EPHRATA - Bend don't break pitching, opportunistic running on the base paths, and overall strong defense carried the Columbia Basin RiverDogs to a chance to play their way into the 2011 Senior Babe Ruth World Series playoff round which begins today.

But, the hosts of the tournament, being played at Johnson-O'Brien Stadium, had to first overcome Onondaga (N.Y.) and pitcher Ryan O'Kane.

In the end, the RiverDogs' pitching bent just enough and their base running was kept at a minimum as they could only muster four hits, and their defense even made a few errors as they fell in a dramatic 3-2 contest, eliminating them from the tournament with a 2-2 record.

Both teams finished 2-2 in the American Division, which was won by Mobile (Ala.) and their 3-1 mark.

With Ottumwa (Iowa) also finishing 2-2 but with the least amount of runs allowed ??- 13 - the game between Onondaga and the RiverDogs became a loser out contest.

It turned out the team from New York would be playing for one more day at least while the hosts were put on ice.

"I am very proud of our kids," RiverDogs manager Randy Boruff said. "They competed and showed they are one of the better teams in the nation. They went down fighting and scrapping against a very good pitcher. How could you be disappointed?"

The last thing a struggling hitting team needs to do is come out slow and the RiverDogs did just that.

Onondaga struck first in the top of the second with two runs thanks to a Nathan Nigolian double to give the team from the East Coast an early 2-0 lead.

O'Kane, who earlier in the tournament handcuffed San Gabriel Valley to lead his team to its other win of the tournament, kept the RiverDogs' off balance early striking out the side in the hosts' at bat in the bottom of the first inning.

O'Kane recorded five punch outs in the first three innings as he faced the minimum nine batters, Onondaga threatened again with runners at the corners and one out in the third inning before Yada induced Shawn Peake to hit into a double play to escape the threat.

The RiverDogs' offensive woes would continue into the fourth inning, but not their ability to gain some good luck in the right spots.

Davis Engel (Skagit Valley CC) struck out to start the bottom of the fourth, but a passed ball allowed him to get on base. After a Bryton Redal (Moses Lake) sacrifice bunt, Cameron Alvarado (Moses Lake) hit a routine grounder to the Onondaga shortstop who let it slip through his legs.

The miscue allowed Engel to score and the RiverDogs trailed 2-1.

One out later, Stockton Taylor (Brewster) got the RiverDogs' first hit of the game and it couldn't have come at a better time as he singled in Alvarado to tie the game at 2-2 heading into the fifth inning.

Yada had to thank his defense, especially centerfielder Ricco Moreno (Big Bend/Moses Lake) in the top of the fifth inning.

Moreno caught a deep, line drive to centerfield by Mark Centolella which could have easily gone for at least a double and then he threw out Onondaga's next batter, Alex Caruso, who tried to turn a single into a double to no avail.

"I was real happy for Ricco," Boruff said. "He had struggled at the plate a bit, but he answered the bell defensively with two fine plays back-to-back."

Caruso returned the favor in the bottom of the fifth as he made a full stretch, diving catch of a Matt Noyola (Moses Lake) deep line drive to centerfield, robbing the RiverDog of an extra-base bit.

In the bottom of the sixth, Engel led off with a sharp single to centerfield where Caruso would juggle the ball and allow the RiverDog to advance to second.

O'Kane then forced Redal into popping up to the catcher on a sacrifice bunt attempt to record their first out of the inning.

Then Alvarado banged out a soft single to shallow right field where Onondaga's Nigolian would scoop up the ball and fire a strike to home plate to nail Engel for the second out, keeping the score tied at 2-2.

Alvarado was then questionably thrown out at first base and the RiverDogs' threat was snuffed out.

"Obviously if we take the lead into the seventh I would probably bring Cody Johns in to close earlier," Boruff said. "I think that's the beauty of baseball where you could second guess a coach. We could second guess sending Cameron with Walker and Taylor coming up. But, the guy had to make a perfect throw and he just did."

Their inability to score would come back to haunt them.

Chris Davis hit a 1-0 pitch from Yada for a line drive homer over left centerfield to give Onondaga a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh.

Yada got the next two outs before allowing back-to-back singles and forcing Boruff to make the change to Johns (Naches Valley).

Caruso lined a single to right field but the lead runner, O'Kane, was thrown out at home plate as Noyola made the tag to keep the deficit at 3-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh.

With one out in that frame, Taylor doubled off O'Kane and Jacob Yamane (Warden) came to the plate to pinch hit.

O'Kane would take an 0-2 lead on Yamane, who would battle back to force a full count before becoming the Onondagan's 10th strike out victim.

