Pali High Baseball Advances to Classic Final at San Diego Lions Tournament

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Ever since he took over the program, Palisades High baseball coach Mike Voelkel has taken his varsity team south on Spring Break to play in the annual San Diego Lions Tournament. This year’s edition featured 140 teams spread across nine divisions and the Dolphins had their most successful showing yet, winning their pool and advancing to the finals of the Classic Division, the second-highest bracket.

Having cracked the Los Angeles Times’ Top 25 poll (Palisades at No. 25 was the only City Section school to make last week’s list), the Dolphins took their opener 4-2 over Coronado on April 3 courtesy of masterful pitching performance by lefty ace Mason Edwards, who allowed three hits and struck out 13 batters in six innings. On offense, Amari Yolas, Soren Apple and Zach Gresham each had two hits and Yolas and Apple both stole two bases. Reece Frankel got a strikeout in the final inning to earn the save.

The next day, Palisades took on Mission Hills of San Marcos and won 8-3 behind Ryan Higgins’ five strong innings on the hill, including six strikeouts. James Levy did not allow a hit in two innings of relief.

Yolas hads two singles, a double, five runs batted in and a run scored.

Nathan Sterling added two singles, a double and two RBIs while Wesley Wells had three hits and Jack Woods and Luca Ruggerio each had two hits and scored two runs as the Dolphins broke open a close game with four runs in the last two innings.

In the final round of pool play Palisades was matched against City rival Roosevelt, which knocked the Dolphins out of the postseason last year with a 1-0 upset at George Robert Field. Palisades got its revenge with an 11-2 triumph at Westview High for its 12th straight victory.

Logan Bailey smacked a two-RBI double, Woods had two hits and two RBIs and Yolas, Sterling, Gresham, Alexander Loos and Yonah Cohen each added a hit as Palisades swiped nine bases in seven innings. John Iacono allowed four hits with eight strikeouts in five innings before giving way to relievers Ian Sullivan, Mason Binder and Frankel.

Last Thursday, the Dolphins found themselves facing Steele Canyon of Spring Valley in the championship game and were held to seven hits in a 6-2 defeat—their first loss since Granada Hills rallied for five runs in the final frame to stun Palisades 6-5 on March 2.

“We would’ve had a much better chance if we threw one of our top three pitchers, but they beat us fair and square and we didn’t play as well as we have been,” Voelkel said.

Still, Palisades entered yesterday’s Western League game at Hamilton with a 13-2 record—its best start in Voelkel’s 16-year tenure. Going 3-1 in San Diego is sure to bolster the Dolphins’ confidence as they begin the second half of the season. Looming on the schedule are nonleague battles with Narbonne, San Pedro, Verdugo Hills and Garfield. The team is on track for a high seed in the Open Division playoffs.