To say that things looked bad for the Atlee 11-12 year olds last Thursday in the District V Little League tournament would have been a huge understatement. Trailing Huguenot American 13-0 in the top of the third inning in a loser’s bracket elimination game, the All-Stars were staring into the eyes of a season-ender. But a tenacious Atlee team effort was matched by an equally tenacious Danny Polk who delivered two memorable home runs; one to start a 14-0 rally and another to win the game in dramatic fashion.

  As bright as the final outcome was for Atlee, the All-Stars’ day began as gloomy as the dark clouds and drizzle that fell on the field because the hot Huguenot bats put Atlee in a hole from the onset. A single by Huguenot’s Matt Dunlevy was followed by a homer over the center field fence by Harry Lee Watson to put the visiting team ahead 2-0 before the chalk had time to settle into the dirt.

  To add to Atlee’s woes, on offense they could do little against Watson’s pitching and managed to get only one player on base in the first two innings and that was via walk rather than hit.

  Then in the top of the second Huguenot broke the game open. A walk of Alex Simon was followed by singles by Brian McLemore and Daniel Buckley, the latter of which drove Simon home. A single by Jesse Stergar drove in McLemore and when Dunlevy was walked the bases were loaded. Then it was Watson putting a second dagger in Atlee’s hopes by drilling a triple that plated three runs and made the deficit 7-0.

  To add to the Atlee gloom, Matt Reynolds then came to the plate and smacked a homer over the left field fence to create a 9-0 crater for the All-Stars to crawl out of. 

  Yet, Atlee momentarily parted the clouds by closing out the inning with a spectacular, if somewhat fluky, play on defense. When Huguenot pinch runner Lesharo Clark attempted to steal second, the throw to catch him hit the bag and caromed into right field. With the ball loose, Clark continued around the bases and headed for home, only to be caught on a bullet throw from right to Polk at the plate.

  Then with what appeared to be a comfortable lead, Huguenot manager Mike Gregory pulled Atlee’s nemesis Watson from the mound in the middle of the second inning. However, there were more dark clouds to weather for the All-Stars.

  As the precipitation picked up, so did the Huguenot offense and they added four more runs in the top of the third to create a nearly impossible lead to overcome at 13-0.

  “That’s tough for anybody, let alone a 12-year-old,” said Atlee manager Paul Miller.

  “I don’t think a lot of people from the outside realize how good Huguenot really is,” Miller said. “It’s not like we were playing a team that just jumped on us. They’re a very, very good team.” 

  But Miller said despite the over-whelming odds against them, his team never gave up hope. “They played a lot of baseball together,” he said. “I think they really, really want to win it. Even when they’re down that low they feel like they can take off and go.”

  And take off they did. With one out in the bottom of the third, Atlee picked up its first hit of the game when Anthony Zona singled to right.

  Then it was time to make a symbolic statement. Polk drilled a home run rocket that slammed into the scoreboard just beside the 13 of Huguenot’s score. From that point on the number did not move for the visitors.

  Next, Atlee’s Keith Searles followed Polk’s example and drilled a homer over center to cut the lead to 13-3.

  Following a one-two-three inning on defense, the All-Stars came to the plate in the bottom of the fourth and picked up where they left off.

  With two outs, Atlee’s Collin Brazemore singled to short and he was joined on base by Brian Miller with a single to center. Jay Hausler then came to the plate and blasted a ball over the left field wall to make the score 13-6.

  Atlee trimmed one more from the deficit in the bottom of the fifth when Evan Swecker drove in Denton on a single to center.

  Though Atlee took down the order in the top of the sixth, they still faced a substantial margin, trailing 13-7 coming into the bottom of the final inning of regulation. But the All-Stars came to the plate as if they were facing no more pressure than an every day batting practice.

  Zona set the tone when he led off the inning by taking the first pitch over the right center fence to trim one off the lead.

  Polk then doubled to right center and scored on a single by Searles.
  Trevor Denton reached base on a single to left but was forced out at second when Swecker singled to short.

  Then Miller, who was pinch-running for Searles, scored on a double by Tyler Carter to make the margin 13-10.

  Cameron Upshaw, who is possibly Atlee’s smallest player, then came to the plate with his team trailing by two and two outs. But physical size did not keep Upshaw from making a huge play by driving in Swecker on a single to right.

  Still holding on to the lead, Huguenot moved Dunlevy to the mound to close out the game, but his first pitch went wild and Carter scored to bring Atlee within one, 13-12.

  The All-Stars’ Nick Kane then knotted the game at 13 with an RBI to center that plated Carter.

  Zona returned to base for the second time in the inning when he was hit by a pitch to set up the final heroics by Polk.

  With the victory in sight, it was evident from the moment Polk made contact with the ball that the game was over. Though the game officially ended when Kane crossed the plate for a 14-13 score, followed by Zona and Polk unofficially Atlee sent nine runners across the plate in the inning and 16 over the final four times at bat.

  “I’m so proud of them,” Miller said. “They hung in there. We have a great group of kids. That’s just a great game.”

Though Miller pointed out it was a complete team effort that earned his team the win, he could not keep from mentioning Polk, who to that point was 16 for 16 in the tournament. “We’ve got a good group, but Danny’s been phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal.”