Menlo Park’s Little League team falls to Southern California in West Region final

Menlo Park’s Alpine Little League All-Star team saw its magical season end in San Bernardino Wednesday night, just one step short of a chance to make it to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

The Northern California champs fell victim to the Southern California champs from Fullerton’s Golden Hill Little League, who handed Alpine an 11-0 loss in the elimination game of the West Region tournament.

The Fullerton squad moves on to a rematch against Hawaii in the West Region final Thursday at 6 p.m. Thursday’s winner will qualify for the Little League World Series next week.

“I think the score tonight is a little wonky but (Northern California) just ran out of pitching,” Golden Hill manager Joe Janicke said. “We didn’t start too hot but it sure finished like an avalanche.”

Gavin Janicke struck out a tournament-high 14 batters as Fullerton’s 11- and 12-year-old All-Stars ran away with a lopsided victory in the unofficial California championship game.

“I’m not only a proud coach but a proud dad,” Joe Janicke said. “When his fastball is on he’s unhittable, and he pitched a big game tonight.”

Janicke entered in the second inning and proceeded to strike out 14 of the next 18 batters he faced, allowing just one hit and one walk.

Wednesday’s game was scoreless until the fourth inning. Golden Hill’s Jacob Yun reached on a walk to load the bases before Evan Cho sent a roller up the middle and under the glove of Alpine second baseman Garrett Weiss to score Choi and Ploog to give SoCal a 2-0 lead.

Golden Hill, which did not score for the first nine innings of the tournament, loaded the bases again off Alpine starter Max Turner before Jake Morris earned another walk to plate Yun with a third run for a 3-0 lead.

Ploog (3 for 3) added a two-run single as Golden Hill scored three more runs in the fifth off Alpine reliever Patrick Breslin for a 6-0 lead, then broke the game open with five more runs in the sixth with the help of RBI hits from Enzo Catato, Nolan Saldana and Kellan Tucker.

Golden Hill’s Janicke, who struck out nine in a 1-0 loss to Hawaii on opening night, will be unavailable to pitch the final after throwing 58 of his 80 pitches for strikes.