Winning Streak Ends for Petaluma Nationals With 9-6 Loss Sunday

Despite four home runs and a valiant comeback in the latter half of the game, Petaluma National was overwhelmed by a big hitting team from Tennessee and fell 9-6 in their first loss of the Little League World Series on Sunday.

In the first inning, with Austin Paretti catching and Danny Marzo on the mound, the Nationals, representing the Western region, allowed Tennessee to score two easy stolen runs after a series of miscues.

Marzo, however, made up for it in the bottom of the first. He plated a run and set up one of his Petaluma teammates to steal home plate to tie the game. Petaluma slugger Bradley Smith then crushed a homer over the left field wall to retake the lead 3-2.

Tennesse re-took the lead 4-3 in the top of the second, and was leading 5-4 midway through the fourth inning.

Kempton Brandis and Cole Tomei each had a home run for Petaluma.

Despite the loss, the Petaluma Nationals—the first team to represent Northern California in the Little League World Series since 2002, have to be perfect from here on out if they hope to be crowned world champions.

Anthony Lackey, President of the Petaluma National Little League, who watched the game at Boulevard Cinemas, told the crowd afterward that he still likes the team's chances to battle back and stay in the competition.

"They've bounced back before," he said.

Eight U.S. teams and eight international teams are vying for the Little League World Series title, which will be decided in the championship game on Aug. 26.

The Nationals' next game has been set for 1 p.m. Monday when they play a team from Parsippany, New Jersey.

-Bay City News contributed to this report