MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / July 11, 2000

LAPLACE – Brandon Whitehead and Casey Robottom combined on a four- hitter to lead LaPLace Little League past Marksville, 8-2, in the opening round of the 11-12-year-old district tournament Saturday evening.

LaPlace advanced to play Bogalusa, which defeated Pilney Saturday, in the second round Sunday. Marksville went on to play Pilney in the losers’bracket.

Whitehead started the game and pitched into the fifth inning, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five. Robottom relievedhim in the fifth, pitching two innings of shutout ball while striking out two.

LaPlace jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Robottom led off witha walk against Marksville starter Neal Bordelon and went to third on an errant pickoff throw by catcher Norvell James. One out later, Matt Heltzlined a home run to left-center, making it 2-0.

LaPlace added two more in the top of the second. Mike Turcuit and DerekWaguespack reached on errors by shortstop Drew Colley to open the inning and advanced on a wild pitch. Two outs later, Robottom lined a single tocenter, plating both runners for a 4-0 lead.

Heltz led off the third with a single to right and was forced out an out later by Benny Gomez. Turcuit kept the inning alive by beating out agrounder to third. After the runners moved up on a double steal, Gomezcame home on a wild pitch to make it 5-0. Bordelon walked DerekWaguespack to put runners on the corners but got Whitehead to pop up to second to end the inning.

Marksville threatened in the bottom of the inning as Norvell tripled to right with two outs. But Kendall Diggs kept the shutout alive by making adiving grab of Trey Maddox’s sinking liner to short.

LaPlace put three more on the scoreboard in the fourth. David Curtis ledoff with a double to right-center. After Robottom followed with a walk,Curtis was forced at third on a bunt by Kyle Olasin. Both runners thenmoved up on a wild pitch and scored as Heltz’s grounder was bobbled at first. Diggs forced Heltz at second but was safe at first on a throwingerror. Diggs would come around to score on Gomez’s single to left, givingLaPlace an 8-0 lead.

Colley doubled to left with one out in the bottom half of the inning but was left stranded as Whitehead struck out the next two batters.

Lee Caubbeaux opened the bottom of the fifth with a double down the third baseline. Corey Bordelon then sacrificed Caubbeaux over and reached asRobottom dropped the throw covering first. Sean Lemoine then ripped asingle to left-center, scoring both runners to cut the deficit to 8-2.

Robottom came in to pitch and got Norvell to ground into a force out to short. He then struck out Maddox and got Bordelon to ground out to short toend the inning.

Robottom got Colley to ground out to short to start the seventh. ScottHughes was hit by a pitch but was caught stealing for the second out.

Robottom then struck out Jake Wilson to end the game.

In other first round action, Baker defeated Avoyelles National and Mid Parish got by Avoyelles American Friday night. Avoyelles American thendefeated Avoyelles National in the losers’ bracket Saturday.

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