Louisiana Majors lose in DYB finals; finish runners-up

BY: TRACEY JAGNEAUX
Sports Editor

There comes a time in a when a team must admit that they were beaten by a better team.
That is when you tip your cap to your opponent and say job well done.
Such is the case for the Louisiana Major all-stars, as they fell to South Carolina in the finals of the Dixie Youth World Series on Thursday.
Louisiana was no match for the destructive power of the South Carolina offense. The boys from the host state had run roughshod over their opponents outscoring teams by an amazing 83-4 advantage.
However, Louisiana has nothing to feel bad about. This team of young men battled their way through some difficult adversity to reach the championship game.
On three occasions, the boys in purple and gold had to battle through the loser’s bracket to advance on in a tournament.
The drive and determination of the players on the team is what eventually propelled Louisiana to a spot in the final game of the World Series.
During the World Series tournament, Louisiana once again faced elimination after falling to Virginia on Sunday.
But, with a renewed focus on the task at hand, the young men from Ville Platte took control of the situation and won their next two games to face off against Virginia for a second time.
They say that the second time is the charm. For Louisiana, that old adage came to fruition, as they exacted revenge in a 14-4 win.
Things did not start well for Louisiana, as they found themselves down 3-2 after two innings of play.
Louisiana tied the game in the fourth, plating a single run. The rest of the game it was an offensive showcase for Louisiana.
The all-stars produced 11 runs in the final two innings to close out the win and advance on the championship game.
Against South Carolina in the championship, Louisiana battled early, but did not have enough fire power on offense or on the mound to fend off the eventual champions.
South Carolina produced seven hits, including two home runs in a 15-3 run-rule win over Louisiana.
“We knew that South Carolina was a very good team,” said assistant coach Delaney Fontneot. “We are not disappointed by any stretch of the imagination. It has been a tremendous ride this whole season. Our guys really showed what Ville Platte baseball is about in this tournament.”