Mustang All-Star Team Bounces Back

Maybe losing its first game of the Pony Baseball District 1 All-Star Tournament was the best thing that could've happened to Pacific Palisades' Mustang team.

Manager Jason Reese was confident his team would bounce back after Thursday's 3-2 defeat in extra innings--and bounce back it did.

Palisades won both of its games in resounding fashion Saturday and move one victory away from Monday's championship round.

Palisades will take on the Santa Monica-Pico Rivera loser on Sunday afternoon at the Palisades Recreation Center's Field of Dreams. The winner advances to play the Santa Monica-Pico Rivera winner for first place Monday at 4:30 p.m., with a final game Tuesday if necessary. 

Mustang Division (ages 9-10) games are normally six innings, but neither of Saturday's games went beyond the fourth. Palisades beat Lynwood 15-2 in the morning game, then beat Cheviot Hills 11-1 in the afternoon, both games being stopped because of the mercy rule.

Justin Howard walked to lead off the game against Lynwood and Nico Chapus followed with an inside-the-park home run. With two outs and two runners on, Shane Skelly doubled to score Will Coquillard and Xander Hurley. Andrew Arth singled to score Skelly, Jack Sandifer walked and Arth scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-0 Palisades.

Chapus tripled to lead off the second and scored when Bryant Reese's grounder to shortstop was misplayed. Harrison Listen tripled to bring home Reese and increase Palisades' lead to 8-0. 

"I needed one more hit in the gap for a double," said Chapus, who went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and was a two-bagger away from the cycle. 

Lynwood loaded the bases in the home half of the second and back-to-back walks forced home two runs. Sandifer then took the hill and got the final out. Jack Rocchio and Sandifer scored on wild pitches in the third and Palisades tacked on five runs in the fourth. 

Hurley singled with one out, Nick Kerkorian walked, Skelly doubled to score both runners and Rocchio hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Skelly. Sandifer walked, Howard got an RBI hit and Chapus singled to drive in Howard. 

In the afternoon, Chapus pitched all four innings and every player got a hit against Cheviot Hills, which had blanked Mira Costa 11-0 earlier in the day. 

"Nico was superb and everyone contributed," Reese said. "We didn't have any homers--it was all singles and doubles--but the entire team played great. We've played our way back into this thing."

The top three teams in the District tournament advance to the Sectionals.

Click here to view the Mustang District 1 Tournament bracket.

Palisades is also hosting the Bronco Section 1 Tournament at the Field of Dreams and out-slugged East Long Beach 14-10 in the first round Thursday. Palisades plays Torrance Sunday morning with the winner advancing to the championship round, which begins at 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Click here to view the Bronco Section 1 Tournament bracket.