Little League World Series has area connection

The annual Little League Baseball World Series has a local connection this year as a member of the Southwest Region squad has family in Morgan City.
River Ridge-based Eastbank Little League’s Egan Prather is the grandson of Donald Loupe and Karen Loupe of Morgan City. He is the son of Eric and Christina Loupe Prather.
The 12-year-old Prather plays both catcher, and he pitches for the Southwest Region champs.
After the Southwest lost its opener to the West (Central East Maui Little League of Hawaii) Friday 5-2, the squad bounced back in an elimination game Saturday with a 3-2 victory against the Northwest (Sprague Little League of Salem, Oregon). The Southwest will continue elimination play Monday when it meets the Midwest (Coon Rapids Andover American Little League of Coon Rapids, Minnesota) at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
In Friday’s opener, the Southwest lost to the West 5-2.
While the Southwest took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the West scored four runs in the bottom of the frame for a 4-1 lead. Each team scored a run in the fifth.
The Southwest outhit the West 9-8.
Derek DeLatte led the Southwest with a 2-for-3 performance, while Reece Roussel was 2-for-4. Other top Southwest contributors were Conner Perrot, 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI, and Gavin Berry, 1-for-3, a double and an RBI.
Marshall Louque suffered the loss. In 1.2 innings, he surrendered four runs — all unearned — on four hits with one walk, one hit batter and four strikeouts.
Prather was one of two Southwest pitchers to throw in relief as he surrendered one run (one earned) on three hits with one strikeout in 0.2 innings of work.
Jaren Pascual earned the win for the West. In six innings, he surrendered two runs (none earned) on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Kaleb Mathias and Duke Aloy led the West squad. Mathias finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Aloy was 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Logan Kuloloia added a 2-for-2 performance with an RBI and two runs.
In Saturday’s elimination game against the Northwest, all of the contest’s scoring came in the third inning. The Southwest scored three runs in the top of the third, while the Northwest scored two in the bottom of the third.
The Southwest outhit the Northwest 7-4.
Roussel led the Southwest with a 2-for-3 performance with two RBIs
Prather had a stolen base and scored a run.
Prather started the game and received a no-decision. In 2.1 innings, he surrendered one run — one earned — on one hit with three walks and two strikeouts.
Perrot earned the win in relief. In 3.2 innings, he surrendered one run — one earned — on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
Andrew Mhoon led the Northwest with a 2-for-2 performance with a double, an RBI, a stolen base and a run, while Brady Strenke had an RBI.
Avery Lohrman suffered the loss. In 2.1 innings, he surrendered three runs — three earned — on three hits with one walk, one hit batter and one strikeout.