Bend North Little League celebrates after its 7-6 win over Washington Thursday night to advance to the Northwest Regional final in San Bernardino, California.

The Bend North Little League softball team is on its way to the Little League World Series after beating Montana 8-4 Friday evening.

Lily Christensen hit a three-run home run in the second inning and Jessie Berry’s bases-clearing triple put Bend North on top in the fourth inning, and they would not look back.

The team will travel to North Carolina to take on regional champions from across the country. It almost didn’t happen.

How close was Bend North Little League softball team to being bounced from the Northwest Regional in San Bernardino? About one step short of a Little League World Series berth. The umpiring crew might still be trying to figure out if Claire Phillips touched third base.

Bend North, the champions from Oregon won in thrilling (perhaps odd) fashion, beating South Hill Little League of Puyallup, Washington, 7-6 Thursday evening.

Bend North faced Boulder Arrowhead Little League of Billings, Montana, in the Northwest Regional title game Friday night. Montana handed Bend North its only loss of the tournament, winning 7-2 on Wednesday.

“That was unbelievable,” said a still-stunned Bend North coach Kevin Guiney after the game.

“That was a roller coaster of emotions.”

Both Bend and Washington entered the sixth and final inning deadlocked at three runs apiece.

Bend took the early lead, scoring its three runs in the first inning on three hit batters and three passed balls.

Washington scored its first run in the third inning, then tied it with two runs in the fourth.

Washington would then take a commanding lead in the top of the sixth inning, scoring three times to take a 6-3 lead. Bend North needed three runs and only had three outs to work with if they wanted to keep their World Series hopes alive.

Then the game took a bizarre turn, and got more bizarre the longer it went.

Berry was called out trying to stretch her double into a triple. Guiney challenged the call at third and it was ultimately confirmed (correct call). But the game was tied and there were two outs and no one on base.

Then out came Washington’s coach to make an appeal (different than a challenge) of his own. He claimed that Phillips (the tying run) did not touch third base on her way home. So the umpire deliberated, watched the replay and deliberated more.

The ESPN broadcast showed a replay and it appeared that Phillips grazed the side of the base, but barely. The broadcasters were in agreement that Phillips did indeed touch the base.

Nearly 20 minutes later, the game continued.

Once the players were back on the field ready to resume play, Washington’s pitcher Paityn Calapp threw the ball to second base, “safe,” said the second base umpire. Then she threw the ball to third base and the third base umpire called, “out!”

Game over. Bend North lost the game 6-5, and just like last year’s Bend North baseball team, saw its World Series hopes squashed on a controversial call in San Bernardino.

“There were a lot of tears,” Guiney said.

But wait a minute. Out trots Guiney to make another challenge while Washington is celebrating outside of its dugout thinking they get another shot at Montana in the championship game Friday night.

“Claire (Phillips) was positive that she hit the bag,” Guiney said.

Guiney challenged the Washington appeal, so the umpires reviewed whether Phillips touched third base.

Thus began another extended game delay, while the umpires came to some sort of conclusion. Bend North was waiting, still unsure of whether or not its season had just ended.

“We had them all come out and talk to them, and told them to think of all the positive things we did during this entire run,” Guiney said. “If the call doesn’t go our way, it doesn’t go our way. What we accomplished in the season is going to be talked about in Bend forever.”

More than 30 minutes after Berry’s double, the ruling finally arrived.

After another lengthy review, the umpires reversed course and ruled that Phillips did indeed touch third base and was safe. The game was tied once again.

After going through the gauntlet of emotions — from thinking they had just tied the game to thinking their season had ended — the game continued. Guiney noticed that the next batter, Madeline Switzer, was showing signs of being a bit nervous. After all, an already intense elimination got a shot in the arm given what had unfolded the previous 40 minutes.

But Switzer is an actress and used to performing on stage in front of an audience. Guiney pointed out that this stage, Al Houghton Stadium, was no different.

“I told her, ‘I could never get on a stage who can do what you do,’” Guiney said. “ ‘Just go up there and be patient.’ ”

And patient Switzer was, drawing a walk to get on base, bringing up Sylvie Seaton with two outs. Seaton hit a sharp ground ball that got past Washington second baseman Nalani San Nicolas and rolled into the outfield.

Once the ball returned to the infield, Calapp tried to throw out Seaton, who was running to second, but her throw missed the target, allowing Switzer to score from third and win the game, sending Bend North to the regional title game.

“For them to come back after that initial shock,” Guiney said, “it is pretty amazing for 13-, 12-, 11-year-olds to do that.”