In an epic finale between the league’s top two teams, Palisades Blue stormed back from several large deficits to win the Pony Division championship Friday night at the Field of Dreams. Coached by David Kahn and Bill Elder, top-seeded Pali Blue rallied from 7-0 and 8-2 deficits to stun the second-seeded Metro Toros, 11-10, and finish the season with a stellar 20-4 record in the 12-team league. “I’ve been coaching for 12 years and this was the best game I’ve ever been involved in,” Kahn said. The team of local 13- and 14-year-olds eliminated Pali White in the quarterfinals and routed Mira Costa in the semifinals while Metro (10-3) had vanquished Pali Red on its way to the championship game. Following uncharacteristic fielding errors, Blue found themselves trailing 7-0 going into the bottom of the third inning, when Truman Hanks led off with Blue’s first hit of the game and Hudson Ling followed with the first of his three walks. After a double play and two more walks, Brett Elder’s two-out single scored two runs and closed the gap to five runs. Elder relieved Ling in the third and held the Toros’ imposing lineup to just one more run through the top of the fifth. In the bottom half, with Blue trailing 8-2, Ling led off with a walk. After two strikeouts, clean-up hitter Preston Clifford and Elder drew back-to-back walks after working 3-2 counts. Tyler McMorrow also drew a walk to force home a run. Center fielder George Mitchell followed with a two-run single to left field and his daring dash to steal second on the next pitch caused the catcher to throw wildly into center field, allowing McMorrow to score from third. Left fielder Joe Fasano almost added a home run, but his drive to left field was run down and caught. Three Toros hits upped their lead to 10-6 in the top of the sixth, but just when it seemed Metro was about to add on, Mitchell saved at least one run with an athletic running catch in center field and a deft scoop by first baseman Julian Hart on an errant throw from third ended the Toros’ threat. Blue had come from behind seven times previously this season, so the team remained confident even when Metro brought in its hard-throwing closer in the bottom of the frame. The top of the order’Ling, second baseman Alex Kahn and Hart’all reached base. Then, a clean single to left field by Clifford scored one run and a sacrifice fly to right by McMorrow plated another. As the home crowd stood and cheered, Mitchell delivered a clutch single to left field. Hart bolted for home as the ball eluded Metro’s left fielder and rolled all the way to the fence, allowing Clifford to score the tying run. After falling behind 1-2, utility player Nicky Baron slapped a single to center field, scoring Mitchell with the go-ahead run. Fans and players alike were on their feet as Elder took the mound for the top of the seventh inning with Blue suddenly ahead 11-10. He calmly struck out the first batter with a nasty curve, but an infield error and a stolen base put the tying run in scoring position. Elder bore down and struck out the final two batters to end the game, giving him eight strikeouts total. Pali Blue’s win was that much more impressive given that they were without key pitcher Anthony Poulos, who was injured during the team’s first playoff game, and hard-hitting infielders Clay Davis and Connor Page were unavailable. It was the second title for head coach Kahn and the fifth for assistant coach Elder. It was one that neither they nor their players will ever forget.
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