Through the first two games of the best-of-three Southern California championship series, Orange Little League never held a lead while a game was in progress. The District 30 champions had won the series' first game on a walk-off grand slam that reversed a 6-5 deficit, and were blown out in a 12-0, mercy rule-shortened game in Game 2.

But Orange controlled the series' third and deciding game from end to end.

Scoring in every inning but the fifth, Orange throttled homestanding Aliso Viejo Little League, 16-2, to clinch the victory and earn the league's first-ever Southern California championship in the major baseball division.

Orange slammed six home runs in the tournament's final game, including a pair by winning pitcher Chris Huerta. Jordan Schmidt fired the first salvo in the third, a solo shot that extended an early Orange advantage to 4-1, while Ryan Islas' solo home run and Huerta's two-run blow extended the lead in the fourth.

Orange failed to score in the fifth, but Huerta (three-run blast), Josh Smith (grand slam), and A.J. Esperanza (solo home run) all cleared the fences as part of an eight-run rally that propelled Orange into the West Region tournament in San Bernardino, California.

Aliso Viejo added to the power show, with its runs coming on solo home runs by Chris Pimentel and Hunter Jump.

"We have the capability to hit home runs," said Orange coach Dale Ducheny. "(We) just have to be on their game and know what they're up against."

The Orange power show was a far cry from the previous evening, when Aliso Viejo roared to a 12-0 victory. The District 55 champions, who played all fourteen of its international tournament games on its home field, turned a 2-0 first inning lead into an 11-0 romp through three innings.

Aliso Viejo had also led for most of the opener, and carried a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning. But Huerta narrowed the Aliso advantage with a three run homer, and in the sixth, Riley Fink stunned the home crowd with a walkoff grand slam home run that pushed Orange to the victory in a game in which they had never led.

Orange's victory in the divisional championship series was the first by a North Sub-Divisional champion in the six-year history of the format presently in use in Southern California. The league became District 30's first divisional champion since Anaheim Hills West Little League in 1999, and the third overall.

Aliso Viejo reached the Southern California championship game for the third time in nine years. The District 55 winner claimed the SoCal title in 2008 (when the league was split into two charters and Aliso Viejo National Little League won the crown) and was the runner-up to Conejo Valley East Little League in 2004.

Orange reached the divisional series by winning three of four games in the North Sub-Divisional tournament at Ladera Little League's Christopher "Beebop" Robinson Field. Orange topped Goleta Valley South Little League, 9-7, in an opening round victory, then blanked El Segundo Little League, 3-0, to reach the championship game. Orange then dropped a mercy rule-shortened, 14-4 decision to Upland Foothill Little League in the first championship series game before turning the tables and defeating the same team by a 13-3 margin in the final game.

Orange scored three or more runs in every inning in the four inning victory that decided the sub-divisional championship. Orange's hitters consistently worked Upland's pitchers deep into the count with a patient hitting approach in the win. Beyond driving up pitch counts, the result of this patience was that Upland's pitchers were frequently behind in the count, allowing Orange to feast on fastballs. The District 30 champions hit three home runs and collected 14 hits before Fink's single plated Ryan Islas with a run that pushed their lead to ten runs and invoked the mercy rule.

"You've got to throw fastballs (when you are behind in the count)," explained Upland manager Dominic Mistone. "They were turning our fastballs around on us."

It marked a reversal from the previous evening, when Upland hitters coaxed twelve walks from Orange's pitchers, and clubbed three home runs to force the series to a final game. Upland Foothill carried a 1-0 advantage into the third inning, when four walks sparked a six-run rally. The District 23 winners then sent eleven batters to the plate in a seven-run fourth. Jake Holcroft, Ryan Rodriguez, and Chad Nicholson all homered in the win.

Upland had won the divisional tournament two years prior in the 9-10 year old division, and scored 11 or more runs in twelve of their 16 international tournament games, including all ten in district and sectional tournament action. This offensive prowess was top-of-mind for Orange manager Chris Esperanza as his team built its lead in the decisive final game.

"You know they're good when you're up eight or nine runs and you're worried about them coming back," said the Orange skipper.

"(Last) night was our night," said Mistone. "Tonight, everything went right for them. That's baseball."

Aliso Viejo also needed an extra game to emerge as the winner in the South Sub-Divisional tournament, where they edged Highland Little League, 7-6, for the title. Aliso Viejo overpowered Encinitas Little League, 16-7, and Corona National Little League, 11-0 in five innings, to quickly reach the title game. But Highland came into the meeting with Aliso Viejo having dispatched three straight opponents following an opening round loss to Encinitas, and then forced the extra game when a six-run second inning rally led to a 6-3 victory over Aliso Viejo.

Highland got a pair of two-run home runs from Robert Gonzalez in the sub-divisional finale, but Aliso Viejo escaped three one-out, bases loaded threats in the game to seal the victory. Highland left the bases loaded after a pair of strikeouts ended a first inning jam, and did the same when a line out and strikeout quelled a rally in the fourth. The District 43 champions left potential tying and winning runs in scoring position in the sixth when Aliso Viejo's pitcher coaxed a pair of soft line drives after Highland had again loaded the bases with one out.

The victory pushed Aliso Viejo into their meeting with Orange, in what was the first all-Orange County championship game meeting in six years. Following its victory over Aliso Viejo, Orange won one of its four pool games at the West Region tournament, and finished in fifth place.