Portland held a two-run lead in the top of the seventh inning.

The boys from Oregon even had two outs in that inning, but Puyallup, Washington, had two runners on base.

A pop-up on the infield looked like it would end the game, but unfortunately the catch was not made. Both runners scored to tie the game, and eventually Puyallup hit an RBI single to win, sending Portland home.

“We went from, ‘Oh my goodness, we might be going to the World Series,'” manager Craig Combs recalled Thursday evening. “To, ‘Not yet.'”

Portland, Oregon manager Craig Combs receives his jersey. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

Two years later, the same group of kids has Portland playing for a title, this time at the Babe Ruth 13-15 World Series at Diethrick Park.

“In that championship game, we felt like we were the best team on the field,” Combs said. “It was as close as you could get. It was heart-breaking. It was really challenging for all of the families and the players.”

Last year, as 14-year-olds, Portland won the northern Oregon state tournament, but went 2-2 in pool play at regionals and did not make bracket play.

“It was pretty much the same group, but some were in eighth grade and some were in ninth grade,” Combs said. “When high school was finished, we went right into Babe Ruth. It was a really challenging pool and schedule at regionals.”

This year, Portland and Centerfield Lookout Sandlot of South Washington ran through their pools at the regional in Vancouver, Washington. When they met in the championship game, Portland escaped with an 8-7 victory to clinch its trip to Jamestown this week.

Pictured are the Pacific Northwest Region champions from Portland, Oregon. Pictured, in front, from left, are: Brave Johnson, Paul Oellrich, Santino Flores, Joaquin Goodlow, Carson AnDyke, Skye Baker and Peter Chan. In back are: assistant coach Craig AnDyke, assistant coach Andre Goodlow, Jackson DeYoung, Ja’bril Love-Shabazz, Bryce Mayo, Roscoe Mithoefer, Silas Combs, James Gill and manager Craig Combs. Absent is bat boy Artai Allen and Shem Hardnett. Submitted photo

“We weren’t challenged tremendously,” Combs said of the regionals. “We had a four-run inning in the middle innings, but they took the lead back 7-4. … We went up 8-7 in the bottom of the sixth inning and then got a fly out to left field with a runner on base in the seventh to end the game.”

Peter Chan closed out both the semifinal and the final at regionals, but he is hardly Portland’s only effective pitcher.

“We refer to four guys as our starting pitchers who throw with pretty good velocity,” Combs said. “We have three other guys who can start, but usually mix in later in the game.”

At least six of the 13 players on Portland’s roster have been together since they were 8 years old, including Craig Combs’ son, Silas, and assistant coach Craig AnDyke’s son, Carson. A second assistant coach, Andre Goodlow, and his son, Joaquin, joined when the group was 10 years old.

“We’re pretty blessed. We have a lot of versatility,” Combs said. “We have three different guys who can catch, a pair of second basemen, a pair of shortstops and three guys who can play third.”

The group from Portland left their home city at 5 a.m. Wednesday and arrived in Jamestown — via Chicago and Pittsburgh — by 10 p.m. that night.

Portland, in the National Division, will open the tournament with an off day Saturday before playing four straight days. After a 1:30 p.m. game Sunday against Greenville, North Carolina, Portland will take on Beekman, New York, at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Moorhead, Minnesota at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Norwalk, Connecticut, at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“It gives us an extra day to adjust for travel and time, but I would prefer an off day later in the week,” Combs said. “We’ll get an opportunity to watch baseball and get our eyes on some of the other teams. … We’re not too wrapped up in it.”

Name: Carson AnDyke

Jersey No.: 1

Bats/throws: R/R

Position: Shortstop

Favorite MLB team: New York Yankees

Favorite MLB athlete: Francisco Lindor

Name: James Gill III

Jersey No.: 3

Bats/throws: L/L

Positions: Pitcher/first base

Favorite MLB team: New York Yankees

Favorite MLB athlete: Aaron Judge

Name: Tino Flores

Jersey No.: 5

Bats/throws: R/R

Position: Catcher

Favorite MLB team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Favorite MLB athlete: Yasiel Puig

Name: Joaquin Goodlow

Jersey No.: 7

Bats/throws: L/R

Position: Second base

Favorite MLB team: New York Yankees

Favorite MLB athlete: Ichiro Suzuki

Name: Silas Combs

Jersey No.: 10

Bats/throws: R/R

Positions: Pitcher/third base/utility

Favorite MLB team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Favorite MLB athlete: Walker Buehler

Name: Ja’bril Love-Shabazz

Jersey No.: 13

Bats/throws: R/R

Position: First base

Favorite MLB team: Atlanta Braves

Favorite MLB athlete: Ronald Acuna Jr.

Name: Skye Baker

Jersey No.: 15

Bats/throws: R/R

Positions: Second base/third base/shortstop/pitcher

Favorite MLB team: Chicago White Sox

Favorite MLB athlete: Luis Robert Jr.

Name: Jackson DeYoung

Jersey No.: 16

Bats/throws: R/R

Positions: Catcher/first base/third base/outfield

Favorite MLB team: Baltimore Orioles

Favorite MLB athlete: Adley Rutschman

Name: Peter Chan

Jersey No.: 17

Bats/throws: R/R

Positions: Right field/pitcher

Favorite MLB team: St. Louis Cardinals

Favorite MLB athlete: Jordan Walker

Name: Bryce Mayo

Jersey No.: 19

Bats/throws: R/R

Positions: Pitcher/left field

Favorite MLB team: San Diego Padres

Favorite MLB athlete: Fernando Tatis Jr.

Name: Roscoe Mithoefer

Jersey No.: 21

Bats/throws: R/R

Positions: Catcher/outfield

Favorite MLB team: Seattle Mariners

Favorite MLB athlete: Adley Rutschman

Name: Brave Johnson

Jersey No.: 22

Bats/throws: R/R

Positions: Infield/pitcher

Favorite MLB team: Atlanta Braves

Favorite MLB athlete: Jazz Chisolm

Name: Paul Oellrich

Jersey No.: 27

Bats/throws: R/R

Positions: Center field/pitcher

Favorite MLB team: Seattle Mariners

Favorite MLB athlete: Julio Rodriguez