THE COMEBACK KIDS: Patterson 12U All-Stars win 3 straight to clinch world series berth

With no margin for error and needing three straight wins — including two against a JPRD East team that they had beaten just once in in five previous attempts — to keep their season alive, the Patterson 12U Softball All-Stars didn’t panic Friday.
They simply came out and won three games in succession with little rest to not only win the Babe Ruth Southwest Regional but also advance to the Babe Ruth 12U World Series in Jensen Beach, Florida, July 28-Aug. 5. It’s the second straight year Patterson has advanced to the world series after a third-place finish in 10-year-old action a year ago.
After being dominated by Jefferson Parish Recreation Department East in a loss Thursday, Patterson rebounded with a 12-2 win against Jefferson Parish Recreation District West in its first game Friday, setting up a rematch with JPRD East. Because JPRD East was undefeated at the tournament, Patterson had to beat them twice.
The local squad won a back-and-forth contest in the first game, 11-9. The game was halted twice for lightning before Patterson blitzed its way to a winner-take-all contest.
In the winner-take-all game, Patterson dominated from the start en route to a 12-0 win.
“Today, we started hitting the ball,” Patterson Head Coach Harris DeHart said. “During state we didn’t hit very well. During this whole regional tournament, we didn’t hit very well, and today we came out, just hitting the ball. … Every kid game came through. Very few strikeouts. We (were) hitting the ball in the outfield, running the bases, doing what we have to do.
This year at state, Patterson defeated JPRD East for the first time but fell short in a winner-take-all game that was called due to rain with JPRD East ahead, meaning JPRD East was crowned state champion and Patterson, state runner-up.
Patterson had advanced to the state finals in similar fashion as the southwest regional finals after winning three straight games in the loser’s bracket.
This year’s trip to the world series will be a return trip for some and a first-team appearance for others, who played on Patterson’s Southwest Regional runner-up squad two years ago in Arkansas.
“It’s very gratifying, particularly for the 12-year-old girls,” Patterson Assistant Coach Patrick Skiles said. “They fell short two years ago in the 10U division in Arkansas, and they’ve been working hard for this. This has been a goal for this team since March. This has always been our goal. … We beat a very good team to get there and the girls played fantastic softball.”
At the conclusion of the tournament, Patterson’s Hailey Skiles was named the 12U Most Valuable Player.
In the winner-take-all game against JPRD East Friday, Patterson scored six in the first, one in the second and five in the third.
The game was called after four inning due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Patterson outhit JPRD, 7-3.
Olivia Black earned the win. In four innings, she surrendered three hits, walked four and fanned one.
Offensively, Kamille Lightfoot led Patterson with a 2-for-2 performance with two RBIs, a stolen base and a run scored. Other top Patterson offensive contributors included Hillary Pillaro, 1-for-2, a double, two RBIs and two runs scored; Skiles, 2-for-2 with a run scored; Emily Lipari, 1-for-2, an RBI and two runs scored; Laila Dugar, 1-for-1, a run scored; Mikah Ortiz, an RBI and two runs scored; Black, an RBI and a run scored; and Abbie Scully and Amaya Williams, each an RBI.
In game 1, Patterson fell behind as much as 6-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning.
However, the local squad plated five runs in the frame to tie the game.
Each team scored a run in the fourth inning, and while JPRD East plated a run in the top of the fifth, Patterson scored four runs in the bottom of the frame for an 11-8 lead. JPRD scored a run in the top of the sixth but could get no closer to force a winner-take-all contest.
Patterson outhit JPRD, 13-10.
Pillaro led Patterson with a 2-for-3 performance with a double and two RBIs. Other top Patterson offensive contributors included Ortiz, 2-for-4, an RBI and a run; Lipari, 2-for-4, an RBI; Maggie Lemoine, 2-for-3, a double and two runs; Skiles, 1-for-1, a triple, two RBIs and two runs; Lightfoot, 1-for-2, a double, two RBIs and two runs; Dugar, 1-for-3, an RBI and a run; Scully, 1-for-3, an RBI; and Black, 1-for-2, a run.
Dugar and Olivia Black each pitched for Patterson.
In Patterson’s win against JPRD West, Patterson fell behind 2-0 after an inning before plating eight runs in the second and four more in the fourth.
Patterson outhit JPRD West, 11-3.
Black earned the win. In four innings, she surrendered two runs (one earned) on three hits with one walk and fanned four.
Offensively, Pillaro led Patterson with a 3-for-3 performance with an RBI and a run scored. Other top Patterson offensive contributors included Amaya Williams, 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored; Lemoine, 1-for-1, with a double, an RBI and two runs scored; Scully, 1-for-3, with a double and two RBIs; Ana Vaccarella, 1-for-2, with an RBI and a run scored; Lipari, 1-for-4, with an RBI and a run scored; Black, 1-for-2, with an RBI; Lightfoot, 1-for-3 with a run scored; and Bryleigh DeHart, an RBI and a run scored; and Ortiz, an RBI and a run.