Great start

VILLE PLATTE -- Getting off to a great start, especially in your first game of a season, is always a sign that things are headed in the right direction.
That is just what the Ville Platte Dixie Youth Major All-Stars did Thursday afternoon as they picked off Oakdale 11-5 in the opening game of the District 7 East Sub-District Tournament.
Ville Platte was scheduled to continue tournament play on Friday against Mamou. The All-Stars were also scheduled to play two games on Saturday, one game today and one game tomorrow. The Gazette will have full coverage of those games in Thursday’s edition.
The game against Oakdale started off slowly for the Ville Platte offense with the All-Stars going down in order in the top of the first. However, Ville Platte starting pitcher Jackson Bruney did not let Oakdale get any momentum either in their first at bat, sending all three opposing batters back to the dugout on strikeouts.
Ville Platte struck first at the plate, garnering a single run in the top of the second. Following a ground ball out, Bruney singled to get things rolling.
Tristan Mayeux drew a walk to put runners at first and second with one out. Both Bruney and Mayeux advanced on a stolen base. A wild pitch brought Bruney home to give Ville Platte the 1-0 lead.
Oakdale tied the game up in the bottom half of the second. However, Ville Platte responded by plating a pair of runs in the top half of the third inning. A walk issued to William Jordan and a hit by pitch for Dane Lejeune put runners at first and second with one out.
Two wild pitches later and Jordan was able to cross the plate for run number two. After a strikeout, Hayden Deshotel doubled to bring home Lejeune and put Ville Platte ahead by a two run margin.
Oakdale failed to tally in the bottom of the third, keeping the score at 3-1. Ville Platte got back on the scoring track in the top of the fourth by adding four more runs to their total.
Jude Hebert led off with a single, reached second on a stolen base and moved to third on a wild pitch. After a fly out to second base, Bruney drew a walk and promptly moved to second on a stolen base.
A wild pitch brought Hebert home and pushed Bruney to third base. Mayeux singled, scoring Bruney. An error during the throw in allowed Mayeux to reach second base.
Zac Fontenot reached first base. Another wild pitch gave Mayeux home plate and sent Fontenot to third base, where he would score on a passed ball.
Oakdale rallied in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs of their own to cut the Ville Platte lead down to 7-4. But, the squad from Flat Town kept the pressure on, driving in four more runs in the top of the fifth.
Deshotel, John Michael Duplechin, Hebert and Gabe Fontenot all singled and scored in that at bat to put Ville Platte in complete control 11-4.
Oakdale was able to plate a single run in the bottom of the fifth. Nevertheless, the Ville Platte defense and pitching never let it get any closer, as they closed the game out.