SWEETWATER ROLLS TO WEST REGION WIN, 16-4

2026 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL

Kirk delivers 5 strong innings and 4 RBIs as Sweetwater Valley produces 6 extra-base hits and scores 15 straight runs against San Ramon Valley

By Ramon Scott

SAN BERNARDINO — Noah Kirk said Sweetwater Valley Little League was going to Williamsport.

Southern California’s regional opener provided considerable evidence behind his confidence.

Kirk delivered five strong innings and four RBIs, Grant Mielke hit the first home run of the combined regional week in San Bernardino and Sweetwater Valley unleashed six extra-base hits in a 16-4 victory over San Ramon Valley on Sunday at Al Houghton Stadium.

The final margin disguised how competitive the game had been during its opening innings.

Sweetwater Valley trailed the Northern California champions 2-1 after two innings and carried only a 3-2 advantage into the fourth. The Bonita-based club then produced one of the tournament’s most overwhelming offensive stretches, scoring 15 straight runs to build a 16-2 lead.

San Ramon Valley added two runs in the bottom of the sixth to produce the final score.

Sweetwater Valley finished with 11 hits and six walks. Isaac Ramirez, Asher Giglio, Kirk, Mielke and Templeton Tran collected two hits apiece, while Kirk limited Northern California to two hits and two runs over five innings.

The victory moves SVLL into Tuesday’s winners-bracket game against the Arizona-Hawaii winner at 6:30 p.m. One more win would send Southern California directly into Friday night’s West Region championship game.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TAKES EARLY LEAD

Sweetwater Valley’s offense did not immediately resemble the group that would eventually score 16 runs.

SVLL went scoreless in the first despite placing 5-foot-11 Leo Gonzales—known within the team as “The Gentle Giant”—aboard when he was hit by a pitch with two outs.

Kirk ensured that the quiet opening did not place Southern California behind.

The right-hander retired San Ramon Valley in order in the bottom of the first, striking out one during an efficient introduction to the West Region stage.

Sweetwater Valley broke through in the second.

Ramirez opened the inning by driving a triple to center field. Tran followed with a shot to the base of the center-field wall, bringing Ramirez home with an RBI double for a 1-0 lead.

Northern California answered in the bottom half.

Brantley Brazil doubled to create San Ramon Valley’s first major scoring threat. Isaac Hairston then grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought Camden Purkiss home with the tying run.

San Ramon Valley moved ahead when a ground ball toward second was bobbled for an error, allowing Brazil to score. Kirk prevented the inning from becoming more damaging and handled a soft blooper back toward the mound to finish it.

Northern California led 2-1 after two innings.

That would be its final lead—and its final run against Kirk.

SVLL USES EXECUTION TO MOVE AHEAD

Sweetwater Valley reclaimed the advantage without waiting for the extra-base barrage that eventually decided the game.

A walk and a line-drive single placed two runners aboard with nobody out in the third. A precisely executed sacrifice bunt advanced both runners into scoring position.

Kirk followed by lining an RBI single into center field, tying the game 2-2.

Jesus Cuadra then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, bringing home the go-ahead run.

The sequence illustrated the range within Sweetwater Valley’s offense. SVLL accepted the walk, produced a clean single, executed a bunt and converted the second runner through productive contact.

Southern California had moved ahead 3-2 without needing a ball to leave the park.

That changed one inning later.

MIELKE STARTS SIX-RUN FOURTH

Mielke opened the fourth by driving a solo home run over the center-field fence.

The shot was his 11th home run of the season and the first ball to clear the fence through the opening six games played across the West, Northwest and Mountain Region tournaments at the San Bernardino complex.

It did much more than extend Sweetwater Valley’s lead.

The home run opened the inning that transformed the entire game.

Ramirez reached again, and Tran drove his second double into the left-field corner to bring him home. Giglio followed with another RBI double as Sweetwater Valley began applying pressure with nearly every plate appearance.

An error produced another run before Kirk was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Cuadra drew a run-scoring walk to complete the six-run inning.

What had been a 3-2 game became a 9-2 Sweetwater Valley advantage.

Northern California starter Mason Hall completed 3⅔ innings, allowing eight hits and nine runs—six earned. Hall struck out five and walked two, but San Ramon Valley could not escape the fourth once Sweetwater Valley began combining power, patience and defensive pressure.

The inning was not built around one mistake or one decisive swing.

Mielke homered. Tran and Giglio doubled. Southern California placed additional runners aboard through an error, hit batter and walk. Every method of reaching base seemed to produce another run.

