[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13876]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING PETALUMA NATIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE ALL-STARS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to salute the Little League 
12-year-old All-Stars from my hometown of Petaluma, California. I 
salute them for their amazing run in the 2012 Little League World 
Series. I couldn't be prouder of the way they represented our community 
and themselves.

                              {time}  1010

  Even though they fell short of the championship, they distinguished 
themselves as one of this year's best youth baseball teams, finishing 
second in the country and third in the world. Even in their final loss 
to Tennessee, they showed fierce determination, rallying for a 10-run 
comeback to force extra innings. Each and every player contributed to 
the effort.
  Bradley Smith led the way with an astounding .636 batting average, a 
tournament-leading 14 hits, a record-breaking 6 doubles, and 11 RBIs, 
as well as great fielding and pitching. Hance Smith hit .429, leading 
the team with 4 home runs and knocking more home runs--12--than any 
other player in the tournament. Daniel ``Danny'' Marzo hit .348 with a 
walk-off home run against New Jersey, on top of his outstanding 
pitching. Cole Tomei batted .333 with clutch hitting and dazzling 
third-base defense that actually reminded many of Brooks Robinson.
  Logan Douglas, who provided great all-around leadership and topnotch 
relief pitching, also had a .318 batting average, and his 11 runs 
scored were the second-highest in the tournament. Catchers Austin 
Paretti and James O'Hanlon provided perfect handling of the pitching 
staff, with James ``Jay-O'' contributing timely hits and Austin adding 
eight runs scored in only eight at-bats.
  Dylan Moore, Blake Buhrer, and Kempton Brandis all contributed clutch 
performances, including Kempton's two home runs against Tennessee, 
Blake's big hit to spark a rally against New Jersey, and Dylan's 
overall solid work in the field, on the mound, and at bat. Porter Slate 
scored eight runs out of the leadoff spot while playing stellar defense 
at second base. Quinton Gago's home run against the Southwest would 
still be going if it hadn't hit the side of a hill. And his dominant 
pitching performance against Texas gave the team a huge lift. Andrew 
White provided outstanding relief pitching, not just in the Little 
League World Series, but throughout district 35 and regional play.
  Madam Speaker, not enough can be said about the coaching staff: 
Manager Eric Smith, Trevor Tomei, and Mike Slate. Their commitment to 
the team and to the families was nothing short of remarkable. They just 
didn't teach the boys skills and fundamentals; they instilled in them 
poise, determination, and drive.
  The Petaluma National League All-Stars are talented ballplayers, but 
they also succeeded because of grit, hustle, and desire. They revealed 
themselves to be young men of maturity and strong character. They 
demonstrated sportsmanship in victory and in defeat. They were models 
of teamwork and discipline, qualities that will serve them well 
throughout their lives. These boys exemplify what is best about youth 
sports, being true to the mission and values of Little League baseball. 
Their performance on and off the field is a testament to their coaches, 
their parents, their teachers, and their individual character. These 
boys are unquestionably champions. They are tomorrow's leaders, and 
they give confidence for our country's future.

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