Pabao Little League out of Curaçao approached the final stretch of the World Series championship with a great chance to do what it had failed to do last year. After losing last year’s title to Hawai’i, it held a tie against California in what would’ve been its first Little League World Series title since 2004.

But it was quickly retired in four batters at the top of the sixth. Just two pitches later, the dream was over.

There were no words spoken in the team’s postgame huddle, as all they could do was stare at the field in Lamade Stadium in disbelief. While losing last year’s championship was tough, losing in such excruciating fashion and falling just short in back-to-back years brought on a new level of heartache.

“We were so close, man,” said Curaçao manager Zaino Everett. “I can’t even imagine that I’m sitting in this room for the second straight year after a tough loss. I’m here to win it all, man.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent A California player collects soil from the infield of Lamade Stadium after their 6-5 win over Curacao in the Little League World Series Championship game Sunday.

Even though the game started off poorly for the team, as it allowed two runs in the first and third innings and found itself down 5-1 with six outs left before it lost, they never let that get to their heads.

This was a team that had battled and fought its way back into winning position on multiple occasions throughout the tournament.

It shook off the 9-1 loss it suffered to Chinese Taipei less than a week ago and managed to play their best game of the tournament in their rematch. It scored a late run against Australia to avoid an opening upset before hitting a two-run bomb with one strike left to defeat a feisty Venezuela team with no room to spare.

Even as it faced an unlikely deficit to come back from by anyone’s standards, it wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

“We just keep fighting,” said Everett when discussing why it’s so hard to win against his team. “We have to keep fighting until the last out. Like I’ve said every time, you just have to grab the momentum.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent California's Louis Lappe is congratulated by team mates after hitting the game winning home run in the bottom of the sixth inn against Curacao in the Little League World Series Sunday.

When the team needed him most, left fielder Nasir El-Ossaïs, who had the game-winning home run against Venezuela, stepped up to bat in the fifth with his team down by four and the tying runs all on base. Facing an assuring 1-0 count, he delivered an earth-shattering homer that sent applause flowing throughout the stadium and likely across the entire island of Curaçao.

“He’s a great player. He keeps focusing on the thing he wants. [I told him] to give us something to come back in the game and he came back with a grand slam,” said Everett on El-Ossaïs. “That’s so great man. I’m not even at home now, but I think the whole country back home was like crazy. I could feel the fire from it.”

It was a surreal moment for the team and those in attendance, even for those on the other side of the field. California manager Danny Boehle gave Curaçao credit for the way it battled back and was surprised his team found itself in the situation it was in late in the game after it built up its lead.

“They battled back hard. I never thought we would lose a four-run lead, but we did,” said Boehle. “Hat’s off to Curaçao, that’s a great team.”

Though it came close to pulling off the improbable victory, something that couldn’t be said about last year’s championship, Everett isn’t satisfied with getting close to winning it all.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent California team mates are congratulated by the Japan team as they make their victory lap around the field after winning the Little League Word Series Sunday.

He won’t be satisfied until he brings home a title. He’s gotten within inches of the title too many times to be content with being the runner-up.

“Like I said last year, I will be back. I have to come back to win it all,” said Everett. “I’m here to win it all. I ate the cake already last year. I ate the cake this year too, but I left the cherry on. [For next year], I think we’ve got to start early. Start early and come for the great run again.”

Though that’s easier said than done, as illustrated by how many close battles the team had to endure to put itself in position to make history, it’ll be interesting to see if this team can once again fight its way all the way back to the World Series championship in 2024.

At the end of the day, anything is possible when it comes to the Little League World Series.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent California's Louis Lappe celebrates after hitting a game winning home run in the bottom of the sixth inn against Curacao in the Little League World Series Sunday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent 13 in the fifth Curacao's Nasir El_Ossais is presented with something by his first base coach as he rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam tying the score in the fifth inning.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent California's Max Baker celebrates after hitting a triple in the fourth inning of the Little League World Series Sunday.

10 t0 22 MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent California second baseman Colby Lee throws to first baseman Jaxon kalish for an out in the Little League World Series Sunday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent California's Jaxon Kalish celebrates at second base after hitting a double with two rbi's in the third inning of the Little League World Series Sunday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent California's Colby Lee throws to first for a scond out after a force on Curacao's D'Shawn Winklaar in the second inning of the Little League World Series Sunday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Curacao third baseman Shemar Sophia Jacobus throws to first base a little late after colliding with short stop Jay-Dlynn Wiel for a singly by West's Brody Brooks single in the first inning of the Little League World Series Sunday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent California's Louis Lappe carries the championship banner as he trots out onto the field after the West's 6-5 win over Caribbean in the Little League World Series Sunday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent California Manager Danny Boehle gets doused with water along with ESPN reporter Julie Foudy following West's 6-5 win over Caribbean in the Little League World Series Championship Sunday.