7/11/03 The last Lompoc hope for Williamsport died Thursday.

The Lompoc Nationals fell 7-4 as Santa Maria Westside came from behind in an elimination game at the District 65 Little League baseballAll-Star tournament in Orcutt.

The Westside win was their fourth straight losers bracket victory.

The Nationals built up a 4-0 lead in the second inning as Joseph Morin reached on an error, Thomas Lee cracked a double, and Andrew Van Dyke singled in Morin. Cody Berryman singled to score Lee and went to second on an error. Richard Hirzel walked and Brandon Alonzo drove in Berryman with a single. Hirzel scored on a single by Andrew Binnebose.

Westside retaliated with two runs in the third and two more in the fifth to tie, and poured three across in the sixth.

Earlier in the tourney Nats opened with a 15-0 win over Village Hills but lost 12-11 to Nipomo which set up Wednesday/s contest.

9-10/s

Lompoc American remains alive in the 9-10 year-old District 65 tournament with a 5 p.m. game on tap this afternoon against Santa Maria Northside. If the Americans can beat the Northsiders, it will be Santa Maria/s first defeat, which will trigger a final championship game on Monday between the two.

John McReynolds can be reached at 736-2313, Ext. 106, or jmcreynolds@pulitzer.net