Mamou Elite 8’s take District Seven

In DeQuincy, the Mamou Elite 8’s (eight and under) did the thing they do best and went on to win the District Seven Tournament. They played outstanding defense throughout the event and got timely hitting when needed to march through the event with a perfect 6-0 record.
Mamou now earns a trip to the State Tournament as a top seed. They will head to that event July 10th thru the 13th. It will take place in Pineville. The world series would be the next hurdle for Mamou. That will take place in Texarkana and begins July 18th.
Mamou beat Vernon National 11-0 to begin the district event. Mamou scored a pair of runs in the first inning. M.J. Kilbarger singled and Gavin Lafleur followed right behind him. The two later scored on hits from Briggs Ardoin and Calliou Thibodeaux.
A.J. Arvie singled and scored in the second inning, giving Mamou a 3-0 lead. However, the third inning is where the local boys blew the doors off the hinges. They scored six runs to go up 9-0. With one out, Kilbarger got the offense rolling. Lafleur, Peyton Berzas, Ardoin, Thibodeaux and Tavon Deville each singled and scored along with Kilbarger.
Alex Dick and Ethan Soileau each scored in Mamou’s final at bat. In contrast, it was Mamou’s defense that was on point for the day. Their opponent got only one runner to third base in the entire game.
Mamou battled Oakdale in their second contest. The boys in green and white took a 7-0 win to advance.
Kilbarger and Ardoin each scored in the first inning. Kilbarger scored on a hit from Berzas and Ardoin crossed the dish on an error.
Tavon Deville and Arvie each scored in the second inning. A hit from Soileau and a double from Gavin Jack helped to put Mamou up 4-0 after two innings.
Mamou’s defense continued to keep Oakdale off the score board. They managed to get one runner to second base in the first and fifth inning. That would be all the offense Oakdale could muster.
Mamou added three insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth frame. Arvie, Soileau and Jack each scored on a hit from Brady Fontenot.
The youngsters from Mamou collided with the Westlake All-Stars in the quarter-finals. Mamou blanked their third straight opponent with an 11-0 win.
Mamou went up 5-0 in the second inning. Thibodeaux, Deville and Arvie got the offense moving along. The trio came across the plate on hits from Soileau, Jack and Dez Skinner. A hit from Kilbarger scored Soileau and Jack later in the inning.
Lafleur singled and scored in the third inning and Soileau did the same in the fourth. While the offense was putting up seven runs, the defense held Westlake off the board. Westlake managed to get two runners to second base all game long. Mamou’s defense was simply too stubborn to give up any more than that.
Four runs came home in the fifth inning as insurance runs. Kilbarger, Lafleur, Berzas and Ardoin each crossed the plate, endiing the game due to the 10-run mercy rule.
In the semi-finals, Mamou crushed the All-Stars from Beaureard Parish by a score of 18-3.
Mamou was stunned early when Beauregard took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. However, the youngster from Evangeline Parish bounced back with force. They went on to score seven runs in the second inning, six runs in the third inning and five more in the fourth frame.
Several batters went 3-3 that day. Gavin Lafleur, Arvie, Soileau and Jack were each perfect at the plate. The majority of the runs were scored by the bottom of the line-up. Arvie, Soileau and Jack each scored three times.
Mamou met Oakdale for the second time in the event in the championship game for Bracket A. A win meant Mamou would move to the tournament final and meet the winner of Bracket B. Oakdale would have to beat Mamou two times in order to advance.
Mamou went up early. Lafleur singled and scored on a hit from Berzas. Lafleur was 3-3 on the day and he scored three times.
Oakdale responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning to take a temporary 2-1 lead. Then the young men from Mamou erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the inning. Deville started things off with a hit. Arvie and Dick followed suit; all three would later score. A pair of singles from Soileau and Jack helped the inning keep going. Skinner and Fontenot each singled and scored also. Kilbarger and the top of the line-up did not let up either. They managed three more runs of their own, giving Mamou a 9-2 lead.
Oakdale never scored again, as Mamou’s defense picked up. Arvie and Soileau each singled and scored in the third inning. They scored on singles from Skinner and Jack.
Lafleur and Berzas each scored in the fourth inning to put the game at an end due to the mercy rule.
Mamou’s 13-2 win over Oakdale moved them into the tourney final. They would face Bracket B Champion, Vernon American.
In the finals, it looked as though Vernon was going to really test Mamou. They scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. This came after Mamou scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Kilbarger and Lafleur each singled and scored on a series of hits from Ardoin and Berzas.
The defense of Mamou stood firm in the second inning, which gave some momentum to the offense. They would explode for six runs in the second inning. It all begin with a series of hits from Arvie, Dick, Soileau, Jack, Skinner and Fontenot. Lafleur later scored in the inning, giving his team an 8-3 lead. It was a lead they would never give back.
Vernon American responded in the bottom of the third inning with a pair of runs. That would all prove for naught when Mamou came to the plate in the top of the fourth block. Seven runs came across the dish to set up the mercy rule.
The offensive burst started with Arvie hitting a single with one out. Dick, Soileau and Jack kept the inning going with hits. One out later, Brady Fontenot singled, bringing up the top of the line-up. Kilbarger and Lafleur each brought home more runs with hits. The duo scored later as Ardoin and Berzas got key hits.
Vernon American did not score in the bottom of the inning, causing the game to be ended with a score of 15-5.
Kilbarger, Lafleur, Berzas and Ardoin were each 3-3 at the plate that day.
Look for more information on the State Tournament when Dixie Youth releases the Pools and Brackets for the event.