Little league: Lozinto-Wyatt the hero as Petaluma Valley Juniors overcome huge deficit, advance to semifinals

In perhaps their biggest test of the season, the Petaluma Valley Juniors came back from a 11-3 deficit to beat Arizona 13-12 and advance to the semifinals of the West regional.

PV didn’t get their first lead of the game until the top of the seventh, when Brandon Lozinto-Wyatt singled, which scored Trevor Hermsmeyer.

But that entire frame, in which Petaluma scored five runs, showed just why the saying rings true: It isn’t over till it’s over.

“Celebrating inside, but there was only one out and we wanted to get some insurance runs,” Petaluma Valley head coach Shawn Dooley said of Lozinto-Wyatt’s single. “I told the guys before the inning, ‘Every at bat counts, make solid contact, and swing at strikes. They did just that.

Down 12-8, it started with a Tim Dooley walk. That was followed by a Callaway Haluska single, and Tyler Pelissetti loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch. An error on a Colt Cilia ground ball scored Dooley, and then Hermsmeyer singled which scored Haluska.

A Noah Holley single made it 11-12, and then Gavin Powell tied it with a sacrifice fly to center. Lozinto-Wyatt didn’t waste any time in the ensuing at bat, ripping the go-ahead RBI single.

On the bump, PVLL rebounded from a rough first three innings to shut Arizona down. Compared to the ten runs Arizona scored in the first three innings, they only scored two more the rest of the way, as Cilia, Holley and Haluska pitched the last five innings and were ultimately effective.

“Celebrating inside, but there was only one out and we wanted to get some insurance runs.

Those three came in and threw strikes, that’s all that we ask of them,” Dooley said. “I think that was part of our problem early on, we walked six batters in the first few innings. That allowed Arizona to get their runs and build a lead. So, to have those three come in and perform the way they did was huge.”

Petaluma Valley will now play Hawaii, who were 4-1 winners over Southern California, in the championship bracket semifinals. That game will be on Tuesday at 9 a.m. up in Bend, Oregon.

You can reach Staff Writer Kienan O’Doherty at 415-887-8650 or kienan.odoherty@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @kodoherty22.