THE RALLY BOYS: Patterson wins 2 straight to clinch South Regional title

The Patterson 10-year-old All-Stars knocked off undefeated Ville Platte twice Tuesday to win the Louisiana Dixie Youth South AAA Regional in Ruston.
After defeating Ville Platte, 5-0, in the first game, Patterson rallied in the fourth with three runs for an eventual 3-2 victory against Ville Platte in the tournament’s winner-take-all game. Patterson 10s coach Willis Dore’ said he thought his team had an advantage with Drew Dinger pitching Tuesday and a confident Ville Platte team that may take them lightly after handing Patterson its worst defeat of the postseason Sunday, 18-4.
“We thought if we could steal the first one, we could take the momentum from them,” Dore’ said.
Dinger and his teammates did their jobs in both games, and Patterson is moving on.
“It takes all 12, and everybody did their job and everybody wanted it,” Dore’ said.
Patterson will continue postseason play this weekend in a best-of-three series against North Regional winner Girard for the state championship in Alexandria. Games one will be played Friday at 5:30 p.m., with game two set for Saturday at 10 a.m. If needed, a third game also will be played Saturday at 5 p.m. The winner of the state championship series will advance to the Dixie Youth AAA World Series, which will be held in Oxford, Alabama, Aug. 5-10.
Girard advanced to the state championship series after defeating West Carroll, 13-0, in the North Regional final Tuesday.
In Patterson’s game one win, the local squad’s pitching duo of Dinger and VJ Byrd held Ville Platte to just three hits, struck out 10 and walked just two. Dinger, who earned the win, pitched the first five innings and surrendered three hits, one walk, hit one batter and fanned 10. Byrd pitched an inning and walked one.
Offensively, Patterson scored two runs each in the first and fourth innings and another in the sixth.
Patterson outhit Ville Platte, 9-3.
Dinger led Patterson with a 3-for-3 performance with a double, a home run, two RBIs and a run scored.
Other top Patterson offensive contributors included Byrd, 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs; Braden Mouton and Dillon Richard, each 2-for-3 with two runs scored; Landon Bernadou, 1-for-2; and Brylon Jennings, an RBI.
In game two, Ville Platte scored single runs in the second and fourth innings for a 2-0 lead.
Patterson rallied in the bottom of the fourth with three runs, and neither team scored the remainder of the way.
Hits were even at nine apiece among the teams.
Byrd led Patterson with a 2-for-3 performance with a double and two RBIs. Other top Patterson offensive contributors included Jennings, 2-for-3 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored; Dinger, 2-for-3, a double and a run scored; Richard, 2-for-3, a run scored; and Bernadou, 1-for-2.
Mouton earned the win in relief. In 3.1 innings, he surrendered one run (one earned) on four hits with three walks and fanned seven. Byrd started the game, and in 2.2 innings, he surrendered one run (one earned) on five hits with two walks and fanned five.