North Bothell Little League’s World Series dreams are dashed.

The three-time state champs lost a pair of games to Butte, Mont., 9-2, and Missoula, Mont., 11-5, on Sunday at the Senior Softball Western Regional Tournament in Missoula and finished with a 5-2 loss to Southern California on Monday. The two Montana teams — each with the best records in their respective divisions — will play in the championship series, with one team advancing to the World Series in Delaware.

North Bothell defeated Oregon, 3-2, and Arizona, 9-1, on Saturday.

The girls lost their first game, 10-1, to Northern California on Thursday.

“It’s a thrill, the games are fun. We’re hard on them when we need to in practice,” said manager Gary Kruger prior to regionals. “These girls come to play.”

The team of 13-16-year-olds has been together for the last three years and has “taken steps up the ladder” experience- and skill-wise since they were juniors.

“These girls are pretty well-focused,” said Kruger, adding that North Bothell has four strong pitchers, several speedsters and solid hitters throughout the lineup. “My job is to keep them at peak level and make strides up the ladder.”

The team is coach Mike Lindberg, Makenzie Kruger, Paige Calcagni, Rhianna Bennett, coach Ron Cook, Shelby Cook, Laura Barker, Carly Hood, manager Gary Kruger, Tracy Rider, Rory Peterson, Rachael Lindberg, Savannah Rose, Haley Fiske and Emily Cook.

DAVE HURLEY PHOTOS