Portland limited the No. 1 team in the National Division to one run on Wednesday for a spot in the playoff round. Then, on Friday, the Pacific Northwest Regional champions continued to get better. With a trip to the finals on the line, they put on a master class defensively and did everything right on offense against No. 1 Torrance, California en route to an 11-0 victory in five innings to advance to the championship game.

“It’s all been about pitching and defense,” Portland head coach Craig Combs said about his team’s success. “We woke up the bats in this game, so complete package. If we start hitting the ball like that, we’re going to play some good ball.”

In Portland’s last two must-win games, it limited Norwalk, Connecticut and Opp, Alabama to just one run, and the defense somehow got better. What made it better was Brave Johnson standing tall on the mound.

“Brave Johnson did a great job,” Combs added. “He was in control the whole game. I know he really wanted the ball in this game after the 12-inning loss that we suffered in pool play while he was on the mound. Brave is a tremendous competitor and I think he was really looking forward to this moment. He rose to the occasion and got it done.”

OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Portland, Oregon’s Paul Oellrich celebrates with teammate Carson Andyke after scoring a run during the second inning of a Babe Ruth 13-15 World Series semifinal against Torrance, California on Friday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown.

Torrance’s Aiden Bui singled to center field in the bottom of the first inning, but that’s the last hit Johnson would give up until the bottom of the fifth inning.

With Johnson on the mound, Portland did not need many runs, but that didn’t stop it from doing so. In the top of the second inning, Portland led off with singles from Silas Combs and Tino Flores, then Roscoe Mithoefer loaded the bases with a walk. The troubles continued for Torrance from there with an RBI walk by Joaquin Goodlow, which was followed up by a two-out RBI single from Carson Andyke. A third run by Mithoefer came across on an error in the outfield.

Those three runs would have been enough, but Portland had its sights set on ending the game early, and that opportunity came in the top of the fifth inning when it scored eight more runs to go up 11-0. Once again, Portland managed to come up big when it mattered most, with the bases loaded.

The first instance when the bases were loaded Paul Oellrich worked an RBI walk, then Goodlow came up big again with a two-RBI single that made it 7-0. Peter Chan and Andyke got on base again to reload the bases and for the second time in the inning Johnson hit a single, which drove in a run.

“Joaquin Goodlow stepped up huge,” Combs stated. “He got in the box, got a pitch he could drive and we were able to score two runs. That really seemed to get us going for the rest of the inning.”

Then, with the bases still loaded, James Gill, who was 0-for-3 to that point, clobbered a ball all the way to the right-field wall, right below the scoreboard, to clear the bases, making it possible for Portland to end the game in the next half inning with an 11-0.

Picking the worst time to have its worst game of the tournament, Torrance did not go down quietly as Jacob Faamasino and Anthony Guerra both singled to begin the bottom of the fifth. However, that’s all Portland would give up as the next three batters were retired to secure Portland’s 11-0 victory and a spot in the finals.

“It’s amazing, it’s an amazing accomplishment,” Combs said about reaching the finals. “It’s been a long season, it’s been a long week. We’re super proud of these guys and we’re ready for tomorrow.”

Goodlow was recognized for his three RBIs and was selected as Portland’s Ron Tellefsen Player of the Game, while Torrance shortstop Anthony Guerra earned the honor.

Despite the loss, Torrance still has a chance to leave Jamestown, N.Y. with a win in the consolation game at 10 a.m.

“You’ve got to be able to turn the page,” Torrance head coach Harrison Mingham told his team after the loss. “It is a game of failure, and sometimes you are going to fail and fall short. Tomorrow, I told them for our pride and to represent Torrance here in Jamestown the right way we need to be able to turn the page.”