Home runs help Menlo-Atherton, Alpine all-stars advance

Menlo-Atherton jumped out in the lead Saturday and never relinquished its control of the game in a 5-2 win over Palo Alto in the District 52 12-U Little League All-Stars playoffs.

M-A advances to play San Mateo National on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Palo Alto Little League facility on Middlefield Road. Palo Alto will play Pacifica on Monday at 6 p.m. in the double-elimination tournament.

After a scoreless first inning M-A scored three in the top of the second. One run scored as the result of a walk, a fielder’s choice and an error, then Connor Heinz delivered a two-out, two-run single.

Merrick Lee’s line-drive home run over the fence in right-center with two out in the third made it 4-0.

“He was in Michigan yesterday and flew back at midnight,” M-A manager Mike Haven said.

Palo Alto got a run back in the bottom of the third on Seve Noh’s two-out single, which brought home Lucas Lai.

Jack Leeper singled to right for M-A with one out in the fourth, advanced to third on a two-base error and scored on a wild pitch.

Isaac Fredericson, who made a spectacular diving catch playing center field in the first inning and went four innings on the mound in relief of Lai, hit a long home run to center with two out in the fifth to bring Palo Alto within 5-2.

“After that bad start we settled down,” Palo Alto manager Shawn Owen said, “They responded well, everyone had fun. I’m very proud of them.”

M-A received solid pitching from Elijah Vu and Lucas Auer, who went three innings apiece. Having pitching depth is crucial in the double-elimination tournament.

“We’ve got plenty of horses still in the stable,” Haven said

Vu gave up one unearned run in his three innings. Auer only walked one in his three innings. He had two outs in the sixth when Palo Alto threatened on consecutive singles by Kevin Chen and Tye Peavey. But Auer struck out the next batter to end the game.

Owen met with his team afterward and said the focus was on getting ready for the team’s next game(s).

“We’ve got to be tough, we’ve got to be a high-effort team and play a high level of baseball,” Owen said. “I’m super excited for our next games. We have good pitching depth. I think we’re one of the better teams in this thing. Expectations are high.”

Alpine 12, Pacifica National 2

The Alpine-West Menlo Park all-stars scored six times in the first inning to seize control of its game Saturday morning.

Matthew Majalya got Alpine going with a three-run home run in the first. Fletcher Cahill had three hits and drove in a run as well as earning the pitching victory.

Cahill retired the first 10 hitters he faced and settled for a two-hitter.

Majalya and Timothy Harrick each added two hits. John Weaver and Sullivan Fischbein each tripled.

Alpine returns to the field Sunday morning at 9 a.m. for a winner’s bracket contest with San Mateo American.