KIRK SILENCES SAN RAMON VALLEY

Sweetwater Valley’s offensive explosion made the final result increasingly comfortable, but Kirk’s pitching gave SVLL the opportunity to create that separation.

Northern California scored twice in the second, but Kirk did not allow another run during his five innings.

He finished with six strikeouts and one walk while surrendering only two hits. More importantly, Kirk prevented San Ramon Valley from answering any of Southern California’s meaningful offensive moments.

After Sweetwater Valley moved ahead in the third, Kirk protected the one-run advantage.

After SVLL scored six in the fourth, he returned to the mound and denied Northern California the quick response necessary to remain connected to the game.

Kirk contributed just as much offensively.

He went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs. His third-inning single tied the game, his bases-loaded hit-by-pitch added to the decisive fourth and his two-run double helped finish Sweetwater Valley’s final rally in the sixth.

The performance established Kirk as the game’s central figure without making SVLL dependent upon one player.

Mielke recorded two hits and three RBIs. Tran doubled twice and drove in two. Ramirez supplied the second-inning triple and scored multiple times. Giglio doubled among his two hits, while Cuadra produced runs with a sacrifice fly and bases-loaded walk.

Southern California’s six extra-base hits included Mielke’s home run, Ramirez’s triple and doubles by Tran twice, Giglio and Kirk.

SIX-RUN SIXTH COMPLETES THE ROUT

Sweetwater Valley added one run in the fifth before producing another six-run inning in the sixth.

Kirk drove a two-run double, giving him his third and fourth RBIs. Mielke followed with a two-run single, and Sebastian Pino grounded out to bring home two additional runs.

The rally pushed Sweetwater Valley’s advantage to 16-2.

At that point, SVLL had scored 15 straight runs after falling behind 2-1 in the second inning.

San Ramon Valley scored twice against Cuadra in the bottom of the sixth, receiving late RBIs from Hall, Michael Panagotacos and production from Jackson Audino during its final opportunity. The two runs narrowed the final margin to 16-4 but did not change the significance of Sweetwater Valley’s performance.

Northern California finished with four hits.

Luke Guevara, Brazil, Audino and Purkiss collected one apiece. Hall, Panagotacos, Audino and Hairston were each credited with an RBI.

A SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND TIJUANA TRADITION

Sweetwater Valley’s return to San Bernardino continues a remarkable run of San Diego County success at the West Region tournament.

The greater San Diego area has produced 10 Southern California champions since 2001, with teams from Oceanside, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Chula Vista and Bonita repeatedly reaching the regional stage.

Northern Little League of El Cajon became the area’s first Little League World Series champion in 1961. Park View brought another world championship home to Chula Vista in 2009.

Sweetwater Valley is now making its third West Region appearance in 11 years after previously winning Southern California in 2015 and 2019.

This year’s team arrived after an unbeaten state-tournament run.

SVLL defeated defending Southern California champion Golden Hill 2-0 in its opener, began the tournament with consecutive shutouts and eventually defeated Encino 9-0 in the championship game.

Sweetwater Valley outscored five state-tournament opponents 21-2.

The championship victory was also played at Al Houghton Stadium, giving the players an advance look at the environment they would encounter during the regional. They had already experienced the barracks, the march to the field, the elevated crowd and triple-digit heat before Sunday’s opener.

Manager Steve Winnick believed that familiarity would matter.

Winnick returned to coach the group despite not having a child on the team. His connection comes from coaching many of the players previously and wanting to remain part of their development.

The players returned to San Bernardino with equally direct intentions.

“We’re coming back here to win,” Kirk said after Sweetwater Valley captured the Southern California championship.

Should they reach Williamsport, they could find themselves on a course to meet Municipal de Tijuana Little League, a league and youth baseball complex just 12 miles south of Bonita.

The team from Tijuana qualified for the Little League World Series last month and is a sure contender in the international bracket. Tijuana Municipal is making its third trip to South Williamsport as a league.

TOURNAMENT IMPACT

Sweetwater Valley advances into Tuesday’s winners-bracket game against the winner of Chandler National of Arizona and Kawaihau Community of Hawaii.

That matchup in itself is huge, as it features the No. 1 and No. 5 teams in the country.

The winner will advance directly to Friday’s West Region championship game at 6 p.m. The loser will remain alive but must win Wednesday’s elimination-bracket final to earn another opportunity.

Sweetwater Valley could not have asked for a much stronger regional introduction.

