American Elevens hang on to Section win over Sonoma

The Petaluma American League 9-11-year-old Little League All-Star team advanced to the finals of the Section 1 Tournament by holding off Sonoma, 4-3.|

In what has become their modus operandi, the Petaluma American Little League 9-11-year-old All-Stars dominated Sonoma, but had to grimly cling on for a 4-3 victory in a key Section 1 Tournament game Monday night.

The victory, the second in succession for the District 35 champion Americans moved them into the tournament championship game where they will meet the winner of tonight’s game between Sonoma and Novato Wednesday evening at 5:30 at the American Canyon Little League complex.

Monday night, Petaluma Americans’ fire-throwing Brody Ruoff was untouchable through four innings and three batters before he was stopped by the Little League pitch count rule.

Ruoff didn’t allow a hit during his tour on the mound, striking out eight, including the first three batters he faced.

However, after a quick 17-pitch three strikeout opening inning, his control faltered and he walked five, including three in the second inning when Sonoma touched him for a run on the walks and the hustle of Cayden Waldrop who scored on an errant throw back to the pitcher.

Aside from that blip, there wasn’t much for Sonoma to cheer about until things started to get dicey in the fifth frame.

Petluma batters put some good swings on the tosses of Sonoma starting pitcher Norman Shinn, but never really broke the game open, leaving runners stranded in every inning except the fifth.

Petaluma got a run in the first inning on a leadoff single by the bat-hot Brady Laubscher and a clutch single by Ruoff, but lost a chance for more when they had a runner caught between second and third.

Two more American runs counted in the second when Luke Bell belted a ball right through the Sonoma first baseman to drive home Tyler Dunlap and Laubscher who had cracked a double for his second hit in as many innings.

Batting against Sonoma relief pitcher Anthony Detorres, Petaluma a had a walk and two singles, along with a Sonoma error, but managed only one run in the fourth inning, leaving the bases loaded. Walk-based Bell scored the run on a two-out single by Ryan Rice.

Leading, 4-1, and needing just six outs, Petaluma looked to be in command, but things got considerably tense over the final two innings.

In the fifth, after a strikeout to start the inning, a dropped pop up and a walk put two Sonoma runners on base and with Ruoff at shortstop as he reached his allowable pitch count.

Danny Mercado, who had already caught and played shortstop, came on to strike out two batters, but before that could occur Sonoma scored twice on a Petaluma error and a cluch two-out single by Hudson Giarritta.

Suddenly it was a 4-3 game and nerves in both stands were fraying.

Those nerves were stretched to the breaking point when Sonoma’s Noah Givanelli led off the sixth, and in Little League final scheduled, inning with a shot down the right-field line for a double.

Vinny Girish put down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move a potential tie to third base with one out.

At this point, the coolest person in the place appeared to be Mercado who calmly got a called strikeout and a weak pop-up to end the tension and advance the Petalumans, leaving Sonoma to battle for survival.

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