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The Palo Alto National 11-12 Little League all-stars don't have to worry about playing five games in five days in intolerable heat this week in the District 52 Tournament. Their season is over.

Palo Alto dropped a 10-4 decision to San Mateo American on Tuesday at Hoover Park in a consolation-bracket semifinal. The win moved San Mateo into Wednesday's 5:30 p.m. game against Foster City (a 13-0 loser to Hillsborough) while the loss dropped Palo Alto from the tournament.

Palo Alto National fell into the consolation bracket following a 10-2 loss to Hillsborough on Saturday. That set up the prospect of the host team having to win five games in five days to capture the crown.

Palo Alto began that stretch on Monday with a 10-4 victory over Belmont/Redwood Shores at Hoover Park. Alec Furrier was the winning pitcher. He was helped by a big six-run fifth inning.

"We are fighting our way through the losers' bracket and will pitch by committee," said Palo Alto National manager Ted Tracy. "We have five or six pitchers at 20 pitches a night."

The San Mateo American-Foster City winner will advance to Thursday's championship game against unbeaten Hillsborough at Middlefield Ballpark at 5:30 p.m. A challenge game, if necessary, will be held Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Hillsborough is the odds-on-favorite as the defending champion. Hillsborough slammed three home runs in its win over PA National on Saturday, knocking Palo Alto into the consolation bracket.

Palo Alto American saw its season end Sunday in a 12-2 loss to Belmont/Redwood Shores.

In the District 52 all-star tournament for 10-11s in Pacifica, Palo Alto National had its season end in a 10-9 loss to Hillsborough on Sunday.

The game was rematch of a first-round showdown that Palo Alto won, 13-8. This time, however, Hillsborough scored 10 runs in the first inning and then had to withstand a furious Palo Alto rally.

"I was so proud of the way our kids battled back," said Palo Alto manager Todd Lewis. "They never stopped fighting even after a disastrous first inning. They showed a lot of character throughout the tournament."

Trailing 10-4 in the sixth, Palo Alto put the first two runners on with a walk to Owen Staiger and a double by Lukas Dorward. After a groundout scored a run, Griffin Cool reached on an error, scoring Dorward for a 10-6 game. Kenta Yanagisawa walked and Andrew Robinson singled to load the bases.

Cory Bicknell smashed a line drive to left field for a hit and all three runners scored when the ball got past the leftfielder. With the score 10-9, Hillsborough recorded the final out on a great play by the shortstop.

Robinson went 3-4 with two RBI. Yanagisawa went 2-3 and scored three runs. Robinson reached base 12 times in the four tournament games and Yanagisawa was on base 11 times. He also hit two homers.

In addition to its first-round win over Hillsborough, Palo Alto defeated Pacifica National (12-9) and lost to Half Moon Bay (11-7).

In the District 52 all-stars 9-10 tournament at Redwood Shores, Alpine/West Menlo remained alive in the winners' bracket with an 11-3 win over Foster City on Monday. Alpine/West Menlo will face San Carlos on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to Saturday's championship game at 1 p.m.