SVLL demonstrated the ability to recover after falling behind, generated runs through execution before its power emerged and received five controlled innings from its starting pitcher.

The offensive distribution may be the most encouraging element.

Five Sweetwater Valley players collected two hits. Six extra-base hits came from five players. Runs were produced through a home run, triple, doubles, singles, sacrifice fly, groundout, walk and hit batter.

That variety makes Southern California difficult to defend and difficult to pitch around.

Opponents cannot simply avoid Kirk or Mielke without confronting Tran, Ramirez, Giglio, Cuadra and the remainder of a lineup that continued producing opportunities from top to bottom.

SWEETWATER VALLEY LOOK AHEAD

Tuesday’s opponent will present a different challenge regardless of which team advances.

Chandler National entered the regional following one of the country’s most dominant postseason runs. Arizona combined overwhelming offense with one of the nation’s strongest collections of power arms.

Kawaihau Community is the first Hawaii champion from the island of Kauai and represents a state that has captured four of the past five West Region championships.

Sweetwater Valley will also have to plan around Kirk’s availability following his five-inning performance Sunday. Kirk threw 75 pitches.

SVLL has other options.

Cuadra received regional mound experience in the sixth, and Sweetwater Valley’s state-tournament staff produced consecutive shutouts before allowing only two total runs across five games.

The open day Monday gives the Bonita champions time to reset their pitching plan and prepare for a game that will determine the shortest available route to the championship.

Offensively, Sweetwater Valley does not need to change its identity.

Ramirez and Tran created the first run. Kirk and Cuadra reclaimed the lead. Mielke started the decisive rally. Giglio supplied another extra-base hit, and Pino contributed during the final six-run inning.

SVLL will not expect to score 16 every afternoon, but the ability to create runs in several ways should travel against stronger pitching.

SAN RAMON VALLEY LOOK AHEAD

San Ramon Valley drops into Monday’s elimination game against the Arizona-Hawaii loser at 3 p.m.

Northern California has less than 24 hours to reset after a defeat that became far more decisive than its opening innings suggested.

San Ramon Valley led 2-1 after two and remained within one run entering the fourth. Brazil’s double created the tying opportunity, Purkiss scored and Hairston produced the first Northern California RBI.

The challenge is preventing another extended inning.

Hall competed and struck out five, but Sweetwater Valley combined a home run, two doubles, an error, a hit batter and a walk during the six-run fourth. Once Southern California began extending the inning, San Ramon Valley could not find a clean stopping point.

Northern California must also generate sustained offense beyond one inning. Kirk allowed two runs in the second but nothing afterward, preventing San Ramon Valley from responding as Sweetwater Valley expanded its lead.

Guevara, Brazil, Audino and Purkiss supplied Sunday’s hits. San Ramon Valley will need that group and the remainder of the lineup to apply pressure earlier and more consistently in the elimination game.

ONE STEP CLOSER

Sweetwater Valley arrived in San Bernardino carrying the expectations created by an unbeaten state run, its own regional history and San Diego County’s long Little League tradition.

The pressure did not appear to burden the Bonita champions.

Even when San Ramon Valley moved ahead, Sweetwater Valley remained composed. SVLL reclaimed the lead through execution, broke the game open with extra-base power and allowed Kirk to control everything in between.

Sweetwater Valley scored 15 straight runs to move from a 2-1 deficit to a 16-2 advantage before Northern California added two in the bottom of the sixth.

It was only one regional victory.

It looked like something more—a team beginning to provide substance behind its stated destination.

Williamsport remains three victories away.

Sweetwater Valley’s opening performance made that destination feel considerably closer.

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NO. 5 KAWAIHAU STUNS NO. 1 CHANDLER WITH SIX-RUN SIXTH

Hawaii 7, Arizona 3

By Ramon Scott

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Five outs separated Chandler National from extending its dominant summer and opening the West Region Tournament with another victory.

Kawaihau Community needed only one inning to change the national picture.

Gavin Ho delivered a game-tying two-run double on a full count, Hawaii scored six times in the top of the sixth and No. 5 Kawaihau stunned national No. 1 Chandler National 7-3 Sunday at West Region Headquarters.

The victory sends Hawaii into Tuesday night’s winners’ bracket matchup against Sweetwater Valley of Southern California. SVLL may enter that game as the country’s new No. 1 team when the next national rankings are released.

Kawaihau’s comeback arrived after Chandler controlled most of the afternoon.

