The magic finally ran out for Layritz Little League on Thursday afternoon, as the hometown team’s Cinderella run ended with an 8-0 loss to Vancouver’s Little Mountain in the 2025 Little League National Championship final at Layritz Park.
Little Mountain scored once in the first, second, and third innings before erupting for five more in the fifth to catapult themselves to the national title.
Despite the loss, the experience left a lasting impression on the players and their families.
“It was a really fun time,” said Mason Beech. “I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately we didn’t win, but I really enjoyed it. Doing it with my dad as a coach and some of my best friends – it’s going to last a lifetime. Maybe when I’m a dad, it’s going to be a great story to tell.”
The stands were packed to near capacity, with thousands of spectators filling the Saanich ballpark to cheer on the hosts in their bid for a spot at the Little League World Series.
“It’s a memory I’ll always have,” said team manager Jim Beech. “I don’t know if this park will be that full again.”
Layritz stormed through the tournament, going a perfect 6-0 in round robin play and outscoring their opponents 45-14, including a 4-3 win over Little Mountain on July 31.
They carried that momentum into the semifinals, edging Quebec 6-5 on Wednesday to book their spot in the final.
Little Mountain’s road was nearly as dominant.
The Vancouver club went 5-1 in the round robin – their only loss coming to Layritz – and posted a staggering +61 run differential. They shut out Alberta 10-0 in their semifinal before avenging their earlier defeat in emphatic fashion in the championship game.
“They just don’t make mistakes,” Beech said. “They force teams to beat them, and they’ll never beat themselves. The first time we played them, I felt like they did make a couple of mistakes – they cleaned that up. We just didn’t get it done.”
Over the course of the championship, Little Mountain conceded just seven runs while scoring 86.
This marks the third time since 2010 the club has earned the right to represent Canada at the Little League World Series, which is set to run Aug. 13-24 in Williamsport, Pa.
Playing in front of a hometown crowd made the tournament special for Layritz, and Beech said the memories from the past nine days at Layritz Park will stick with him.
“I’m proud of everything,” he said. “I’m proud of the community, I’m proud of the team, I’m proud of Layritz. I’m proud to be from Victoria. I’m just happy everyone came out and supported us. I feel blessed to share this with my son, all my son’s friends, and my fellow coaches."
Only two Victoria teams have gone on to represent Team Canada at the Little League World Series – 1974’s Vic West and 1999’s Gordon Head.
