PPBA 8U All-Stars Win Section Title

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Needing to win to advance in the PONY playoffs, Palisades’ 8U Pinto All-Stars brought their “A” game Monday in the finals of the five-team Section 2 Tournament, defeating host Simi Valley White 12-5 to punch their ticket to the next round.

Riding the rocket arms of pitchers Jack Hetherington, Nate Underwood and Owen Tyler, Palisades led from the start, building a 7-0 lead through four innings and withstanding a late Simi surge. Dylan Morrow stepped on the bag at first for the final out, then celebrated with his teammates.

At the plate, Ben Underwood went three-for-three with a double, an inside-the-park homer and three runs scored. Anthony Layton was two-for-two with three RBIs and two runs scored, and Tyler scored four runs for Palisades, which had beaten Cheviot Hills 13-3 and Oxnard 16-1 Saturday and knocked out Santa Monica 13-1 in the semifinals June 25 to reach the championship game.

Also contributing throughout the weekend were Will Feil, Cabe Talt, Maddox Martin, Axl Moody, Brady Elbaum and River Baskauskas. Piloting the 8Us are Joe Layton, Taylor Talt and Matt Underwood. The  team advanced to the Region Tournament June 29 to July 3 at East Valley in North Hollywood.     

While the 8Us were cruising to victory, on the next diamond over, Palisades’ 9U squad was locked in a tense struggle with Simi Youth Red, which scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to break a 3-3 tie, then withstood one last rally by the proud PPBA boys to hang on for a 4-3 win. Both teams advanced to the Region Tournament June 29 to July 3 in Camarillo.

Benji Goodman doubled to drive in Luke Johnson in the top of the sixth, and Jake Jaret followed with a single before being stranded on a fine defensive play to the end the game. Jaret had an RBI single and proved clutch on the mound, getting a strikeout to escape a bases-loaded jam in the second and pitching out of trouble again in the third. Brandon Gimelstob dug out several low throws balls at first base, and Zack Haynie belted a lead-off double, igniting a two-run first-inning rally.    

On Saturday, Palisades beat Agoura 10-6 and Westlake 6-4 to earn the No. 2 seed heading into the semifinals Sunday, where it again topped Westlake 6-4. Rounding out the PPBA’s 9U Mustang roster were Ryder Ward, Foster Badt, Daniel Gruft, Luke Roozen, Ryan Binder, Emmett Konstant and Brody Webb. Coaching the squad are Darren Wald, Cory Johnson and Mike Badt.

Palisades’ 11U Bronco All-Stars went 4-0 on their way to the Section 2 crown in Bakersfield, defeating Simi White 6-1 in Monday’s championship game to earn a spot in this weekend’s Region Tournament, also in Camarillo.

Palisades 10U and 12U All-Stars host the PONY Section 3 playoffs Thursday to Monday at the Field of Dreams. Only the winner in each bracket advances to the Region Tournament July 6 to 10.