National 9-10s still playing

The Petaluma National 9-10-year-olds are not only Petaluma’s last Little League All-Star team standing, they are poised to play for the ultimate of their world.

The Nationals begin play Saturday in the Northern California Tournament, the highest level a 9-10-year-old team can reach.

The Petalumans first game at Jerry Whijitehead Field in Tuolumne will be at 3 p.m. when they take on the Section 5 champion. A win, and the Nationals play again Sunday at noon. A loss, and they will play Sunday at 3 p.m.

Petaluma National advanced to the Northern California Championships with a wrenching 8-6 win over Ross Valley at Lucchesi Park. The victory under the lights clinched the Section 1 title for the Nationals, who captured their 10th consecutive victory in the process.

Just as in the earlier meeting between the two clubs, the gritty team from Marin County didn’t go down without a battle in the final inning. Ross Valley again out-hit the hosts, but could not get the tying runs across the plate in the final stanza when a batted ball hit by Cody Perry bounced off the Ross Valley base runner moving from second to third base for the final out.

The ball was ruled a base hit in the score book, but it meant very little to the joyous National infielders who collectively danced in jubilation knowing exactly what had just happened.

For third pitcher Mark Wolbert it was a terrific save as he came in with runners aboard to retire one out on strikes and the final on a ball headed for reliable shortstop Garett Lewis before it bounced off the runner.

Petaluma National did most of its damage in the bottom of the second inning by scoring five runs on six hits. It turned out to be the only frame that it recorded a base hit, but it turned out to be enough.

Clutch RBI hits by Enzo Scaccalosi and Spencer Norman accounted for a pair of runs each in the big frame. The Nationals batted around in the lineup, which started when Liam Gottschall straightened out a hanging curve with a two-base hit to the base of the right field fence.

When the dust cleared, Petaluma had gone ahead, 7-2, and it turned out to be just enough to grab the victory.

Lewis started the game for Petaluma, and pitched an outstanding game, striking out five batters and staking his club to a 7-2 lead before reaching 75 pitches. Lewis left in the fourth inning after giving up only two hits. He was credited with the win.

One batter who was very difficult to keep off the bases was Ross Valley infielder Jaime Evershed. Evershed finished with three hits, including a double, and knocked in two runs.

In the critical final inning,it was Evershed who would have been the next batter for Ross Valley, but the final out was made in the infield. He also turned in a solid play at third base on a short hit attempt by Scaccalosi in the bottom of the fourth inning.

When he was done on the mound, Lewis moved to shortstop, and also turned in a spectacular glove-hand stop and throw to force a runner at second base in the top of the fifth inning.

Ross Valley narrowed the margin to 7-6 with three runs in the top of the fifth inning, and it was white knuckle time again for the National followers.

Three players came off the bench in the final Petaluma bat appearance, and they made a difference by all reaching base. Romeo Nickel and Casey Pectol coaxed walks, while Wyatt Davis took a healthy swing, but his bat was tipped by the catcher.

With three runners aboard, Petaluma finally forced one across on a walk to Wolbert, and it gave it some breathing room, but more importantly took a sacrifice for one run off the table.

Now it’s on to Tuolumne for the lads wearing the red of the Petaluma National League. Mark another accomplishment off their youthful list of baseball goals for 2014.