CAMPBELL >> The sun was setting on a classic Little League pitcher’s duel Tuesday evening, but Aptos Little League’s Majors All-Stars made sure it didn’t set on their season, thanks to some game saving defense and timely offense.

Scoreless through six innings of regulation, Aptos busted loose in the top of the seventh inning and defeated Los Altos 4-1 in the championship of the Section 5 Tournament at Campbell Little League.

But the dust has yet to settle in this epic clash in the wild west. Because it was Los Altos’ first loss in the tournament — Aptos avenged its 8-7 loss to Los Altos on Sunday — the teams will square off again on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. to determine who gets the section banner and advances to the NorCal Division 2 Tournament, which runs Saturday through July 25 in Petaluma.

“I think we definitely have some momentum,” said Ethan Crump, Aptos’ No. 12 hitter, after coming up with a huge RBI single.

Patrick Collins pitched two innings of relief and earned the win. He matched starter Tysen Espinoza’s brilliance over the first five innings.

“We knew what to expect with him” said Aptos manager Tim Reilly, of Espinoza. “He just pitched a gem.”Reilly also raved about Collins and his ability to throw strikes.

“In the bottom of the sixth, when they had a runner at third, I was very nervous in that moment,” Crump said. “I was nervous because if they would’ve scored that they would’ve won the game. So I was really happy that Patrick, our pitcher, could strike him out to get out of that inning.”

“We’ve got four, five six guys that can go out there and I’d feel confident in,” said Reilly, of his pitching staff.

Los Altos’ Derek Galensky shined over 6 1/3 innings and was tagged with a tough-luck loss.

In the seventh, the tiebreaker rule was utilized. Aptos’ Nolan McKee, who made the final out of the sixth, was placed at second base and scored the game’s first run on Crump’s RBI single. It was an unearned run.

Beau Pieracci drew a one-out walk and that was the end of the day for Galensky, who had thrown 85 pitches. He was relieved by Rocco Cappellazzo.

Aptos’ Wyatt Graaskamp battled with a full count and fouled off a pitch. On the seventh pitch he saw, he smacked a towering, three-run home run over the fence in left field.

“It was really big,” Crump said of his teammate’s homer. “It was the insurance we needed.”

It was Graaskamp’s first postseason home run and fifth of the season.

“I’m just really excited we could pull that win off, and force a winner-take-home game,” he said. “I’m just really excited. “

Three of Aptos’ next four hitters reached base, but Aptos grounded into a force out at second base with the bases loaded.

Tiebreaker runner Quinlan Schlough scored for Los Altos with one out in the bottom of the seventh, when Cappellazzo reached on a fielding error at first base. Colton Siebel reached on a fielder’s choice, which resulted in a force out at second, and Zane Bernhardt reached on a force out attempt gone awry, but Collins recorded his third strikeout to end the game.

Reilly said he received three game balls from the home plate umpire after the game and the manager gave them to Crump, Espinosa, and Graaskamp.

“I wish I had five (game balls); just insane,” said Reilly, alluding to the number of players who made game-changing contributions. “Ethan was my MVP of the ballgame. Without that game-winning hit, Wyatt maybe doesn’t come up to bat and do what he does. And coming from the 12 spot? I just love that. That’s such a great story.”

Both teams stranded eight runners on base.

Los Altos had runners on base in all but one inning. It left runners in scoring position in three of the final four frames.

A couple of base running blunders helped do Los Altos in. In a scorekeeper’s nightmare, Aptos escaped the fifth with an inning ending double play. The first out came on a strikeout and the second on a tag out at third base, following two Los Altos base runners being caught in a pickle.

“That play and like 10 other plays were just like, ‘Holy cow,’ ” Reilly said. “I mean, defense wins championships, right? We practice pickles. Last year in sectionals we got beat in a couple games because we didn’t do enough pickle drills, didn’t do enough run-downs. We’re doing pretty well with those so far.”

Los Altos manager Dean Cappellazzo said inexperience got the best of his team — which features one 10-year-old, six 11s and five 12s — in the biggest moments of the game.

“We lost the game based off of lack of communication on the base paths, not knowing the situations correctly, and I think it was also ‘the moment,’ ” Cappellazzo said. “The moment was big, where maybe our guys got a little nervous or didn’t know what to do. So worried about not making a mistake, they make a mistake.”

Los Altos also shined on defense. Third baseman Ethan Hsieh threw to first base for an impressive putout after he fielded a come-backer that ricocheted off Galensky in the third. And Siebel, playing shortstop, shined while turning the front end of a 6-4-3 double play to end the fifth.

“I told them, ‘That was the best game we played all year,” said Cappellazzo, of his team’s post-game meeting. “Defensively, we pitched great. I think we had one strikeout the entire game, and that’s a testament to our defense. These guys are battled-tested on ‘D.’ We work on it all day long.”

The teams’ previous two meeting have gone down to the wire. Both managers expect another thriller on Wednesday.

“It’s game on,” Reilly said. “It’s win or go home for both sides. And, you know, confidence is big for these guys. They know that they can beat them now. That’s huge, especially for 12-year-olds. But hats off to them. They’re well-coached. They kept it tight. This was a great one.”