-25.