With two runners on, West End’s Jaxson March came up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with a chance to be the hero. It’s the dream of any youth baseball player to step up and deliver a game-winning hit in a huge game.

Pressure’s on and time to deliver. And that’s precisely what March did at the plate.

March got a hold of a pitch and hit an RBI single, bringing in the game-scoring run to lift West End’s 13-16-year-old all-star team to an exciting 3-2 win over California in the Babe Ruth World Series semifinals.

“Jaxson came up huge for us and hit the ball hard by the third baseman,” West End manager Marc Hess said. “We had second and third with no outs with LJ Hill, Jaxson Marc and Mason Hess coming up and I believed in everyone of them to get the job done. LJ flew out to shallow right and Jaxson came in clutch.”

The win advances West End to the championship game where they will play on Saturday morning and hope to bring a championship bac to Williamsport.

For Hess, who played for West End when he was younger, it’s a special moment knowing he has a chance to bring home a championship.

“It’s extremely special to me as I played at West End and know the history of our program and now to be coaching my son Mason in the World Series final is something special,” Hess said. “West End has never won the championship and played runner-up in 2006, and I want this group to be remembered forever as the first championship for West End.”

Both pitchers played well as West End was limited to five hits — all singles — and California had four hits including two doubles.

Noah Kirby was the only West End player to record multiple hits thanks to going 2 for 3 with an RBI. Trey Damschroder and Camden March both scored runs, as did Zack Neill who was waled twice. Jaxson March was 1 for 2 and Nate Crowe finished 1 for 2.

West End found itself trailing after the first inning when California scored twice early for a 2-0 lead. West End would cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first and eventually tied it thanks to a run in the bottom of the third inning.

“After giving up two in the top of the first ids settled in and played their game. We knew all wee it was going to be a huge game against California as they were putting up a lot of runs, but our kids got some confidence putting up one in the bottom of the first and kept battling,” Hess said.

Briar Persing had a strong performance on the mound. The West End ace threw 95 pitches and went 6 2/3 innings, scattering five hits with an outstanding 11 strikeouts and no walks. Damschroder came in for the final out and closed out the game for the win.

“I have been giving Briar the ball in big games since he was 12. The first three batters hit three doubles and they were up 2-0 top of one and he settled in and threw like I knew he could,” Hess said. “Any time I give him the ball I have all the confidence in the world in him and he proved to me again why I give him the ball in big games.”

West End’s final game, win or lose, is set for Saturday morning.

“We are thrilled to be playing for a World Series title as I have been saying all week, this has been our goal since finishing third when the kids were 13,” Hess said. “We appreciate all the support back home as it has been a long two weeks out here in Missouri, but we still have our goal of bringing home a world championship to Williamsport.”

West End 3, California 2

Calif. 200 000 0 — 2 5 2

West End 101 000 1 — 3 4 0

B. Nevarez, M. Linares (7) and A. Hohman. Briar Persing, Trey Damschroder (7) and Jaxson March. W: Damschroder. L: Linares.

Top California hitters: A. Hohman 2-3, RBI, run; S. Helms 1-3, 2B, run; H. Sprick 1-2; N. Risisenberg 2B. Top West End hitters: Noah Kirby 2-3, RBI; Nate Crowe 1-2; Jaxson March 1-2, GW RBI, BB; Camden March run; Trey Damschroder run.