The Waves, the Palisades Pony Baseball Association’s 11-year-old (Bronco) All-Stars, advanced to their third consecutive tournament final last weekend and emerged as champions after a 13-7 win over Charter Oak at the La Canada Summer Splash. After runner-up finishes at the Charter Oak Tournament in West Covina and the Big League Dreams Tournament in Riverside, the Waves were determined to go all the way and opened with pool play routs over Toluca Lake and La Canada, thanks to home runs by Will Bantle and Zack Lynch. The defense turned three double plays and four pitchers combined to allow four hits in the two victories. In the semifinals, Palisades faced Toluca Lake again and needed extra innings to pull out a 6-5 win. Pitchers Cade Christensen and Gabe Stewart allowed three runs through four innings before Toluca Lake took a 5-3 lead to the sixth. With two outs and nobody on base, Jason Starrels walked and Dylan Damavandi reached on an error. Hank Korsan doubled to tie the game. Starrels pitched three scoreless innings before Damavandi led off the eighth with a single and took third on Korsan’s hit. Lynch was walked intentionally to load the bases for Emmett Collins, who singled home the winning run. Korsan pitched three innings and a Stewart homer gave the Waves the lead in the final. William Winkenhower played third base and pitched one inning, then Starrels struck out the side in the fifth and induced three ground-ball outs in the sixth. “That was a really good effort by all the kids,” Waves Coach Wink Winkenhower said. “We only had nine players available this weekend, but they showed great maturity and heart in those last two games. It was fun to finally take home a trophy.” Winkenhower coaches the Waves (10-7) with David Howard and Joe Collins. Andy Starrels is the manager. Also on the roster are Matthew Bergmann, Spencer Howard, Nick Hurley, Adam Snyder and Matt Ursin-Smith.
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