Mets rally past Cardinals, 6-4

Mike Sciacca

Huntington Valley Manager John Parmenter tried to shake up a

stagnant offense with a late-inning challenge, and his team responded

just in time, as the Mets were able to hold on for a 6-4 victory over the

Robinwood Cardinals in the District 62 Tournament of Champions Minor A

Division championship game played Ocean View Little League.

Parmenter issued his challenge in the top half of the fifth inning,

and it was heeded, as Huntington Valley began its comeback from a 2-1

deficit.

Race Parmenter, son of the manager, began the frame with a leadoff

single off the right-center field wall. Pablo McBeth followed Parmenter

by singling off the left-field wall but on the play, Parmenter was thrown

out as he slid into third base.

With McBeth stationed at second base, Liam McGinn delivered a two-run

home run, a line drive that cleared the fence in left-center field,

giving Huntington Valley the lead for good, 3-2.

The hit couldn’t have come at a better time for McGinn, a big hitter

who had struck out in his five previous tournament at-bats.

“What a big, big hit by Liam,” John Parmenter said of McGinn’s winning

hit. “Up until that fifth inning, I was frustrated. Once again, I was

watching us get outstanding defense and outstanding pitching, but nothing

from our hitters. The kids responded with a big inning.”

The Mets, who won their final 16 games, tacked on another run in the

inning as Marcus Breit’s RBI single upped the lead to 4-2.

In the sixth, Parmenter gave Huntington Valley further breathing room

with a crucial two-run single.

It was needed, too, as Ocean View staged an emotional rally in the

bottom of the sixth, pulling to within 6-4, with a runner on base and the

tying run at the plate with two out. But Chase Barnes, Huntington

Valley’s third pitcher of the game, somehow stabbed a line shot back to

the mound. Barnes’ catch, which came as he appeared to be moving out of

the way of the liner, wrapped up the championship for the Mets.

“This team was amazing,” John Parmenter said. “They were a very tight

unit with great camaraderie and they worked twice as hard as any team out

there, practicing three hours a day, five days a week. They were ready.”

Huntington Valley held a 1-0 lead through three innings, thanks, in

part, to the pitching of starter Race Parmenter, who struck out five and

gave up two hits during that span.

After the Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the fourth, thanks to four

walks and a passed ball, reliever Chase Barnes induced two groundouts and

struck out another Robinwood hitter to get out of the jam.

The Mets roster also includes: Kyle Ammons, Timmy Higgins, Steve

Toshiyuki, Chas Boule, Anthony Ellis, and Anthony Vidal.

Ellis also had a big game as he doubled off the wall and made a key

play on defense.