Half Moon Bay downs Pacifica to capture District 52 Intermediates crown

The sacrifice paid off as HMB claimed the District 52 Intermediates championship banner Thursday with an 8-1 victory over Pacifica at Red Morton Park in Redwood City. Kern not only started the game, he finished it, firing a one-hit shutout while notching 12 strikeouts.

“After I got out of the first inning with six pitches, I was feeling pretty good,” Kern said. “I knew it was going to be a pretty dominant day.”

The seven-inning gem was the longest outing of Kern’s career by far. His previous career-high was four innings, something he did twice this year, most recently in Sunday’s second-round win — a game that still saw HMB complete a no-hitter, as Keates fired two hitless frames in the six-inning mercy-rule victory.

It just so happens, Kern still recorded the final out of Sunday’s no-hitter — not as a pitcher, but as a first baseman. The game ended with a runner on first and one out, when shortstop Dominic Seaton ranged over the middle on a line drive to make a leaping catch. He then threw behind the runner at first for a double play, with Kern gloving it for the final out.

“We were hyped,” Kern said. “I don’t think anybody else knew (about the no-hitter) except for us. It was just a crazy play.”

HMB didn’t look quite as hyped with the final out of Thursday’s championship game, but that’s understandable. The 13-and-under team from the Coastside marched to a dominant 4-0 record in the tournament, outscoring teams 37-8. As strong as the pitching was, the lineup did its part as well, hitting .400 as a team through the tourney.

Firing on all cylinders is something manager Corey Gunning attributes to the team’s chemistry. The majority of the players have been teammates since they were 8 years old. But it has been an uphill climb through District 52 play, as the team made little noise in the 10s and 11s tournaments in 2022 and ’23, and settled for a 2-2 record in the 12s tournament last season.

This year, however, the team made history simply by appearing in the District 52 Intermediates tournament, the first HMB team to do so since “I don’t know when,” Gunning said.

“They all have each others backs,” Gunning said. “They’ve been playing together for so long, they just play for each other, support each other and look out for each other. ... It just makes them very enjoyable to coach.”

After Kern set the stage by setting the side down in order on six pitches in the top of the first inning, his offense went right to work. HMB sent seven batters to the plate in a three-run inning, including RBI singles from Wyatt Gunning, Mackey Connell and Kern.

HMB scored in its first at-bat in each of its four tournament wins, totaling nine first-inning runs throughout.

Pacifica got one run back in the second. Zach Bailey led off the inning with an arcing double down the line that landed a foot inside the chalk. Bailey later scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Walter Higdon. It would stand as the only hit and the only run on the night for Pacifica — who posted a 2-2 record in the tournament.

HMB added two more runs in the third and three in the fourth. Wyatt Gunning and Kern were in the middle of all three run-scoring rallies. Wyatt Gunning went 3 for 3 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored. Kern was 3 for 3 with two RBIs and a run.

The real drama mounted in the seventh, though. After Kern got the first two outs fairly quickly, the home-plate umpire squeezed the strike zone, and Kern walked back-to-back batters for the first time all evening. Corey Gunning then made a mound visit, and decided to give Kern — who was sitting on 88 pitches, approaching the pitch limit of 95 — one more batter.

“Last couple batters, I could tell he was getting a little bit tired,” Corey Gunning said.

Kern responded with authority, throwing three more pitches, all strikes, to end the game on a swinging strikeout with a blazing fastball.

“I think I was just rushing,” Kern said. “So, just the change in tempo and the pause helps me gain my focus.”

Connell and Davis added two hits apiece for HMB.

Road to the finals

Pacifica suffered both its tournament losses to HMB. After a first-round bye, Pacifica won its Sunday opener 4-1 over Alpine. After a 7-1 loss to HMB in Tuesday’s semifinals, Pacifica moved to the elimination bracket to claim a 7-1 win Wednesday over Alpine. Pacifica would have needed to defeat HMB twice in the championship round to take the title.

Pacifica’s team was a hybrid of 12- and 13-year-olds. Since Pacifica didn’t have enough 12-year-olds to field a team in the District 52 12s tournament this season, Petersen opted to move five 12-year-olds to the Intermediate team.

“The numbers have dropped,” Petersen said. “People aren’t playing as much. ... There’s not as many kids signing up.”

They got some thrills along the way. Both of Pacifica’s wins over Alpine were dramatic. In the second-round game, Pacifica broke a late 1-1 tie with a clutch two-run single from Henry Boulland. Then in Wednesday’s elimination-bracket semifinal, pitchers Jackson Collier and Antonio Lara combined for a gem to lead Pacifica to the finals.

“I’m proud of how hard they played and competed,” Pacifica manager Neils Petersen said.

HMB began its march through the winners’ bracket with an 11-5 win over Palo Alto in last Saturday’s opener.

Advancing to Sectionals

With the District 52 Intermediates championship banner, HMB now advances to the Section 3 tournament opening in Half Moon Bay, Saturday, June 28 at Smith Field Park. The four-team tournament will include Castro Valley and Bollinger Canyon, and an undetermined opponent from District 14.

HMB opens Saturday, June 28, against the District 14 champion at 1 p.m. Tourney play is scheduled daily through the championship round, which opens Tuesday, July 1 at 5:30 p.m. An if-necessary game is scheduled for Wednesday, July 2, at 5:30 p.m.

Rounding out the rosters

HMB’s roster included: Kayden Casteneda, Thomas Benson, Tristan Chaney, Jax Brown and Chase Barger.

Pacifica’s roster included: Deaglan Moore, Brayden Schaefer, Jacob Maxwell, Max Nieve, Brady Christianson, Dylan Murphy and Cortez Mahasin.