Half Moon Bay wins first District 52 Little League All-Stars 12s game since 2023

This year, the southpaw returned to action with a vengeance, as Thompson fired a two-hit shutout to front HMB’s 10-0 mercy-rule win over Belmont-Redwood Shores at Middlefield Ballpark.

“He’s throwing good right now,” HMB manager Taylor Thompson said. “He pitched amazing for us today. I’m super happy with his performance.”

HMB used two big innings to earn the mercy-rule victory, a five-run second followed by a four-run fourth. But, when Jack Green roped a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the fourth to invoke the mercy rule, Bryce Thompson — who was ready to pitch the fifth inning if the game continued — was kind of the only one not celebrating.

“I was OK, but I kind of wish I’d thrown another [inning],” Bryce Thompson said.

It’s tough to blame HMB’s ace left-hander, as he was in quite a groove pitching in his first District 52 All-Star game since he played for the 10s team in 2024. Bryce Thompson needed just 67 pitches Saturday, 43 for strikes, while allowing two hits, two walks and striking out nine.

The southpaw’s fastball would have been enough to win the day, as his next-level tailing action turns the pitching into something of a turbo sinker. He has three pitches in his repertoire, though, including a curveball and a circle changeup. The scary thing is, he didn’t have all three working Saturday.

“Kind of just threw a lot of strikes, and changed my fastball speed,” Bryce Thompson said. “But the circle changeup wasn’t that good.”

Green paced the offense with a perfect day, going 3 for 3 with a double and three RBIs. The big right-handed slugger was one of three current HMB 12s that played up with last year’s All-Stars team as 11-year-olds, along with Gavin Murtha and Will Butterfoss. That team went two-and-out, while HMB Little League didn’t field an 11s All-Star squad in 2025.

“It’s kind of proud because we haven’t [won] in a while,” Bryce Thompson said. “So, it’s pretty exciting.”

HMB’s last win in the 2023 District 52 12s tourney was also a shutout victory, but a much more dramatic one as starting pitcher Isaiah Watermulder worked 5 2/3 innings before turning it over to reliever Oliver Hophan in a 1-0 win over Menlo-Atherton.

The kids from the Coastside showed firepower from the outset Saturday, with Green getting the team on the board in the first inning with an RBI double to right to bring home Aidan McGee.

Then in the second, HMB sent 10 batters to the plate, sparked by a leadoff double from Wyatt Mock. HMB went on to load the bases before Bryce Geiser lifted a sacrifice fly to right. Trevor O’Donnell followed with a squeeze bunt, McGee doubled home a run, and Bryce Thompson and Green produced back-to-back RBI singles to stake HMB to a 6-0 lead.

In the fourth, O’Donnell scored on an error and McGee raced home on a passed ball before Green punctuated the win with his walk-off two-run single to center.

“The boys are hitting the ball hard,” Taylor Thompson said.

Mock added two hits for HMB. James Monroe and Shota Harata each recorded hits for Belmont-Redwood Shores.

HMB now advances through the winners’ bracket to play Menlo-Atherton in a second-round game Monday at 6:30 p.m. Belmont-Redwood Shores falls to the elimination bracket, and returns to action Thursday at 6:30 p.m.