Northridge Gets Tripped Up on Last Step Again : Little League: Valley squad loses in World Series final for the second consecutive year, 8-2.

Louisiana lightning struck early, and as a result the Northridge Little Leaguers fell in the final game of the World Series for the second consecutive year.

South Lake Charles, La., defeated Northridge, 8-2, Saturday night to win the Junior Division (13-year-old) championship.

A year ago, Northridge was defeated by Maracaibo, Venezuela, 4-3, for the 12-year-old title in Williamsport, Pa.

The final was the second game of the day between the teams. Northridge won the first game, 4-3, to force the deciding game.

Earlier in the week, South Lake Charles (19-2) sent Northridge to the losers’ bracket with a 3-0 victory in the first round.

The journey through the losers’ bracket was arduous for Northridge, which won a doubleheader Friday to advance to Saturday’s games.

Manager Tim Cunningham could only marvel at the efforts of his players, 10 of whom played on last season’s team.

“It was something else, to get this far and do so well,” he said. “We got beat by a very good team.

They outplayed us. But we had our chances at scoring in the first inning [of the final game].”

Singles by Matt Fisher and Spencer Gordon put runners at first and second with one out in the first.

But Chad Carnahan (10-0) retired Matt Cassel on a popup and Peter Tuber on a fielder’s choice to end the threat.

Meanwhile, Louisiana took command with three runs in the first and four in the second off Tuber.

The Northridge defense turned a double play in the first inning to prevent further damage, but Carnahan lined a two-run home run to left field in the second inning to give Louisiana a comfortable lead.

Kameron Loe relieved Tuber in the third and held Louisiana to only one more run, allowing three hits and striking out four in four innings.

“They hit the ball,” Cunningham said. “We had opportunities to score. But once they got the lead, we needed a big inning.”

Fisher and Gordon each had two hits for Northridge (21-4).

Michael Frost picked a great time for his first hit of the tournament, cracking a two-out single in the fourth to drive in Cassel and Matt Cunningham, but that was the extent of Northridge’s offense.

“California, I know I don’t want to play you anymore,” South Lake Charles Coach David Brumby said. “You’re a great ballclub.”

Northridge played seven games in five days during the World Series.

In the first game Saturday, Matt Cunningham made a rare pitching appearance for Northridge, which was running low on arms.

Cunningham, Northridge’s starting catcher, gave up three runs before giving way to Tuber in the seventh. Tuber notched a save, but his good stuff did not carry over into the next game.

Tuber also singled in the first inning to give Northridge a 1-0 lead in the first game.

Louisiana answered with a run in the bottom of the inning.

In the third, Northridge took a 2-1 lead on a leadoff single by Fisher, a walk to Nathaniel Dunlap and Gordon’s run-scoring single.

Louisiana averted further damage by turning a double play and getting a strikeout to end the inning.

Last year, the Northridge players, dubbed the “Earthquake Kids,” captured the imagination of the nation by winning the national championship months after a 6.7-magnitude temblor rocked their hometown.

This year’s edition had far less media attention--that is reserved for the 12-year-old World Series in Williamsport--but had similar determination.

Northridge’s 21 victories surpassed last season’s total and the team advanced exactly as far.

It was the second straight year that a local team advanced to the title game in the 13-year-old division. Thousand Oaks won the championship last season in Taylor.