Minors pick up first win; Majors unable to collect game one

RUSTON -- It was a split decision for the Ville Platte Dixie Youth Organization Thursday afternoon, as the Minor All-Stars slipped past Pineville 4-3 in the South Regional Tournament, while the Major All-Stars could not muster enough offensive to get past Mike Miley in a 7-1 loss.
The South Regional Tournament which was scheduled to be held last weekend in Morgan City was cancelled due to the effects of Hurricane Barry. The powers that be in the Dixie Youth State Office made the decision to move the tournament to Ruston with a Thursday start date.
In the Minor All-Star game, Ville Platte showed some real grit and determination, as they had to find away to come back from a 3-1 deficit to Pineville. The game opened with neither team picking up a run in the first inning of play.
Pineville took the early lead in the contest when they were able to plate a run with two outs in the top of the second inning. Ville Platte went down in order in the bottom half of the inning to keep the score 1-0 in favor of Pineville.
After a scoreless third and fourth innings, Ville Platte did what it needed to get back into the contest. First and foremost the All-Stars held Pineville scoreless in the top of the fifth.
Ville Platte then scratched a run across in the bottom of the fifth when Lane Joubert scored with two outs on an error by the Pineville shortstop.
Things looked bleak for the All-Stars after Pineville re-grouped and picked up two more runs in the top of the sixth and final inning of the contest. However, Ville Platte showed that old “boys in blue” spirit in the bottom half of the inning.
Ellis Chapman tripled to lead things off for the All-Stars. John-Aaron Soileau plated Chapman on a single to centerfield to make it a 3-2 ballgame.
Lane Joubert reached on an error, moving Soileau to third. Gavin Patin walked to load the bases. Following a strikeout, Quindarrious Spriggins drew the one out walk to send Soileau home with the tying run.
Payton Veillion followed that with a walk of his own to push Joubert across for the winning run. Ville Platte advanced on to the winner’s bracket and was scheduled to face Lakeshore on Friday.
The Major All-Stars did not have as much luck in their contest as the Minors did. In the game against Mike Miley, Ville Platte produced only one run on six hits and left four runners in scoring position.
The first two innings of the game proved fruitless for both ball clubs, as neither team could produce a run. Mike Miley opened the scoring up with a single run in the top of the third and extended that lead to 3-0 after four and a half innings had gone by.
Ville Platte’s lone run came in the bottom of the fifth when Tristan Mayeaux singled and scored on a Hayden Deshotel single. Mike Miley added four more runs in the top of the sixth to close out the scoring.
The Gazette will have full coverage of the Regional Tournament for both the Majors and the Minors in Thursday’s edition.