Cota’s blast helps Penn Valley

Advance to Area II title game

Kyle Cota picked the most opportune time to deliver his first home run of the Little League post season.

The lanky Penn Valley Little League major division All-Star first baseman drove a 2-1 offering with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning over the Pioneer Park fence in right centerfield for a two-run home run and the difference in Monday night’s 3-1 win over Sierra Foothills of Colfax.

The victory for Penn Valley was the team’s third straight in the All-Star tournament for 11-12-year-olds and moves the team into Wednesday night’s Area II championship game slated to begin at 7 p.m..

Undefeated Penn Valley can wrap up the crown with a win Wednesday. The opponent for that game will be either Sierra Foothills or Grass Valley which meet tonight at 7 p.m. in an elimination game.

 Cota’s game winning homer snapped a 1-1 deadlock and stymied a pitcher’s duel between PVLL’s Dusty Zeisler and SFLL lefty Ryan Glazner.

“It was a real key hit no doubt,” said PVLL manager Rich Benevento. “The kids have really been taking turns picking each other up.”

Penn Valley started the scoring in the first inning when Zeisler singled, went to second on a passed ball and then scored on Tanner Vallejo’s RBI single.

However, SFLL knotted the count in the top of the third when Matt Paskey lifted a Zeisler fastball high over the fence in leftfield.

The score stayed 1-1 until the bottom of the fourth when Jared Cook led off the frame with a single. After a strikeout, Cota then unloaded his line drive HR to give Penn Valley a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Zeisler bore down on the hill after that as he allowed SFLL just one hit over the last two frames. He finished the game with a four-hitter, fanned 11 batters and didn’t walk a man.

Also playing a big role in Penn Valley’s win was the team’s solid defense as Roland Pussich at shortstop, Joey Benevento in centerfield and Cota at first base all had good games.

Grass Valley 6  Nevada City 5 – Nevada City threatened by putting the game tying run base in the sixth inning but Grass Valley wiggled out of the jam for the victory.

Nevada City battled tough in a losing cause as big hitters included Bert Heinzelman and Brandon Sabella.  Ryan McCarthy, Charlie Stevens and Bo Huff were all solid on the mound for Nevada City.

In Area I majors play at Tri-City Little League Park in Rocklin, Auburn eliminated Lincoln with a 5-1 win Monday night and Rocklin defeated Tri-City to move into the winner’s bracket finals.