Americans’ marathon comeback ends game short of finals

The Petaluma American League eliminated Petaluma Valley on its way to an amazing comeback that ended a game short of the finals in the District 35 Major League Tournament.|

Petaluma American League’s Major League All-Stars got very close to finishing a marathon District 35 run, reaching the semifinals before being eliminated by Rincon Valley, 13-3.

The Americans slipped into the losers’ bracket when they were beaten, 8-3, by Petaluma Valley, in their second game.

That started a game-a-day climb back that began with a 13-3 win over Mark West and continued with a 7-6 victory over Westside, another Santa Rosa team. That brought them once again to a head-to-head meeting with Petaluma Vally.

Things were different this time. The Americans rode the strong pitching of Donavin Abramson and Logan Bailey, backed by a solid defense, to a 9-4 win over the Valley in a game played at the Petaluma Nationals’ Carter Field.

The Americans spotted Valley three first-inning runs in a rally that started after two outs, and featured key hits by Lucas Miles and Anthony Osorio. It was aided by an outfield error that allowed two additional runs to score on Osorio’s RBI hit.

After that, Abramson took control, blanking the Valley over the next three innings.

Meanwhile, the Nationals immediately battled back after the Valley’s initial-inning splurge with Bailey leading off their half of the first with a four-base shot over the right field fence. Joey Mercado later doubled and scored on an error to make it a 4-2 game after one.

The Americans won the game in the second when Bailey, Abramson, Mercado, Sam Virkus and Aiden Bell all rapped base hits during a four-run rally.

Nico Antonini, Ben Wilson, Dante Antonini and Lucas Miles strung together hits for two runs to start the Valley fifth in a rally that was cut short by a neat 1-2-3 double play from pitcher Abramson to catcher Bell to first baseman Mercado.

The Valley went their opponents one better in the bottom of the fifth, turning a triple play when second baseman Miles grabbed a bouncer near his base, stepped on the bag and fired to Wilson at first. That worthy then gunned to catcher Arenas who tagged out Dillon Moore trying to score from second on the play.

By the time the Americans had pulled off the trifecta, the Americans had already scored three more runs in the inning to put the game out of reach.

With Abramson knocked off the mound by 86 pitches, Bailey came on for a perfect sixth inning, striking out two, and the Americans were still alive.

They had one more victorious breath, edging Ukiah, 8-7, before they ran into Rincon Valley and the end of the road.

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