Pitching machine all-stars advance on to district

BY: TRACEY JAGNEAUX
Sports Editor

This past weekend, the Ville Platte pitching machine all-stars battled their way to the Dixie Youth east sub-district runner-up spot. The all-stars won their first three games before falling into the loser’s bracket on Sunday.
Upon entering the loser’s bracket, Ville Platte, along with Oberlin and Oakdale, all had one loss apiece.
The three teams drew for a bye, with Oberlin earning the free pass to the finals. This meant that Ville Platte and Oakdale had to play to determine who would advance to the championship to face Oberlin.
Unfortunately for Ville Platte, Oakdale was one run too strong, eliminating the home town all-stars from the tournament. Ville Platte now advances to play in the district tournament to be held in Ville Platte starting on June 25.
Head Coach Ched Fontenot used the sub-district tournament as an evaluation tool for his team.
“We went into this tournament treating it like practice,” said Fontenot. “We did not have a set goal going into sub-district. We wanted to put the kids in different positions to see how they would handle game situations. Now we go back to our normal practices and focus on details of playing the game correctly, like backing up throws and covering bags.”
Fontenot praised his team for their grittiness.
“We had zero experience as all-stars; especially with us having to travel to Leesville,” stated Fontenot. “I thought we did a great job. Our team stayed positive throughout the tournament, even with the weather conditions. We really hit the ball well all weekend. Now they know they can compete with anyone.”
Here is a rundown of the games played this weekend..
Ville Platte vs.
Oberlin
Ville Platte wasted no time in their first game of the tournament. The all-stars needed only four innings to blank Oberlin 14-0. Ville Platte collected 20 hits in the win. The closest that Oberlin came to scoring was a runner at second

Ville Platte vs. Oakdale
The first meeting between Ville Platte and Oakdale was a defensive game. Ville Platte scored in three of the four innings played to take the 7-3 win. Oakdale tried to rally late in the game, but Ville Platte had an answer at every turn.
Ville Platte took the early 3-0 lead at the end of the first inning. Ville Platte added two more runs in the top of the fourth to go up 7-2. Oakdale got one run across in the bottom of the fourth, but it was too little too late, as Ville Platte held on for the win.

Ville Platte vs. Pine Prairie
The final game on Saturday was a winner’s bracket game between two inter-parish teams. Ville Platte once again showed their offensive prowess, as they mashed the ball for 14 runs on 20 hits in a 14-2 win. Pine Prairie could only manage five hits in the contest.
Ville Platte did all of their damage in the last two innings, as they only scored two runs in the first inning.
The third and fourth innings belonged to Ville Platte, as they out-scored Pine Prairie 12-0. Ville Platte plated six runs apiece in the last two innings to put Pine Prairie away and advance as the only undefeated team in the tournament.

Ville Platte vs. Oakdale
A rematch against Oakdale was an important one for Ville Platte. A win would give Ville Platte a place in the championship game as the only team without a loss. However, Oakdale was ready this time around, taking a commanding 12-3 win.
Oakdale held a 2-1 lead after the first inning of play. After blanking Oakdale in the top of the second, Ville Platte scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 3-2 lead.
As the fourth inning opened up Oakdale poured in six runs to go up 8-3. Ville Platte could not answer in the bottom of the fourth. Oakdale added four more runs in the top of the fifth and held Ville Platte scoreless to close out the contest.

Ville Platte vs. Oakdale
Once again, it was Ville Platte and Oakdale having to battle on the diamond. This time is was for the right to play in the championship. This game would be closer than the previous two, as Oakdale took a heart racing 8-7 win.
Ville Platte would find themselves in a 5-1 hole after one inning of play. After a scoreless second inning, Ville Platte would rally in the third to score five runs and take a 6-5 lead.
However, Oakdale plated three runs in the bottom of the third to regain the advantage 8-6. Ville Platte scored a lone run in the fourth, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.