It was an effort for the ages, and Calem Filipek certainly did his part.
The Menlo-Atherton All-Star had a solo home run in the third and drove in a go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 6-3 loss to Half Moon Bay in the championship game of the District 52 11-12 Majors Tournament on Tuesday in Redwood City.
Filipek’s clutch hit gave M-A a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh, but in the bottom of the inning HMB loaded the bases with no outs and won it on a walkoff grand slam.
Still, making it to the title game was the best Menlo-Atherton had ever done in 11-12 District All-Stars (the division that eventually winds up at the Little League World Series), and the players knew it.
“We thought we played really well and we’re proud to have made it to the championship game,” Filipek said. “We’re disappointed, but also happy we put up a great fight.”
Indeed, it was an outstanding game. M-A starter Harrison Long pitched well, and exited with two out in the third and the score at 2-2. In came Mikey McGrath in relief, and he turned in a gutsy performance.
McGrath struck out three and even got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, in which HMB got four baserunners but couldn’t score. McGrath struck out the final two batters in the inning.
M-A took a 1-0 lead in the first on McGrath’s walk and a run-scoring single by Rowan Kelly. They made it 2-0 on Filipek’s homer in the third.
“I saw it right off the bat,” Filipek said. “I was waiting for a fastball and I just wanted contact.”
HMB scored two in the bottom of the third, and the chess game commenced. In the top of the seventh, McGrath singled, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Filipek’s single.