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View Winners → Arcadia American Advances to a semifinal matchup with tournament host East Altadena Black
Arcadia Weekly Jul 05, 2012
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Mikey Easter will compete at M.L.B. All Star Game. -Courtesy Photo
On a hot day, Arcadia American was hot on the mound, at the plate and in the field in advancing to a semifinal matchup with tournament host East Altadena Black. Kellen Gewecke threw four innings of superb hitless relief, Gewecke, outfielder Julian Eskridge and catcher Mikey Easter each had four hits, and Easter and first baseman Nathan Mejia turned in some defensive gems as AALL won its second straight tournament game in convincing fashion.
Gewecke came on in relief Pasadena Southwest took an early 2-1 lead, and then held the opposition without a hit and only an unearned run through the sixth when he gave way to the bullpen. The 9-year-old right-hander, who played a pivotal role in the AALL Minors Indians post season tournament championship, struck out seven and walked three, to get the victory.
Gewecke was just as big an impact player with his bat, getting four hits including a booming triple and scoring three times with three stolen bases. Eskridge, his Indians’ regular season teammate, was also 4 for 4 including a long double, and drove in four runs. Easter, one of the reasons the AALL Minors Angels had an unprecedented undefeated regular season and then won the District 17 City Championship, had his second straight four-hit game, and scored four times. AALL also got two long run-scoring doubles from Mejia, two-strike RBI hits from Will Meeks and Brandon Williams and important RBIs from the former All Arcadia Prep Champion Marlins duo of Ace Belovir and Joshua Mittelman to help complete an 18-hit attack.
With the gloves, AALL continued its strong and sometimes spectacular play. Easter threw out another runner out trying to steal, and made a circus catch of a pop fly in front of the plate that brought the crowd to its feet. But it was Mejia who saved the best for last, converting a line drive at first into an unassisted double play to end the game.
East Altadena Black broke out to an early lead, then got a scare from Pasadena American before pulling away to win in another quarterfinal game, 12-6. AALL and EALL Black were scheduled to meet Monday night for a berth in the tournament final, scheduled for July 7 at 1 pm. East Altadena Black won its first two tournament games by a combined score of 66-3.
