PINE PRAIRIE -- Patience at the plate, timely hitting, a solid defense and great pitching all added up together to give the Ville Platte Dixie Youth Minor All-Stars a 13-0 shut-out win over Oakdale in the opening game of the District 7 East Sub-District Tournament Thursday afternoon.
Ville Platte was scheduled to continue play on Friday against Vernon National and Mamou on Saturday. The All-Stars were to finish up sub-district play on Monday against Pine Prairie. The Gazette will have the results of those contests in Thursday’s edition.
Ville Platte jumped out to a nice start in the top of the first inning by picking up a single run. Gavin Patin was hit by pitch to lead things off.
Patin was put out at second on a ground ball off of the bat of Ellis Chapman. A passed ball and two wild pitches followed, allowing Chapman to find the plate and give Ville Platte a quick 1-0 lead.
Chapman, the staring pitcher for Ville Platte gave up a walk to the lead off batter Na’Vaughn Williams in the bottom half of the first. But, Chapman redeemed himself when he snared a line drive hit right back at him by Jayce West and doubled up Williams who had wandered off the bag too far. Ellis then struck out Kyler Ballard to end the inning.
Ville Platte added to their lead in the top of the second by plating a single run. Payton Veillon walked in the lead off spot and moved around the bases on three wild pitches.
Oakdale got one runner to reach base in the bottom of the second, but Chapman and the Ville Platte defense made sure that he did not move farther than first base.
The breakthrough inning for Ville Platte at the plate came in the top of the third inning. The All-Stars, showing the patience of Job, drew six walks, picked up three hits and moved around the bases on several passed balls and wild pitches to notch nine more runs.
John-Aaron Soileau and Daniel Guillory started off the scoring explosion by picking up walks. A passed ball and a wild pitch put the runners at second and third.
Dreamon Haywood followed with a single that plated both Soileau and Guillory. Haywood reached second on the throw-in and came across to score on a single off of the bat of Lane Joubert.
Joubert and Veillon, who reached on a walk would later score via Oakdale miscues. Rylan Soileau singled with one out and crossed home plate on a single from Chapman. Soileau and Guillory would each touch home plate in the inning off of walks and wild pitches giving Ville Platte an 11-0 lead.
Brecken Figueiredo entered the game in relief of Chapman in the bottom of the third inning. Figueirdo got the first two Oakdale batters out, then walked the next two batters and surrendered a single to load the bases. However, Figueiredo worked out of the jam by forcing a ground ball that put the runner out going from first to second.
Ville Platte tallied two more runs in the top of the fourth and then proceeded to shut down Oakdale to end the game.
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TRACEY JAGNEAUX Sports Editor