2023 PALL Juniors, District 52 champions

 

 

As they did as 13-year-olds, the PALL Juniors All-Star team (now in the 14-year-old division) overcame an early round defeat, won five straight elimination games, and claimed the 2023 California District 52 Juniors Little League championship. The Juniors now move on to the California Section 3 tournament, which starts on July 17 at Mills High School in Millbrae. The 2023 Junior League Baseball World Series is held in Taylor, Michigan

 

After handling Pacifica by a score of 9-1 in their first-round game, Palo Alto faltered and was defeated by Belmont/Redwood Shores, 13-6, in their second game.

 

Relegated to the losers bracket and with no margin for error, PALL’s bats game alive and their pitching dominated. They swept through the next three games with double-digit victories over Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and Belmont/Redwood Shores. The winning streak set up a matchup with tournament host, San Carlos, winner of the winners bracket and sporting a 4-0 tournament record. PALL would have to beat San Carlos twice on back-to-back days–and on San Carlos’s home field–to claim the championship.

 

With commanding pitching from Adi Weiner and two home runs from Adrian Lee, PALL rolled to a 10-0 mercy rule victory on June 30; setting up a winner-take-all rematch with San Carlos on July 1.

 

In the tournament final game, Tye Peavey took the mound for PALL and the offense was again on fire; PALL jumped to a 10-0 lead after three innings. San Carlos, however, did not make the finals by being a pushover. San Carlos rallied and narrowed the score to 10-6 after six innings. The PALL hitters responded to Manager Rick Farr’s encouragement, and Lee and Justin Fung each blasted two-run homers in the seventh inning, and Palo Alto held on

Manager Rick Farr presenting 2023 district championship medals to team

for a 14-8 championship game victory.

 

Congratulation to the PALL Juniors team: Marco Arradaza, Sam Bogart, Johnny Chen, Isaac Fredericson, Justin Fung,  Cole Kristofferson, Lucas Lai, Adrian Lee, Philip Ma, Sho Newman, Seve Noh, Landon Olson, Tye Peavey, Battle Scott, and Adi Weiner. And to the coaching staff: Rick Farr, John Gilligan, Ryan Gilligan, Vasken Guiragossian, Saxon Noh, and Patrick Peavey.