NEDERLAND — This was a true test of survival.

Beaumont’s West End matched Port Neches run-for-run through five innings. Two more runs by West End, and a 26-run game would have displayed a little more offense.

Port Neches led by six runs at one point and held West End off for a 14-12 win Friday night in the final elimination game of the Little League Section 2 Majors tournament at Nederland Little League.

This put Port Neches in tonight’s championship game against North Shore of Houston, starting at 7. If Port Neches wins, a second title game will be played Monday.

It will be a rematch of the tournament opener for both teams; North Shore routed Port Neches on Wednesday.

The hopes of a championship sweep in the Little League age groups are still intact with the Port Neches Majors’ latest victory. Tonight, both the PN 11-year-old and 10-year-old teams need only win once to claim their Section 2 titles. The 11s will take one West End at North Shore in a game that has been rescheduled for 11 a.m. The 10s will face Orwall American in the title bout at West End starting at 7.

Port Neches outhit West End 13-7 but committed five errors, one more than West End. Luckily, the bats came alive for the team in purple.

Cole Crippen went 3 for 4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Cayce Crippen, Landon Guarnere and Tommy Reed each had two hits; Cayce drove in three runs and Reed two. Cole Crippen and Reed both homered.

Port Neches was up 14-8 going into the bottom of the sixth and survived one last onslaught to win.

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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews