With a chance to face the Red Sox for the Bronco Division championship on the line, the Indians and Dodgers played a game to remember Tuesday on Field 2 at the Palisades Recreation Center’s Field of Dreams complex. The Indians built a 7-1 lead over the first two innings. The Dodgers rallied for six runs in the top of the third inning, but the Indians eventually prevailed,13-10, to advance to the finals against the Red Sox. ‘We’ve been winning close, low-scoring games all season, so this was a bit surprising,’ said Indians coach Steve Skolnik, who guided his 11 to 13-year-old Indians to the best record of any team in PPBA during the regular season. We gave up a lot of runs but fortunately we got some big hits too.’ The Indians stranded 13 runners in a 5-1 loss to the Red Sox in the second round of the playoffs. The two teams played Wednesday (result not available at press time) and if the Indians won the two teams will play a decisive game today at 4:30 p.m. ‘This was an exciting ball game and we had out chances,’ Dodgers coach Alan Preston said. ‘It’s disappointing to lose but I think our players had a lot of fun playing and they didn’t give up. Conner [Preston] smoked the ball three times, Chris Aronson played great at second base and Adam Christiana stole six bases for us. Everyone did a nice job.’ The game was tied 8-8 in the fifth inning Luke Mullan hit a leadoff single for the Indians and scored the go-ahead run on Eli Redman’s ground ball. A groundout by Nate Redman advanced his brother to third, Gunnar Kohl walked and Daniel Edelstein singled to score Eli Redman for a 10-8 lead. David Skolnik then doubled to the center field fence to drive in two more runs and later scored on a wild pitch for a 13-8 lead. Preston ripped a double over the third-base bag to pull the Dodgers within 13-10 with one out in the top of the sixth inning, but David Skolnik, younger brother of Palisades High baseball players Matt and Sam Skolnik, struck out the final two batters to end the game. Mustang (Ages 10-11) Zach Hernandez scored the go-ahead run for the Tigers in the bottom of the fifth inning on an infield single by Michael Sullivan and Brandon Newman added an insurance run on a hit by Sam Wasserman as the Tigers advanced to the finals with a 5-3 victory over the Indians. The game began as pitchers duel between left-handers Austin Kamel of the Tigers and Tommy Sanford of the Indians. After Kamel singled to score Newman and Tyler Steil in the bottom of the first inning, both pitchers settled down and each had three strikeouts over the next two innings. Right-handers Sullivan for the Tigers and Jayenth Subrahmanyan for the Indians took over in the fourth inning. Andy Currier reached base all three times he batted and scored the Indians’ last run on a hit by catcher Leo Abbe-Schneider in the sixth inning. The Indians tied the game, 2-2, in the top of the fifth inning when a single by Justin Stein scored Jack Clausen. John Frachiolla played well at third base for the Indians, who had upset the Tigers earlier in the playoffs. ‘This was a great game,’ Tigers coach Brian Sullivan said. ‘I thought both teams played great. Austin and Michael did a great job pitching for us and their catcher Leo [Abbe-Schneider] did a great job keeping us from stealing.’ The Tigers played the Braves, who won the other bracket, Wednesday and if the Tigers won they will play the Braves again today on Field 3 for the division championship. Pinto (Ages 7-9) In a tense defensive struggle, Peter Tilden tripled down the first base line to score Matt Zeiden and Dawson Rosenberg with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Tigers held to beat the Phillies 2-1 on Field 4. Rosenberg at short stop at Tyler Newman at second base played great defense to keep the Tigers in front. ‘I’m really proud of the kids,’ Tigers coach Joe Rosenberg said. ‘We were the American League champions, but we lost to the Red Sox in the playoffs and now we have another shot at them.’

He may go to a ‘little’ school, but Tommy Marrone is making it ‘big’ on campus. One of about 600 students at St. Monica High, the Palisades native is a standout athlete in both football and volleyball. In fact, choosing between the two is as hard for him as scoring a touchdown or setting a teammate for a spike. “Football is always fun because of the physical contact and the guys you play with,” Marrone said. “And I like volleyball when it gets really intense if the match is close.” Marrone was voted most valuable player of the Mariners’ junior varsity football team after scoring 14 touchdowns as both a running back and wide receiver and making three interceptions as a free safety on defense. His coaches were so impressed that they moved him up to varsity for the playoffs and he saw action at tailback in St. Monica’s victory over Big Bear in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division XI playoffs. The highlight of his season was a 90-yard touchdown run in a game against Mary Star of the Sea. “One thing I noticed immediately playing varsity is that the players are much stronger and faster and the game is much more physical,” Marrone said. “I was clocked running 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash in spring practice, but I’m not sure that’s accurate.” When he’s not breaking tackles on the gridiron, the 16-year-old Marrone is dishing out assists on the volleyball court as the starting setter for St. Monica’s varsity team. He was named first-team All-League as a sophomore and looks forward to a run at the CIF title next year. “I play middle blocker on my club team but my high school needs me to set so that’s what I do,” Marrone said. “I’m considered small for a volleyball player (5-9 and 150 pounds), but I can jump pretty high.” In the off-season, Marrone plays for the Pacific Palisades Volleyball Club’s 16-2s team, which accumulated enough points in a series of tournaments to qualify for the Junior Olympics later this month in Austin, Texas, where it will compete against 100 of the best teams in the United States. Growing up, Marrone’s first love was baseball. He played for the Red Sox in the Palisades Pony Baseball Association from Pinto through Pony and was selected to the West Los Angeles All-Star team as a catcher. He also played AYSO soccer and flag football at the Pali Rec Center. But sports is far from the only meaningful activity for Marrone. He became an Eagle Scout with Troop 223 in February after fulfilling a community service project that involved furnishing benches, uprooting dead trees and cleaning out supply sheds at Palisades Elementary School. “I started as a Cub Scout in third grade, became a Boy Scout in fifth grade and I worked towards becoming an Eagle since then,” said Marrone, who has aspirations of one day joining the military. “My ultimate goal is to be in the Army. I want to serve my country and defend freedom.”

