Petaluma Valley Majors game away from Division championship

The Petaluma Valley Major League All-Star team ?is a game away from its ?second tournament win of the summer All-Star season.|

The Petaluma Valley Major League All-Star team ?is a game away from its ?second tournament win of the summer All-Star season.

After winning the District 35 championship, the Valley’s 11-12-year-old sluggers have won their first two games in the Section 1 Tournament being played at Wiil C. Wood School in Alameda.

The Valley opened the tournament with an 8-4 win over Mill Valley and followed up Tuesday night with a 6-4 triumph over Lafayette. Wednesday, Petaluma was to play the winner of a Mill Valley/Lafayette elimination game for the tournament championship. Results were not available at press time.

Since the Valley is unbeaten, a loss Wednesday night would not eliminate it from the tournament, but it would force another game on Thursday.

Valley 8, Mill Valley 4

Lucas Schaefer belted Petaluma to its opening-round win over Mill Valley, driving in five of his team’s eight runs.

Gavin Ochoa pitched the win, coming within one batter of throwing a complete game. In his 5 2/3 innings on the mound, he gave up four runs, but only two were earned. He yielded five hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

When he reached the end of his alloted pitches, Mario Taormina came in to get the final out with a strikeout flourish.

Schaefer put Petaluma Valley on the board quickly with a two-run homer in the first inning.

However, Petaluma couldn’t hold the lead and Mill Valley built a 4-2 lead before Max Smedshammer slammed a two-run triple to tie the contest.

Schaefer struck again in the fourth, keying a three-run rally with a clutch two-out, two-strike single to drive in two more runs.

To complete his big game, Schaefer tacked on a final RBI with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

The Petaluma defense, a bit shaky in the early going, tightened in the later innings, providing Ochoa with much-appreciated glove help.

Valley 6, Lafayette 4

Petaluma’s second win was even more difficult, as it fell behind before Schaeffer could work his bat magic.

Lafayette scored two runs in the first inning, ?but Petaluma Valley matched the total on back-to-back singles by ?Nick Taormina and Gio Antonini before Mario Taormina delivered a two-run single and just kept going to third as the ball skipped through the Lafayette outfield.

However, Petaluma Valley couldn’t manage to get him home from there.

The decisive inning was the second when Petaluma Valley loaded the bases on Aidan Lombardi’s single and a pair of walks.

Schaeffer unloaded them in a big way, blasting a monstrous shot not only over the fence, but over the snack shack beyond the fence for a grand slam, giving him nine RBIs in two Section Tournament games.

After that shot, it was just a matter of hanging on for Petaluma.

Mario Taorminia pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

Antonini took over in the sixth and had a little difficulty, walking in a run, but he managed to get the final out on a fly to right field, leaving the bases loaded of frustrated Lafayette runners.

If Petaluma Valley manages to win the Section title, it’s next step will be to Division 2 play, beginning Saturday in Stockton.

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