Valley Majors do their part to set up Petaluma showdown

The Petaluma Valley Major Little League All-Stars pounded five Ukiah pitchers for eight extra base hits in a 19-2 rout to advance to the third round in the winners’ bracket in the District 35 Tournament for 12-year-old Little Leaguers. The game was played in front of a big crowd at Murphy Field on Wednesday evening.

Petaluma Valley plays Petaluma National in a winners’ bracket semifinal showdown game Friday night at Carter Field to advancement to the championship game on Sunday at 11 a.m. A loss and the Petalumans play for survival Saturday at 11 a.m.

Valley wasted no time touching up Ukiah starter Trevor Tipton for seven runs in the opening inning to take a lot of the mystery out of the game. Ukiah didn’t help Tipton with three miscues to keep the line moving. Two balls were lost in the late afternoon sun by Ukiah corner infielders.

Antonio Bernardini, batting in the ninth slot in the Petaluma lineup, shook things up even further in the bottom of the first inning when he blasted a grand slam into the outer reaches of the park which took more of the enthusiasm out of a big contingent of Ukiah fans.

Bernardini wound up having a solid night at the plate as he followed his blast with a two-run double in the bottom of the third inning to finish with a game high six RBIs.

Valley wound up with 11 hits, but all of them were driven very hard. Back-up homers by Jake Lannert, Dante Antonini and Jaden Julian help end the game after only four at bats by the visitors. The hard-hitting Julian continued to hit the long ball as he got the second grand slam of the evening. He finished the game with five RBIs. He also scored three runs for the line-drive hitting winners.

Ten Petaluma batters reached the hit column with at least one safety as Valley coasted into a semifinal game on Friday at Carter Field across town against the rival Petaluma Nationals.

The tall and imposing Lannert started for Valley, and had overpowering stuff, striking out three batters until he was pulled with a comfortable 17-1 lead in the top of the third inning. Ukiah didn’t have a base hit until the third, when Tipton lofted a fly ball over the center field fence with two outs. It was the only hit given up by Lannert. Most of the contact made by Ukiah hitters resulted in soft foul balls to the opposite side of the diamond.

Julian came into the game, and faced only seven batters before the game was stopped by the 10-run rule after the top of the fourth inning. An RBI single by Ibar Briseno knocked in the second run for the visitors.

The play of the game was turned in by Bernardini in right field when he galloped toward the line to make a sliding catch of a bid for a base hit by Julian Ruiz.

It was the first loss of the tournament for Ukiah after the team dropped Fort Bragg, 12-2, in the opening round. Ukiah returns to town tonight to play an elimination game at Carter Field.

Petaluma Valley opened the tournament with an 11-1 win over Sebastopol.