Little League Baseball / West Regional -- Woodinville: `One Out From A Dream'

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - One out away.

That's how close the Woodinville Little League team came to a trip to Williamsport, Pa., and the Little League World Series.

But the 11- and 12-year-old all-stars couldn't make the last out and lost to Cypress, Calif., 3-1 in seven innings last night before about 9,500 fans at Houghton Stadium and a national cable television audience.

One out away from the Western Regional championship.

One out away from becoming the first Washington team since Kirkland National in 1982 to go to the World Series.

One out away from a Southern California team losing the regional for the first time since 1991.

"One out away from a dream," Woodinville West Manager Mike Lentz said.

"That's the magic of baseball," Cypress Manager Greg Novy said. "You've got to get the third out. Fortunately for us, they didn't."

Woodinville held a precarious 1-0 lead, scoring a run in the third inning when right fielder Hans Stolz scored on a close play. Television replays show he had been tagged out by catcher Bryan Pepperdine.

In the bottom of the sixth, Woodinville had just turned a double play, leaving the bases empty and two outs.

"I thought we had it," Lentz said.

Said Novy: "It's never over with us."

Lentz came out to talk to pitcher Duke Welker, who had given up just four hits to that point and overcome getting hit by a hard line drive in the fourth inning.

"We were doing a little celebrating, and it wasn't over yet," Lentz said. "I wasn't trying to break the momentum, but just to calm them down."

It definitely wasn't over. Pepperdine chopped the next pitch into left field for a single.

It was up to Cypress first baseman Zach Wesley, who took a curveball in the dirt for a ball.

"I'm a pitcher, and I know what pitchers think, so I figured he would come with a fastball just to get ahead," Wesley said.

Welker came with fastball on the outside corner of the plate.

"It was like my life flashed in front of me," Wesley said.

And he laced a shot into the right-center field gap. Pepperdine motored around second. Then third. He was waved home. And slid in safely without a throw to tie the score, electrifing the pro-Cypress crowd.

"It was like 9,000 people laid their hands on me, and 4 million people watching on ESPN2," Wesley said. "When you think about it, it's a lot of pressure. But I wasn't thinking about it."

Lentz went back out to talk to Welker.

"He was great the first time," Lentz said. "Don't ask me where he was the second time."

Said Welker: "My heart was beating so fast. The crowd was yelling, and everything was going on. I just couldn't go through it. I couldn't finish it. I was too nervous."

Lentz brought in his son, Andy, who promptly gave up a single to third baseman Nathan Lara, but it wasn't deep enough to center field to score Wesley.

Andy Lentz then struck out left fielder Eric Koscielak to end the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Lentz singled with one out, but was forced out when shortstop Matt Tuiasosopo's sharp grounder was played cleanly by shortstop Zach Wingo. After a wild pitch moved Tuiasosopo to second, right-hander Matt Swims got first baseman Brett Buchsler to fly out to center field to end the threat.

Andy Lentz opened the bottom of the seventh with a walk to Wingo, and center fielder Pat Cassa bunted him to second. After second baseman Cory Campbell struck out, Swims belted the next pitch - a fastball - over the right-center field fence to win it.

"When we brought Andy in, we were telling them that if they were going to beat us, they'd have to beat us with gas," Lentz said. "And that's what they did."

And just like that, it was over.

And all that was left were tears. Instead of heading east to Williamsport today, getting ready to play Tom's River, N.J., on Monday in a World Series opener, Woodinville West heads north.

"I think what's toughest is the finality of it," said Mike Lentz, his voice cracking, tears welling in his eyes. "It's not a matter of winning or losing. I told them before the game, `Let's give 'em a game.'

"And the harder they work, the more luck they get. And we almost got lucky tonight.

"I hope they carry this with them forever. I know I will."