Noyola then came up with two outs and again O'Kane was forced into a full count.

This time the RiverDogs won the battle as Noyola walked to put runners on first and second base with Othello's Amando DeLeon coming to the plate to pinch hit. DeLeon had homered earlier in the week.

With the hometown crowd making plenty of noise, DeLeon worked the count to 2-2 before striking out looking on a high, outside pitch to end the RiverDogs' dream of winning a Babe Ruth World Series at Johnson-O'Brien Stadium.

O'Kane went the distance and struck out 11 to earn the pivotal win.

Yada ended up taking the loss while striking out six and scattering seven hits.

The RiverDogs finished with only four hits and completed the tournament batting .204

"Good pitching always shuts down good hitting and we weren't a solid hitting team to begin with," Boruff said. "We had a couple of solid hits tonight and O'Kane was just better than us overall as a team."

Today, Onondaga will play Cape Cod (Mass.) at 5 p.m. in the first playoff game of the tournament and then Noblesville (Ind.) will face off with Ottumwa at 8 p.m.

Both Mobile and Portland (Ore.) earned byes into Saturday's semifinal action.

DAY FIVE RECAP

AMERICAN DIVISION

Mobile 7

Ottumwa 6

Well if anything, despite the defending champion Mobile team winning its final pool game 7-6 yesterday against Ottumwa, the rest of the field may have hope heading into the single-elimination playoff round which begins today.

That's because even if Mobile (3-1) did win the American Division behind their latest victory, their last two games, including Tuesday's 3-0 shock loss to San Gabriel Valley, proves that this Alabama squad is anything but unbeatable.

"We're getting back to our better pitchers for the playoff round," Mobile manager Tony Hendrix said. "We are getting back to our older guys. We didn't swing the bats well against San Gabriel Valley. Most definitely we showed other teams we have some weaknesses and lost focus. If I was another team watching I would feel good about our chances playing against us."

Against Ottumwa, Mobile scored four runs in the top half of the first inning with Corey Bryan's two-run homer off Jory Heckenberg being the highlight.

But Ottumwa battled back with two runs in their half of the first and then they took the lead with a four-run outburst in the bottom of the second inning to lead 6-4. In the inning, Calvin Matthews recorded a two-run double and Andrew Utterback knocked out a two-run single.

Mobile, who had previously recorded their first two wins via rout, were again faced with a challenge to come back from a deficit and this time they responded.

Cole Jarman belted a two-run double in the top of the third inning and the game was tied at 6-6.

For the next few innings pitching and defense ruled until Mobile got the break they needed in the top of the sixth inning.

Trey Chambers walked to start the at bat and would eventually come home on an Ottumwa error to make the score 7-6 in Mobile's favor.

Dylan Stamey pitched three innings of no-hit relief ball to earn the win for Mobile.

Mobile's Michael Radoslovich and Utterback each had a game-high three hits.

Despite the loss Ottumwa earned a playoff spot due to allowing only 13 runs which guaranteed a tie-break advantage against the RiverDogs and Onondaga.

NATIONAL DIVISION

Noblesville (Ind.) 4

Eagle Pass (Tx.) 3

Eagle Pass made a gallant run at an almost completely out-of-reach playoff spot, but Noblesville decided to end the suspense with a dramatic 4-3 win to aid their way to a playoff berth.

Noblesville (2-2) led 2-0 after the first inning thanks in part to a four-hit attack.

Andrew Rogers then doubled in Derek Asuras to make the score 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Yet, Eagle Pass refused to give up.

Three singles in the top of the seventh inning and a Noblesville error allowed the Texans back into the contest and when Eric Ruiz singled home Eric Padilla the score was tied at 3-3.

Unfortunately for Eagle Pass their defensive miscues all tournament long continued in the bottom half of the frame as they allowed leadoff hitter Tanner Watson to reach base on an error to start things off for Noblesville.

Three batters later, Daniel Bord singled home Watson and sent Eagle Pass (0-4) home as the only winless team in the field.

Maxwell Brier pitched a complete game for the win.

Puget Sound (Wash.) 3

Cape Cod (Mass.) 1

Despite winning their final game, the 2009 Babe Ruth champs will not advance to the playoff round which begins today.

Puget Sound won 3-1 over Cape Cod, but the losers still finished second in the National Division pool play, while Noblesville earned the third seed due to winning the tiebreak over Puget Sound thanks to an 8-4 win over the Washington squad on Sunday.

Puget Sound trailed 1-0 early but got two runs in the third inning to take the lead for good while riding the arm of Kyle Thompson who pitched a complete game seven-hitter to earn the win and send his team home on a positive note.