Fans react to the Bend North Little League game during a watch party at Walt Reilly’s in Bend on Thursday evening. Bend North was playing Washington (Bonney Lake) for a spot in the Little League World Series. Bend lost 3-2 after a controversial call that ended the game.

Bend North Little League’s dramatic bid to reach the Little League World Series ended in controversy, disbelief and ultimately heartbreak Thursday night in San Bernardino, California.

With the score tied 2-2 with a runner on first base in the seventh inning, Bonney Lake, Washington’s Braydon Rudolph hit a ground ball down the third-base line.

The third-base umpire raised his hands to signal a foul ball and the Bend North Little League players stopped playing.

Only the play was not dead and Ezra Seitz crossed home plate for Washington.

The play was reviewed by the umpires, who determined the ball was fair and the run counted, which gave the squad from Washington the 3-2 win in the Northwest Regional Final to secure a spot in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, which begins Aug. 17.

The 12-year-olds of Bend North stood on the field at Al Houghton Stadium in disbelief over what had just unfolded.

“They said it was a fair ball, they reviewed it and said it was fair,” said Bend North coach Brett Hartlaub.

“I was in disbelief. We just started going into planning mode — I was sure we were going to win that challenge.

“It was a shocking way to end after some really good play by the dudes.”

It was a brutal ending to what had been a magical run to the doorstep of Little League’s biggest stage, but also a hard-fought game between the state champions from Oregon and Washington.

Bend North was first to score, crossing the plate twice in the third inning. Miles Boehm drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Russell Truell. Then Ryker Hartlaub drove in Nolan McKee with a single to give Bend North the 2-0 lead.

Washington scored its first run in the third inning as well.

And from then on, it became a pitchers’ duel.

Washington’s Brody Santman and Parker Workman combined to allow just three hits and no earned runs while striking out 13 batters over the seven innings. Bend North’s Joshua Stefano and Hartlaub combined to strike out nine and allowed just two earned runs.

Bend North held a 2-1 lead going into the sixth inning, but Liam Ferguson started the inning off with a solo home run to tie the game. Washington then looked prime to win the game in the sixth.

With no outs, Washington had runners on second and third. Then a terrific play by third baseman Jaedin Jangala to throw a runner out at home, followed by a Hartlaub strikeout, then a pop out, got Bend North out of the inning and sent the game to extra innings.

“I was really proud of the boys for staying tough and executing the plays we had worked on,” Brett Hartlaub said. “We kept fighting. Washington was 60 feet away from winning and we fought our way through it.”

The loss certainly stings, but even just a couple of hours after the game, the coach was proud of just how far the group of kids made it and for becoming one of the nation’s best Little League baseball teams in the country.

“This is so far,” Hartlaub said. “Only 10 move on to the Little League World Series. We are a top-20 team in the nation and we cannot overlook that.”