Patterson 12U Red All-Star Kamille Lightfoot pursues a ball in right field during Friday's contest against Jefferson Parish Recreation Department East's All-Star squad at the Babe Ruth State Softball Tournament at Kemper Williams Park near Patterson. Patterson finished the tournament as state runner-up. (The Daily Review/Geoff Stoute)
Patterson 12U Black All-Stars' Rylie Chiasson pitches during the team's contest against Jefferson Parish Recreation Department West Friday. (The Daily Review/Geoff Stoute)
Patterson 8U All-Star Sam Brinlee is congratulated by coach Michelle Taylor after scoring a run during Friday's contest against Iberville. (The Daily Review/Geoff Stoute)
Patterson 10U All-Star Laila Richoux goes through her wind-up while pitching against Iberville in action Friday at Kemper Williams Park near Patterson. (The Daily Review/Geoff Stoute)
Patterson 12U Red All-Stars finish as state runner-up
The Patterson Babe Ruth 12U All-Stars Red team finished the weekend as runner-up at the Babe Ruth Louisiana State Tournament at Kemper Williams Park near Patterson.
The state championship game was called after the fourth innings due to a downpour with Patterson trailing Jefferson Parish Recreation Department’s East squad, 7-3.
Babe Ruth state rules say that a game can be called after four innings. The format played was whatever came first out of two hours of playing time or six innings, Babe Ruth State Softball Commissioner Brien Laurent said. However, Laurent said the teams’ had just two innings left to play and an hour to complete them, so a time limit wouldn’t have been a factor.
Patterson was up 3-1 at one point but couldn’t hold on for the win.
Patterson forced a winner-take-all game after defeating previously undefeated JPRD East, 7-5, in an initial game Sunday to force a winner-take-all contest.
Because JPRD East had beaten Patterson once in the tournament Friday, Patterson had to climb back through the loser’s bracket and defeat the tournament’s lone undefeated squad twice to claim the title.
Despite losing in the finals, Patterson will continue postseason play at the Babe Ruth Southwest Regional in Houma, which will be held July 4-8, at Westside Sports Complex.
Patterson began tournament play Thursday afternoon with a 23-4 victory against St. Charles.
Friday, Patterson fell to JPRD East, 9-5.
The squad bounced back Saturday with three straight wins to avoid elimination. Patterson defeated Patterson Black, 12-0, JPRD’s West squad, 10-0, and Terrebonne’s AllStars, 8-7, to advance to face JPRD East Sunday.
In 10U action, Patterson finished 0-2, falling to Iberville in its first game and JPRD West in an elimination game.
Pierre Part won the 10U title via forfeit against St. Charles. The game was not played due to the downpour that struck the area Sunday afternoon, Laurent said.
In 8U action, Patterson finished 1-2 in state tournament action. Patterson fell to East Feliciana in its first game before defeating Iberville in an elimination game. Patterson was eliminated from the tournament after falling to Terrebonne.
Pierre Part defeated St. Charles Parish for the 8U title.
In 14U action, JPRD We s t d e f e a t e d Terrebonne Parish for the state title, while in 18U action, JPRD West topped St. Charles for the state title.