Petaluma jumps out to big lead early, scores key runs late to beat Vintage in league opener
By Kyle Foster
Follow on Twitter/X: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
As simple or as hard as baseball is, it comes down to making your own luck at times.
On Tuesday afternoon at Crusher Diamond, this is what Petaluma capitalized on as they beat Vintage, 8-4 in a Vine Valley Athletic League opener.
The Trojans were always able to get a key run when it was needed to keep the game in their favor. They also wiggled out of jams to stop any momentum from shifting.
However, the Trojans (6-3 overall, 1-0 VVAL) jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead. They started with a four spot in the first.
Rowan Ball and Dante Vachini each singled to start the first-inning rally. Following a flyout by Aiden Jones, Ball scored after tagging to third when the throw got away. A single by August Cuneo brought in Vachini. Following a double to left field by Alro Pendleton to put runners at second and third, Dante Caiati singled to give the Trojans a nice lead.
In the second, Flynn Shoop reached on an error that got him to second before scoring on a Vachini single.
They added another in the fourth when Shoop was hit by a pitch and got to third on a Vachini single. He then scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Jones.
Petaluma scored their final runs of the game in the sixth where they scored twice. Vachini doubled down the left field line got to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a single by Pendleton. In the next at-bat, Caiati roped a double to left field to score Pendleton.
Leading the Trojan offensive attack in the game were Vachini (4-for-5 double, RBI, stolen base, 2 runs), Caiati (2-for-4 double, 3 RBIs), Pendleton (2-for-4 double, RBI, 2 runs), Schoop (1-for-4 2 runs), Cuneo (1-for-4 RBI), Ball (1-for-4 run), and Jack Colby (1-for-1).
Vintage (2-6, 0-1 VVAL) was able to keep the game closer than the score looked. In the second, they cut into the deficit to make it a 5-2 game. Jefferey Page singled and got to second on a wild pitch and Austin Buffler walked to put runners at first and second. When James Burgess singled and the second baseman made a throwing error, it allowed Page to score and Buffler to get to third. An infield single by Dario Freschi then brought in Buffler.
“We just wanted to keep cutting it in half,” Vintage head coach Billy Smith explained. “Get one or two each inning and don’t worry about the score. We have to play the innings. I think we won three innings out of the game after spotting them (five runs).”
The Crushers scored twice more in the fourth to make it a 6-4 game. Freschi singled and Ian Fernandez walked to start the rally. A single by Blake Porter brought in Freschi and got Fernandez to third. A wild pitch then allowed Fernandez to score.
“They relaxed at the plate a little more and they just understand that they needed to simplify the game and don’t make it more than what it is,” Smith said of adjustments his team made at the plate as the game went on. “They just had to take the situation that they had, present it, and try to execute.”
Vintage had a few chances to tie the game up or make it interesting. In the fifth, they put runners at second and third with one out when Carson McCaffrey singled and Page was hit by a pitch. Both moved up on a Gulliksen groundout. However, a groundout and strikeout ended the chance to tie things up. Despite things like this happening, Smith was pleased with the at-bats his team had with runners in scoring position.
“We had a lot of good at-bats with runners in scoring position,” Smith added.
Leading the Vintage offense in the game was Page (2-for-3 run), Freschi (2-for-4), Porter (2-for-4 RBI), Fernandez (1-for-2 run), Burgess (1-for-4 RBI), and Kai Gulliksen (1-for-4).
The teams will meet again on Thursday at Petaluma at 4 pm. It will be the last time they play this season as part of the new home-and-home series the league is doing this season.
In other VVAL action on Tuesday, Casa Grande beat Napa 6-1 and Justin-Siena beat Sonoma Valley 2-0.
