Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
An exciting run came to an end Sunday night for the PPBA 12U All-Stars, who finished in the Top 8 in Southern California after reaching the PONY Super Region.
Rebounding from its opening loss to West Covina, Palisades beat Sylmar 15-6 behind the pitching of Cole Miller, Owen Ghaffari, Walter Sibson, and Liam Nassour and defensive gems by Tommy Lavia, Nassour, Wyatt Schinto and Sebastian DeRosa. Palisades’ 12Us plated nine runs in the sixth inning with hits by Claudio Acuna, Levi Gibbons, Lavia, Oliver O’Donnell, and Nassour. An insurance run was added in the seventh when Gibbons knocked in Charlie Olsen, who had led off with a double.
Next up was Santa Barbara and Palisades stayed alive with a 5-3 victory. O’Donnell started on the mound and pitched four innings, allowing only three runs. Palisades trailed by two until Gibbons blasted an RBI triple into the left-center field gap to score Miller in the fourth inning. Gibbons scored the tying run on an error, then the 12Us took a 5-3 lead in the fifth on a string of singles. DeRosa took over on the mound in the fifth and shut Santa Barbara down the rest of the way. Ghaffari shined at catcher.
In a rematch with West Covina, DeRosa scored on a single by Claudio Acuna and Palisades tied it 2-2 when Miller scored on Lavia’s single. O’Donnell tripled and scored on Gibbons’ single but West Covina led 4-3 after three innings.Sibson doubled to lead off the fourth and scored on a wild pitch. Lavia scored on another wild pitch to put Palisades up, 5-4. West Covina put up four runs in the bottom half but Palisades rallied to tie it 8-8 on hits by Gibbons, Miller, Zane Wolsefer and Sibson. West Covina went on to win, 12-8.
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