Arizona starter Mason Mueller struck out 10 over 4⅔ innings, limiting Hawaii to two hits and one run while walking two. The hard-throwing right-hander repeatedly overpowered a lineup that entered San Bernardino carrying its own national championship expectations.

Chandler gave him an immediate lead.

Camden Burke drove an RBI double in the bottom of the first, putting Arizona ahead 1-0 before Kawaihau had an opportunity to settle into the game.

Waika Doctolero prevented the early deficit from growing.

The Hawaii starter worked 4⅔ innings, allowing two hits and three runs while striking out five and walking four. Chandler created baserunners against him but did not produce the separation expected from a team that entered the regional with a 125-11 run differential across 11 games.

Doctolero kept Kawaihau close enough for one swing to matter.

That swing arrived in the fifth.

Kroix Balmores doubled home Hawaii’s first run, tying the game at one and finally breaking through against Mueller.

The tie lasted only a few minutes.

Chandler regained control in the bottom of the inning after Lowen Lopez drove a two-run double into the outfield. Arizona moved ahead 3-1 and stood three defensive outs from advancing on the winners’ side of the bracket.

The lead appeared especially secure because of the way Mueller had controlled Hawaii.

Kawaihau had produced only two hits through five innings. Chandler had committed no errors, and the national No. 1 team had immediately answered Hawaii’s first run with two of its own.

Hawaii’s final opportunity began with a different level of patience.

Kawaihau placed runners aboard and forced Arizona’s pitching staff into difficult counts. The inning continued until Ho came to the plate with two runners in scoring position and the game hanging on a full-count pitch.

Ho drove a two-run double, tying the game at three.

The hit did more than erase Chandler’s advantage. It transferred all of the pressure to an Arizona team that had spent nearly the entire afternoon playing from ahead.

Kawaihau continued attacking.

Hawaii scored six runs on only two hits during the inning, combining Ho’s double with walks, disciplined at-bats and productive contact. Kholten Panui joined Ho with two RBIs as Kawaihau turned a 3-1 deficit into a 7-3 lead.

An Arizona team that had allowed only 11 runs all summer surrendered more than half that total in one inning.

The comeback was even more impressive because Kawaihau did not receive help from a Chandler defensive error. Arizona played error-free baseball, meaning Hawaii created the six-run surge through pressure at the plate and its ability to extend at-bats.

Kawaihau finished with only five hits, one each from Panui, Ho, Daeshaan Kuhaulua, Kaikea Saiki and Balmores.

The six walks were just as important.

Hawaii could not consistently square Mueller’s power pitching, but it remained close, reached the Arizona bullpen and refused to chase once the strike zone became more difficult to command.

The inning became a test of whether Chandler could record the next out before Kawaihau produced the next quality plate appearance.

Hawaii kept winning that contest.

Shane Schoettler then finished the upset.

The right-hander worked 1⅓ scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out two without issuing a walk. Once Kawaihau surged ahead, Schoettler gave Chandler no route back into the game.

Arizona entered the bottom of the sixth needing four runs to extend the afternoon.

Schoettler retired the side without allowing the national No. 1 team to recreate Hawaii’s comeback.

Kawaihau also played error-free defense. Po’okela Levinthol handled eight chances as Hawaii converted everything Chandler put into play.

That defensive performance mattered throughout the game.

Doctolero walked four and Chandler placed runners aboard in several innings, but Kawaihau never gave Arizona an additional out through a mistake. Hawaii therefore remained within one run until the fifth and within two entering the sixth.

Chandler received one hit apiece from Burke, Jake Paluch and Lopez. Lopez drove in two runs from the No. 9 position, and Burke supplied the first-inning RBI.

Those three hits produced a 3-1 lead, but Arizona could not add the insurance necessary to survive Hawaii’s final charge.

The result overturned the expectations surrounding the West Region’s opening day.

Chandler entered as the nation’s top-ranked team and one of the leading favorites to win the Little League Baseball World Series. Arizona combined an overwhelming offense with Mueller, whose fastball had reached 83 mph during the state tournament.

Kawaihau entered ranked fifth and was never a conventional underdog, but defeating Chandler required Hawaii to survive five innings in which the national No. 1 team appeared in control.

Kawaihau did precisely that.

Doctolero kept the deficit manageable. Balmores tied the game in the fifth. Hawaii absorbed Lopez’s two-run answer and returned in the sixth with its best inning of the summer.

Ho’s full-count double created the defining moment.

Everything after it changed the national landscape.

