Gonzales Dixie Youth All-Stars going to World Series

The Gonzales Nationals won the Dixie Youth Machine Pitch state championship in Rayville in a tournament played July 6-9. The squad includes players from all seven Gonzales national league teams voted on by their coaches at the end of the season.

The 8-and-under National All-Stars road to victory was not an easy one as they went through three tournaments to get there. They took on the teams in the USSSA Coaches Pitch tournament as their first pit stop in getting ready for the Dixie state tournament.

The All-Stars from Gonzales then took on the squads in the USSSA All-Star division. The team played their best and went undefeated, taking it all in the state tournament played in Livingston from June 10-11. That performance gave the youngsters the USSSA state championship.

Gonzales Nationals All-Star team took on another batch of teams when they competed in the USSSA AA Red Stick Rumble NIT. Those boys went on a tear and again went undefeated, bringing home that title by defeating the Carrollton Red AA team.

Those exploits led the team to the tournament in Rayville. The All-Stars started off the competition by winning all three pool play games that consisted of 24 teams and made their way to the eight-team championship bracket.

The competition for championship bracket play began July 8 when the Gonzales Nationals took on the team from Ruston, winning 12-7. The team suffered their only defeat of the tournament, falling to East Ouachita 14-4. They rebounded in the next game by scoring a close win over Rayville 5-4.

Championship Sunday saw the Gonzales Nationals coming back to life as they would battle their way out of the losers bracket. The boys started the day by defeating the tournament favorite Benton 13-2. They put the nail in the coffin by taking on East Ouachita, beating them twice, 15-4 and 12-0, to win the title of Dixie Youth Machine Pitch state champions.

If you notice, most of their wins come with relatively low scores for the opponents. According to head coach Coye Templet, The way these 7- and 8-year-old kids respond and play defense is what has carried us through these tournaments weve played so far. Their play is top notch.

I thought we might be top five in the state tournament, but what these young boys have accomplished is remarkable, he said. If they play like they did in state, our chances will be real good at the World Series to do very well.

This win will have the All-Star team traveling to Cleveland, Mississippi, July 28 to Aug. 1 to compete in the Dixie World Series, where they will represent Louisiana against 12 other Southern states for the championship. Congratulations go out to head coach Templet and assistants Brad Elisar, Styles Clouatre, Dean Mire and Ryan Desormeaux.

Tough weather conditions have played a role in the baseball played in regional and state tournaments, but the Gauthier & Amedee Wombats ran into a tornado on Sunday in the form of Townsend Homes. Peyton Broussard held the Ascension Parish team scoreless and handed them their first loss in the state tournament.

In what might be called a very big upset, Townsend won the contest 4-0 as Broussard (2-1) allowed the Wombats 10 base runners, but things didnt go G&As way and seven of them were left stranded. Townsend also benefited from a timely double play as center fielder Lloyd Nash threw out G&As Noah Fontenot in his attempt to score from third following a fly out in the top of the third to keep the Wombats from scoring.

The loss for the Wombats came after a close victory over the River Ridge Patriots on Saturday. Gauthier & Amedee capitalized on some aggressive base running. After seven scoreless innings of baseball, Fontenot drew a one-out walk. Cameron Crawford was called on to execute a sacrifice bunt and laid down a perfect bunt to third base good enough for a single. Fontenot then advanced to third by sprinting to the uncovered base on the bunt single to third.

River Ridge pitcher Will Ripoll faked a pickoff attempt toward Fontenot with runners at the corners. He did not complete the throw, which is a balk in Legion ball. Fontenot was directed home and Crawford headed to second. Zane Zeppuhar helped his own cause by hitting an infield single and Crawford then scored from second on more aggressive base running that accounted for the winning run.

Townsend and Gauthier & Amedee played 4 scoreless innings when Townsend went to work. Right fielder Riley Loupe was hit by a pitch with one out. The first of three Wombat errors in the inning allowed runners at first and second. A blooper single loaded the bases and a ground-out scored Loupe from third base.

Cade Pregeant and Nash both scored on Gauthier & Amedees second infield error of the inning, then Dellary Oubre scored on the third error of the inning, a throwing error involving his steal of third base.

The double elimination tournament gives the Wombats an opportunity to make their way back in the losers bracket. By press time, Gauthier & Amedee (23-5-1) will have played an elimination game against the Southland Hogs (20-7) scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Monday.

Tyson Buras, a wounded veteran from Reserve, was fishing in the Wounded War Heroes Tournament out of Grand Isle last weekend aboard Smokey Scanlans boat with a team from Ascension Parish.

The Grand Isle offshore fishing rodeo held out of Bridgeside Marina was a saltwater fishing rodeo for 20 Wounded War Heroes injured veterans, providing one of many outdoor activities to relax and socialize with other veteran brothers. Wounded War Heroes events are showing appreciation to men and women returning home from fighting for our country.

Their sole purpose is to show veterans that they have not been forgotten for their courageous service to our country. Wounded War Heroeshas more than 100 events each year allowing nearly 500 opportunities for wounded veterans to spend time in the outdoors with their brothers and sisters of the military.

The group was fishing some lumps south of Block 152 in 400 feet of water, targeting red snapper. Buras let out his line to the bottom baited with squid and felt the tap of a fish, setting the hook to begin the long reel up to the top, just like one of the many times he did before on this trip. But what he hauled on board was just a little more than eye-opening. A fish called a red cornet was dangling from his hook, and like most anglers and the other folks aboard, their jaws dropped a little at what they saw.

Although the waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico are suitable for the fish, it is a very rare catch here. Retired LSU fishery biologist Jerald Horst said, Ive only seen one red cornetfish caught in the Gulf in my entire career. They are very rare here.

Sam Caston, a wounded veteran who was a participant at one time and is now a board member of Wounded War Heroes, was on the boat when the fish was caught. Several of our most active folks live right here in the Ascension Parish area. We love to be a blessing to our returning heroes, he said.

Visit woundedwarheroes.org to find out about the organizations efforts to bring some outdoor fun to our wounded veterans.

Lyle Johnson, a writer and host of the Ascension Outdoors cable TV show, covers sports and the outdoors for The Ascension Advocate. He can be contacted at reelman@eatel.net or ascension@theadvocate.com.

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Ascension Athletics for July 20, 2017 - The Advocate