The quest by the all-star team from the Glendora American Little League to reach the Little League World Series ended Sunday with a 7-6 loss to its counterpart from the Sidewinder Little League of Peoria, Arizona in the Little League Baseball West Region tournament.
Special pinch-runner Brandon Ashing scored the winning run on a wild pitch by Cade Burbidge with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and final inning. Ashing ran for Troy Tewers, who singled with one out. Ashing moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third one out later on an error by Aiden Garcia, the Glendora shortstop, on a ground ball hit by Jaxon Clubb.
Trailing 6-4 in the elimination bracket game, Sidewinder scored twice in the fifth to tie the score. Clubb led off with a single, Erik Lopez followed with triple and scored when the next batter, Wes Wolfley, singled.
Glendora combined a hit batter, Burbidge’s single, a passed ball and a two-out error for two runs in its half of the fifth, regaining the lead.
Glendora opened the scoring with three runs in the second. Nick Norell and Preston Tymchak drew back-to-back four-pitch walks with one out. Norell scored and Tymchak advanced to third when the next batter, Kolt King, reached second on an error by Tewers, the Sidewinder first baseman.
Tymchak scored one out later on Garcia’s infield single. King stole home for the third run.
Sidewinder scored four runs in its half of the second, sending nine batters to the plate.
Clubb led off with a single, moved to third on Lopez’s single and scored on a wild pitch by Drew Jacobsen, Glendora’s starting pitcher. Lopez went to second on the wild pitch, beat Jacobsen’s throw to third on a bunt by Ashing that was ruled a fielder’s choice, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Blake Gates, Sidewinder’s No. 9 hitter.
Sidewinder loaded the bases with two outs on Reid Holtorf’s infield single and an error by Sebastian Lawrence, Glendora’s third baseman, on a ground ball hit by Janzen Silva. Ashing and Holtorf scored on Tewers’ single.
Glendora tied the score, 4-4, in the third. Josh Calcanas led off with a single, moved to second and third on two wild pitches by Lopez, Sidewinder’s starting pitcher, and scored on Lawrence’s ground out.
Clubb, the second Sidewinder pitcher, was credited with the victory, allowing two runs, both unearned, and two hits over the final 2 2/3 innings.
Burbidge, the third Glendora pitcher, was charged with the loss, allowing three runs, two earned, and four hits in 1 2/3 innings.
The victory advances Sidewinder, the Arizona state champion, into Wednesday’s elimination bracket final, against the loser of Monday’s winner’s bracket game between the all-star teams from the Honolulu Little League and the Rocklin, California-based Tri City Little League.
Wednesday’s winner will advance to Friday’s championship game, whose winner qualifies for the Little League World Series.
Glendora, the Southern California champion, was relegated to the elimination bracket in the modified double-elimination tournament at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino with a 3-0 loss Saturday to Honolulu, the Hawaii state champion, in the tournament opener for both teams.
Sidewinder lost 5-0 Saturday to Tri City, the Northern California champion, in the tournament opener for both teams.