TOURNAMENT IMPACT

Kawaihau advances to face Sweetwater Valley Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Pacific in the West Region winners’ bracket game.

The winner moves directly into Friday’s 6 p.m. championship and receives two days without a game. The loser must play Wednesday at 6 p.m. in an elimination game.

Hawaii is now two victories from Williamsport.

The matchup brings together two teams that made enormous opening statements in completely different ways.

Sweetwater Valley defeated San Ramon Valley 16-4, producing six extra-base hits and turning a 2-1 deficit into one of the tournament’s largest victories.

Kawaihau defeated the country’s top-ranked team by surviving elite pitching and scoring six times during its final at-bat.

SVLL entered the week immediately behind Chandler among the leading national contenders and could move to No. 1 in the next poll. Hawaii will enter at No. 5 with the strongest individual victory of any team in the West field.

The winner will not only take control of the regional bracket. It will also become one of the leading national championship favorites heading toward Williamsport.

KAWAIHAU LOOK AHEAD

Sweetwater Valley presents a much different challenge from Chandler.

Arizona relied upon Mueller’s velocity and carried a narrow lead into the sixth. Southern California demonstrated far greater offensive depth in its opener.

Noah Kirk allowed two runs across five innings and drove in four. Grant Mielke hit his 11th home run of the summer, Templeton Tran produced two doubles and Isaac Ramirez, Asher Giglio, Kirk, Mielke and Tran each collected two hits.

SVLL trailed Northern California 2-1 after two innings but scored 15 runs over the final four frames.

Hawaii therefore must prevent Sweetwater Valley from creating the extended inning it eventually produced against San Ramon Valley.

Kawaihau will also need a new pitching plan after Doctolero worked 4⅔ innings and Schoettler recorded the final four outs Sunday. Their official pitch totals and required rest will shape Hawaii’s options.

The lineup enters Tuesday with proof it can remain composed against an elite pitcher.

Balmores produced the first breakthrough. Ho delivered the tying double. Panui helped complete the six-run inning, while Kuhaulua and Saiki added hits.

Kawaihau does not need another final-inning miracle. It needs the discipline that produced six walks and the defense that played six error-free innings.

CHANDLER LOOK AHEAD

Chandler falls into Monday’s 3 p.m. Pacific elimination game against San Ramon Valley.

One of the two opening-day favorites will leave San Bernardino after its next game.

Arizona must recover quickly from a loss unlike anything it experienced during its dominant postseason run. Chandler entered Sunday having outscored opponents 125-11, then allowed six runs in the sixth against Hawaii.

The performance still contained several reasons for confidence.

Mueller struck out 10 and limited a top-five national opponent to one run across 4⅔ innings. Burke and Lopez produced extra-base hits, and Chandler played error-free defense.

Arizona’s challenge is finishing the final inning once Mueller is no longer available.

San Ramon Valley also enters elimination after allowing 16 runs to Sweetwater Valley, but Northern California led early and collected hits from Luke Guevara, Brantley Brazil, Jackson Audino and Camden Purkiss.

The winner advances to Wednesday’s elimination game against the Kawaihau-Sweetwater Valley loser. The losing team’s season ends Monday.

Chandler remains talented enough to recover and reach Friday’s championship. Its path, however, now requires three consecutive victories.

Kawaihau owns the shorter route because it refused to concede an afternoon controlled by the country’s top-ranked team.

Hawaii trailed after the first inning, tied the game in the fifth, fell behind again and entered its final at-bat down two.

Then Ho doubled, Kawaihau scored six and the West Region changed completely.

No. 5 Kawaihau Community faces Sweetwater Valley Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Pacific in a matchup that could include the country’s newly ranked No. 1 team.

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CHANDLER SURVIVES, AWAITS SWEETWATER-HAWAII LOSER

No. 1 Arizona eliminates No. 12 San Ramon Valley, 7-5, to remain alive in the West Region

SAN BERNARDINO — Chandler National survived its first elimination test Monday, but the road facing the nation’s top-ranked team remains considerably more difficult than expected.

Arizona eliminated San Ramon Valley Little League of Northern California 7-5 at West Region Headquarters, advancing to Wednesday night’s elimination semifinal against the loser of Tuesday’s winners-bracket showdown between Sweetwater Valley and Kawaihau Community of Hawaii.

Gabe Jones broke a 3-3 tie with a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning, and Alex Yu carried Chandler into the final out after San Ramon Valley threatened another comeback.

