Look what happend for Petaluma Little League All Stars

The Petaluma National Little League All Stars didn’t start out intending to reach the West Region Tournament and come to within one game of earning a spot in the Little League World Series.

“We started the whole process just wanting to win District and then see what happens next,” said Petaluma manager Tony Sarno. “Once we did that, we wanted to win the next game and the next tournament. We felt like somebody had to win it, why not us?”

The end came in the West Region semifinals with a 6-0, seven-inning loss to Torrance, the Southern California champion. The win vaulted Torrance to the World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and sent the Petalumans home.

Petaluma was stopped by perhaps the best pitcher in the tournament, Torrance’s Gibson Turner, who struck out 15 and walked just one. He was matched by the Nationals’ Gio Castaing who also allowed just one hit and struck out nine.

“It was just one of those games,” Sarno said. “He (Turner) threw harder than any pitcher we have ever faced. But Gio matched him and we had our chances. We had the winning run at second base in the sixth inning and couldn’t get him home.”

Neither pitcher was around to finish the game, both forced off the mound after reaching their 85-pitch limit.

Petaluma also lost in the Regionals to eventual tournament champion Honolulu 13-3.

“They are a very good team,” the National manager said. “Every batter squared up the ball and they don’t make mistakes.”

Sarno said the big reason the Petaluma team could grind its way to three tournament wins and come so close to Little League’s big show was their unity.

“They were always close, but they came even closer together as we went along. You could see it by the way they hung out together away from the field. They fed off one another in a positive way.

“One of the many things I will take away from the experience was what happened in the cafeteria after our last game. We were the only ones in the cafeteria, and the servers told us we were their favorite team because of the way we acted. I heard from a lot of people how impressed they were with our maturity and demeanor. That meant a lot."

The Petalumans had a whole spectrum of experiences as they scrambled to victories in District, Section and NorCal tournaments to reach the West Region in San Bernardino.

The road was not always easy. After blowing away all opposition by 10 runs or more in the District Tournament, the Petalumans lost in the second round of the Section 1 Tournament and had to beat a very good Tiburon team twice, 8-7, and 3-2 to win that tournament.

After blowing out their first two opponents in the NorCal championships, the Petalumans again had to battle for their tournament lives in the championship game, coming from behind to defeat San Mateo American 4-3 and earn a police-escorted bus ride out of town to the West Regionals.

“It seemed like we were either involved in blow-out games or had close games,” the manager recalled. “It seemed like we always had someone come through for us.”

Members of the team were: Giovanni Castaing, Max Comma, Zander Cunningham, Dominic Fontana, Aiden Jones, Will Hale, Jack Hogya, Kalvin Okamura, Oliver Pedersen, Gavin Perry, Declan Romo and Dante Sarno. Tony Sarno was helped by coaches Stevan Fontana and Johnathan Okamura.

Manager Sarno said he emphasized to the players that, while the tournaments were finished and they had made memories, there was more ahead.

“I don’t know how many of them will play at the high school level, but I hope this experience is a stepping stone to better things in their lives,” he said. “Whether or not they play baseball, I’m sure they are going to be successful in their lives as they go on.”