Though their team lost to Granada Hills in the semifinals of the City Section tennis playoffs last month, Palisades High players Sepehr Safii and Stephen Surjue were able to exact some measure of revenge last Wednesday, defeating the Highlanders’ No. 1 duo of Jeremy Choo and Jared Novak , 6-4, 7-6 (6), to take third place in the All-City Individual Doubles tournament at Balboa Tennis Center in Encino. In addition to beating Granada Hills’ best team, Safii and Surjue were also the only team to take a set off of El Camino Real’s Isaac Adrabi and Chad Gerber, the top-seeded tandem in the tournament, winning the opening set of their semifinal match 7-5 before losing the last two, 6-0, 6-1. ‘They played great the whole tournament,’ PaliHi head coach Bud Kling said of Safii and Surjue. ‘They gave the best team in the City a fight and they beat a more experienced team in the third-place match. That bodes well for next season.’ For the second year in a row, Palisades’ No. 1 player Chris Ko was done in by injury. Ko rolled an ankle during his second set in the City team finals last season’an injury that kept him from participating in the individual tournament as well. This time, Ko was seeded No. 1 in the 64-player singles draw and reached the semifinals with ease. But there, during a tense baseline duel with eventual singles champion Bobby Tam of Belmont, Ko hurt his back and had to default due to injury after dropping the first set, 7-5. ‘It’s disappointing that Chris got hurt because he would’ve had a good chance to win the singles,’ Kling said. ‘He’s beaten Bobby before and he would’ve beaten the kid Bobby beat in the finals.’ Ko, a junior, lost only one set against City opponents this year’to Phil Weisburd of Granada Hills in the team semifinals. Against Tam, Ko was on serve and playing well when he felt a twinge in his back. ‘I wanted to keep playing, but I knew there was no way I could,’ Ko said. ‘It hurt just moving and I couldn’t serve at all. I think I would’ve won if I didn’t get hurt.’ The 2004 season officially over, Kling is now focusing his attention on 2005 and he likes the way his team is shaping up. ‘Nine out of our 10 starters will return, plus two of the top JV players. We may have a shot to win City next year. The lack of competition in our league really cost us this season. It didn’t prepare us for the playoffs. We need to develop a stronger third doubles.’

The Pacific Palisades Optimist Club and Palisades-Malibu YMCA will hold the 33rd annual Youth Track and Field Meet Sunday at Palisades High’s Stadium by the Sea. The meet is open to boys and girls ages 5-15. Opening ceremonies will begin at 11 a.m. and the meet will end by 2 p.m. The entry fee is $15 per participant (pay at YMCA, 821 Via del la Paz) from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday or sign-up on the day of the event. The meet provides the youth of the community with a great opportunity to discover the fun and excitement of a real track and field meet. Field events include the high jump, long jump and shot put. Running events include the 50 and 100-meter dashes for all ages; 200, 400 and 800 meter runs for the older kids; and relays for all ages. All participants will receive an event t-shirt and the atmosphere is one of friendly competition and good sportsmanship. Boys and girls are awarded multiple ribbons for their participation and achievements. Parents, family and friends can mingle while enjoying picnic lunches or pizza purchased at the Stadium. Last year’s event attracted 170 local athletes. For more information call Jim Kirtley at the YMCA: 454-5591, ext. 1503.

Palisadian Josh Lederman won both of his sets at No. 1 singles to lead the Harvard-Westlake High boys tennis team to a 14-4 victory over Loyola in the CIF Southern Section Division I finals last Wednesday at the Claremont Club. Lederman defeated both Bryan Ross and Ray Alvarez by 6-2 scores in the first two rotations of singles play and was replaced in the third round after the top-seeded Wolverines (22-0) had already clinched their second CIF title in three years. Lederman scored a key doubles victory when Harvard-Westlake beat Brentwood in the Division V final two years ago. It was Harvard-Westlake’s third victory over the unseeded Cubs (20-4), the first two having come in Mission League play. Lederman played No. 1 singles all season for the Wolverines. In Division IV, top-seeded Redondo (27-2) won its first boys’ tennis title in school history by defeating second-seeded Brentwood, 12-6, in a rematch of last year’s final. Brentwood won that match by the same score. Palisadian Aiden Lloyd teamed with partner Michael Riorden to win a set at No. 2 doubles for the Eagles (18-7).