Victory for Arcadia American Little League 9-10 All-Stars

The Arcadia American Little League age 9-10 All-Stars have won the first District 17 Championship in the long history of the league.

Stellar relief pitching from Kellen Gewecke, clutch hitting from the top of the lineup to the bottom and some spectacular defense earned AALL two more victories this weekend in the annual tournament at Farnsworth Park, and their historic title.

In Sunday’s final against a determined and resilient Pasadena Southwest team that fought its way through the loser’s bracket, AALL rallied from a 2-0 deficit, held its collective breath when Gewecke pitched out of jams in the fourth and fifth innings and then celebrated when the right-hander worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning for his third pitching victory in eight days. He struck out 4 and scattered four hits in 3 2/3 innings, and walked only one batter.

David Matthias greeted Gewecke in the third with a two-run single, but the PSWLL lead was short-lived as AALL took it back, and for good, in the bottom of the third. Gewecke started the rally himself with a single and then the Mikes took over. Michael Gruppie doubled, Mikey Easter hit a sacrifice fly and Mikey Hillier’s hot smash through shortstop gave AALL a 3-2 advantage. AALL added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth on Nate Mejia’s grounder past short.

It was an exciting championship game, but AALL’s 4-3, seven-inning come-from-behind win over always tough Santa Anita in the winner’s bracket final two days before was one of the best little league games of this–or any–season. Down 3-0 but definitely not out after a strong four-inning effort by SALL starter Chris Wilson, Arcadia came out swinging and rapidly tied the score
in the bottom of the fifth, setting the stage for some late heroics by Julian Eskridge and Edward Jin.

Brandon Williams led off the big inning with a single, and after one out, Ace Belvoir, Gewecke and Gruppie all singled, with Gruppie driving in Belvoir and moving Gewecke to third base. Easter’s sacrifice fly scored him from there to tie the score, 3-3.

AALL could have won it in the sixth, loading the bases with one out but Chris Harrison got two key strikeouts when he desperately needed them. Arcadia demonstrated some clutch play of its own with great defense on two plays in the top of the inning. Easter made an amazing diving catch of a foul popup around the backstop, and rightfielder Belvoir made a great backhand stab of Ryan Durfee’s drive with two on and one out, while looking right into the bright sun.

Eskridge retired SALL in order in the seventh, with two strikeouts, and hit into a force play for the second out in the bottom of the inning. Jin, fresh off leading the AALL Minors Orioles to the 2013 Tournament of Champions title, hit a deep drive to right center for a stunning walk-off double as Eskridge charged hard around third and just beat the relay throw home. It not only was the winning run, but it made him the winning pitcher.

AALL outhit SALL 14-7, but Reese Barbour helped his team make the most of its opportunities with a big two-run double that gave SALL a 3-0 edge.

Arcadia American continues its season to remember in a sectional tournament starting Saturday in Palmdale.

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