Members of the teams decorated their automobiles into floats on Saturday’s closing day
The Yankees, a team in the Malibu Little League’s AAA division, caught fire in the batter’s box in final weeks of the league’s three-month season.
Paul Clarke, the coach of the squad of 8- to 10-year-old boys, said the group’s stellar batting was a result of the hard work they had done during practice this spring.
“We couldn’t hit the baseball early on,” he remembered. “The last few weeks, everybody focused more. They all worked hard at home. They worked with the coaches. It was fantastic.”
The Yankees’ bats stayed aflame during their matchup against the White Sox in the AAA division’s championship game at Bluffs Park on June 8. The Yankees registered hit after hit as they defeated the White Sox 11-6 to win the AAA championship.
Clarke said it was an honor to lead the Yankees this season.
“They are an incredible group of boys,” he noted. “Always willing to participate, always willing to listen and learn. I’mhappy to be a part of their baseball journey. Seeing these boys evolve and learn new skills has been phenomenal.”
The Yankees squad included Bali Clarke, Brody Carpenter, Enzo Biedrzycki, Gavin Peterson, James Whitworth, Justus Mancuso, Lucas Diana, Mathis Hebert, Orion Saidoff, Peyton Levangie, and Zade Wilson. When their title victory was secured, the group jumped up and down and high-fived and hugged each other in the infield before they shook their opponents’ hands.
Cloudy skies and a slight drizzle of rain had no chance in washing away the festive mood of the Malibu Little League’sfinal day. The closing day included a parade, awards and recognitions, championship baseball, and a plethora of smiles beaming off the faces of boys and girls baseball and softball players and their parents on the park’s diamonds.
The day began with a parade from Malibu Village to Our Lady of Malibu. Automobiles were transformed into floats for the 1-mile drive. There was a jeep covered in pink sticky notes and balloons to celebrate the Barbies softball team. One truck had a Dodgers’ banner on the side with blue tassels lining the hood and front bumper while baseball stickers covered the rest of the vehicle. Another truck had a banner that recognized another softball team, the Fire Ants, on its front bumper.
Members of the league’s T-ball, softball, and baseball teams circled the infield of the park’s baseball fields after the parade. League and Malibu city officials gave out awards, recognitions, and team trophies — members of the teams sprinted across the diamond to grab their box of trophies and then head back to their spot in the infield — as music jammed from speakers.
Malibu Little League President John Alfano said the season was great despite several games being canceled early in the spring due to rain.
“The talent of the season was awesome,” he said. “The kids really progressed.”
The league included 280 boys and girls, Alfano said, noting that the roster sizes — especially for the softball teams — increased throughout the season.
“It kept growing,” he said.
Members of each division of the youth league’s all-star teams were recognized, as were standout coaches and team MVPs in each division. Also recognized were the group of 12-year-old standout baseball players who are representing the league in the Cooperstown Baseball World Tournament in New York this month.
Also honored during the ceremony was Laura Angotti, who has coached softball in the league for several years. Angotti’s daughter Lux Geraghty has aged out of the program, so this was the mother’s last season coaching softball. Angotti, who coached the Slay Stealers, a 10U softball team, said coaching her daughter and other girls was an amazingexperience.
“Teaching the girls this game has been great,” she recalled. “More importantly, watching these girls come together as a team, learn to play together, learn to love each other, learn to support each other, learn to have fun, and watching their confidence grow has been the most valuable thing I have seen. What happens on the field is amazing, but what carries into their lives as young women and the strength and confidence it gives them has been mind blowing.”
The league, Angotti noted, is a great program.
“The most special thing about this is the time I’ve had with this girl,” Angotti said while standing beside her daughter.“To see her improve and having that bonding time with my baby has been awesome. Spending time with these kids has been worth it.”
Lux said being coached by her mom was fun.
“She always hypes us up,” she said. “She is fun.”
Then, it was time to play ball.
The White Sox struck first in the AAA title game. The team had a 1-0 lead when the Yankees’ Peyton, nicknamed“Bam Bam,” stepped up to the plate. A hit by Peyton drove in his team’s first run. Then, three Yankees — Gavin, Mathis, and Enzo — stole home plate on consecutive plays, giving the Yankees a 4-1 advantage.
During the opening inning, Yankees coach Clarke told one of his players, who was at the plate, “If you love it. Smack it.” The Yankees swung their bats consistently the rest of game.
Peyton hit a single and then stole second, third, and home bases in the third inning after the White Sox scored two runs. Gavin scored another run a few moments after hitting a single, giving the Yankees a 6-3 lead. A successful swing of the bat by Enzo drove in a run for the Yankees before the inning ended.
Brody’s double allowed Lucas and Justus to score in the next inning.
Mathis stole home plate again in the fifth inning, giving his team a 10-4 lead. Enzo crossed home plate to increase their lead. Enzo scored again a few moments after hitting a single to cement his team’s 11-6 title win in the sixth inning.
The Dodgers defeated another Yankees team 6-5 to win the league’s Major division. Asher Redclay pitched a no-hitter for the winning bunch of 11- and 12-year-olds.
