Patterson 10U All-Stars finish season as state runners-up

The Patterson 10-year-old All-Stars baseball team had a season to remember that ended Saturday with a state runner-up finish in the Louisiana Dixie Youth AAA championship series at Johnny Downs Sports Complex in Alexandria.

The Girard Vikings of Jefferson Parish defeated the Patterson 10-year-old All-Stars 2-0 in a best of three game series to win the state championship and advance to the Dixie Youth AAA World Series in Oxford, Alabama.

Girard 10-run ruled Patterson in both games winning the first game Friday, 15-1, in four innings and the second game Saturday, 14-2, in five innings.

"Coming into this thing I knew we had a scrappy, little team, but to get this far is a big accomplishment," Patterson head coach Willis Dore' said.

Patterson fought hard to win the South Regional in Ruston and advance to the state championship series, Dore' said.

"We're very proud to be runners-up in state," Dore' said.

Dore' told his players Saturday to hold their heads up high and that they lost to "a great team" that "made some awesome plays."

Patterson finished second out of 125 teams that competed in the state tournament.

The Patterson All-Stars had been a good hitting team all season, but had a tougher time at the plate this weekend, Dore' said.

Patterson, the Louisiana Dixie Youth South AAA Regional champion, knocked off undefeated Ville Platte twice Tuesday in Ruston to advance to the state championship series. Patterson had lost to Ville Platte, 18-4, earlier in the regional, but came back later in the regional to beat Ville Platte 5-0 and 3-2. Patterson also beat Ruston in the regional, 8-7, which is where the team's momentum started, Dore' said.

Girard, the north regional champion, advanced to the championship series after defeating West Carroll, 13-0.

Dore' has coached Dixie Youth baseball for 25 years, and this team got the farthest of any team he's ever coached.

Patterson, the visiting team for game one on Friday, got on the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning when Drew Dinger singled and then scored on an RBI double by Brylon Jennings.

But Girard added eight runs in the bottom of the inning, and then extended its lead to 12-1 in the second inning. Girard scored three more runs in the third inning, but didn't get to bat in the fourth inning because of the 10-run rule.

Dinger led the team at the plate Friday going 2-for-2 with a run scored. Patterson used four pitchers in the game. Other top batters were Jennings, who went 1-for-2 with a double, Braden Mouton, who went 1-for-2, and Zach Landry, who went 1-for-1.

On Saturday, Girard was the visiting team and scored eight runs in the top of the first inning. Patterson scored a run in the bottom of the first inning after Dylan Richard doubled, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dinger.

Patterson cut the Vikings' lead to 8-2 in the third inning when Richard, who singled and later scored on a wild pitch.

Richard came in to pitch for Patterson with two outs in the top of the first inning and didn't give up a run until the fifth inning when Girard rallied for six runs to extend their lead to 14-2 and win by 10-run rule again.

Patterson's leading hitters Saturday included Richard, who went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, Dinger, who was 2-for-2 with an RBI, Jennings, who went 1-for-2 with a walk, and Bernadou, who was 1-for-2.

Girard head coach Derek DeLatte was excited for his team to reach the Dixie Youth AAA World Series to be held Aug. 5-10. DeLatte, who's coached for 20 years, previously took two different teams to the Dixie Youth World Series, but this year will be his first time to reach the World Series with his son on the team.

When his son was born in 2007, DeLatte was at the Dixie Youth World Series coaching a 12-year-old and under team that included future LSU All-American outfielder Greg Deichmann, who's now playing in the Oakland Athletics' minor league system.