Patriots Hoist U11 Trophy

The Palisades Patriots, a team of 11-year-olds from the Palisades Pony Baseball Association, did Pacific Palisades proud at the second annual La Canada U11 Baseball Tournament last weekend, winning three out of four games to capture the championship. In their first game on Saturday morning, the Patriots shut out host La Canada, 15-0, with Cade Hulse not allowing a hit and striking out eight over four innings. Offensively, the Patriots had 12 hits, including multiple hits by brothers Jack and Matt McGeagh, Nicky Rivera, Tyler McMorrow, and Anthony Poulos. On Saturday afternoon the Patriots played an 11- and 12-year-old squad from Toluca Lake, which led 2-1 after four innings and 7-1 through six innings. The Patriots rallied for three runs in the seventh and final inning on hits by Jonathan Sington, Poulous, Matt Douglas, Jack McGeagh and Bryant Falconello but fell 7-4 despite strong pitching by Sington and multiple hits by Jack McGeagh and Falconello. Seeded third in the elimination round the Patriots played secondseeded Toluca Lake again Sunday morning. Toluca scored four times in the first inning and loaded the bases with no out in the third inning. Relief pitcher Matt McGeagh induced a force out at the plate, then started a 1-2-3 double play to end the opposition’s threat. Palisades scored twice in the third inning and twice more in the fourth (on a home run by Reece Pascoe) to tie the game 5-5 in the fourth inning. After holding Toluca scoreless in the top of the fifth inning, Matt McGeagh hit a solo homer to give the Patriots a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Sington took the mound in the sixth inning and induced three last grounders to Falconello at shortstop. In the finals the Patriots faced undefeated La Crescenta. Still warm, Sington started and hurled four innings, allowing one run. At the plate, Palisades pounded out 11 runs, with Douglas going three for three, Pascoe homering again and Jasper Shorr and Hudson Ling adding multiple hit games. Poulos closed out the Patriots’ 11-1 victory. “I’m very proud of our boys for persevering in the heat and never giving up,” Patriots Coach Rick McGeagh said. “This championship is a gratifying culmination to our season.” Rounding out the Patriots’ roster were Joe Fasano, Aidan Fite, Daniel Hakman, Kevin Lombardo, and assistant coaches Gary Hakman, Sam Falconello, and Rick Lombardo.