The result completed the first elimination game of the West tournament. San Ramon Valley finished 0-2 after facing two of the nation’s highest-ranked teams, while Chandler remained alive after Kawaihau’s stunning 7-3 victory over Arizona one day earlier.

Chandler entered the regional ranked No. 1 nationally, with Sweetwater Valley at No. 3, Kawaihau at No. 5 and San Ramon Valley at No. 12. Those rankings were published before Hawaii handed Arizona its first loss of the summer and likely will change substantially in the next release.

Arizona showed Monday that its offense remains dangerous, but the regional favorite again found itself in a competitive game deep into the afternoon.

Barrett Shaughnessy reached in the first inning before Mason Mueller drove an RBI triple into the right-field alley. Jake Paluch followed with a run-scoring fielder’s choice, giving Chandler a 2-0 lead.

Mueller added an RBI single in the third, scoring Shaughnessy and restoring Arizona’s two-run advantage after Northern California had answered.

San Ramon Valley, which lost 16-4 to Sweetwater Valley in Sunday’s opening game, mounted a much stronger response against Chandler.

The Northern California champions pressured Yu and tied the game in the fourth. Brantley Brazil delivered a sacrifice fly, and another run scored when the Arizona defense failed to complete the developing play cleanly.

Milo Kaiser helped sustain the San Ramon Valley attack with three hits in three at-bats. The tying rally placed Chandler six outs from elimination and created the possibility that the nation’s No. 1 team could leave San Bernardino without a victory.

Jones prevented that outcome.

Arizona loaded the bases against Camden Kangas in the bottom of the fifth before Jones drove a ball down the right-field line. All three runners scored as the ball reached the corner, giving Chandler a 6-3 lead.

Shaughnessy followed with an RBI single to make it 7-3.

San Ramon Valley did not go quietly. Kangas drove in two runs in the sixth, reducing the deficit to 7-5 and forcing Chandler to call upon Paluch for the final out.

Paluch needed only three pitches to induce a ground ball to second and end Northern California’s summer.

Yu threw 85 pitches over 5⅔ innings, allowing five runs—three earned—on eight hits. He struck out five and walked one. Mueller and Shaughnessy each finished with two hits, while Jones drove in three runs with his decisive double.

Kaiser’s three-hit performance led San Ramon Valley. Brazil and Kangas each drove in two runs.

The victory kept Chandler’s Williamsport hopes alive, but it did not completely restore the dominant image Arizona carried into the tournament.

Chandler went undefeated through state competition, outscoring its opponents 125-11 across 11 games. Through two regional games, Arizona has allowed 12 runs and 13 hits while scoring 10 times.

The pitching situation also has become a central concern.

Mueller worked 4⅔ innings and struck out 10 against Hawaii on Sunday. Yu then reached the 85-pitch limit Monday. Mandatory-rest rules will affect both pitchers’ availability when Chandler returns Wednesday.

Paluch’s three-pitch appearance preserved him as a potential option, but Arizona must find enough pitching to win Wednesday and return two days later for the championship.

Sweetwater Valley and Kawaihau now control the cleaner routes through the bracket.

Their Tuesday winner advances directly to Friday’s West Region championship and receives two full days without a game. The loser must return Wednesday against Chandler in an elimination game.

A Hawaii loss would create an immediate rematch with the Arizona team Kawaihau stunned Sunday. A Sweetwater Valley loss would send the Southern California champions into a matchup with a Chandler club that entered the week ranked two places above them nationally.

Tuesday’s result therefore will determine whether Sweetwater Valley receives the direct route to Friday or must confront the wounded preseason favorite with its season at stake.

San Ramon Valley’s stay in San Bernardino ended without a victory, but the final record disguises the difficulty of its assignment.

The Northern California champions opened against Sweetwater Valley’s powerful lineup and then faced No. 1 Chandler less than 24 hours later. After being run-ruled Sunday, San Ramon Valley returned to erase a two-run deficit and push Arizona into the final inning.

Northern California’s summer ended with consecutive losses to two national championship contenders, but not before it forced Chandler to earn every remaining out.

WEST REGION SCHEDULE

Tuesday, August 11 — 6:30 p.m.
Sweetwater Valley, Southern California, vs. Kawaihau Community, Hawaii
Winner advances directly to Friday’s championship.

Wednesday, August 12 — 6 p.m.
Chandler National, Arizona, vs. Tuesday’s loser
Elimination game on ESPN2.

Friday, August 14 — 6 p.m.
West Region championship
Winner advances to the Little League Baseball World Series.

All times Pacific.

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