SAN BERNARDINO – When South Hill Little League’s Rawly Jennings faced his moment of truth, he couldn’t have been more “real.”
Jennings started the game-winning comeback with a two-out double for Washington in a 13-7 come-from-back victory over Idaho in the Little League Northwest Region championship game at Al Houghton Stadium on Thursday night.
“Seriously, seriously,” Jennings said after Washington’s under-12 baseball champions scored eight times in the sixth inning to win the game.
Jennings finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and scored the tying point for South Hill LL, which advances to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, at its first attempt. It is the fourth consecutive year that a Washington team has represented the Northwest in the World Series.
“We didn’t try to do too much, but once we settled down, we made the plays we needed to and cheered each other on in the last inning to put it all together,” Jennings said.
Jett Taylor capped an explosive sixth inning with a three-run home run as Washington overcame a 6-5 deficit and avenged its loss to Idaho in the tournament’s opening game.
“We were trying to make a run, get somebody on the field and make something happen,” Washington coach Derek Jennings said. “We battled through and fought, and that’s kind of been our motto since these kids were 8 years old: never give up, never give up.”
Connor Morey reached base three times, had an RBI and scored a run, and Easton Stolmeier and Kohen Wills each scored two runs in the win, Washington’s third straight victory since being eliminated from the Northwest consolation round.
“There was a lot of pressure, a lot of commentary and a lot of expectations because we are Washington,” said Derek Jennings. “I think when they finally got to the point where their backs were against the wall and they had to fight or flee, they chose to fight.”
Braden Louwsma hit a massive two-run home run in the loss for West Valley LL, putting him just one strike away from becoming Idaho’s second representative to advance to the World Series.
Idaho broke through with two runs in the second inning to take the lead, but Washington scored two runs in the third inning to tie the game.
In the third, Louwsma hit a two-run home run 20 feet over the left outfield boundary for a 4-2 lead. Hudson Wall came back and scored another run.
Idaho starter Owen Westley got two outs in the fourth inning, but hit a batter and was taken out of the game after a two-run single by Taylor brought Washington within one run. Taylor made it 5-5 when he scored on an error.
Ethan Dial of Idaho opened the fifth inning with a walk and scored on a wild pitch, giving West Valley a brief 6-5 lead and only needing three more outs to win.
Louwsma, who came in as a pitcher to close the fourth inning, struck out four of the first six batters he faced and held an 0-2 count against Jennings, but suffered the loss after allowing six runs on five hits.
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