LaPlace advances to state

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 19, 2000

MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / July 19, 2000

LAPLACE – The LaPlace Little League 11-12-year-old All-Stars will get a view of mid-Louisiana this week.

The All-Stars are bound for Bunkie for the state tournament after defeating Bogalusa, 12-2, in the District 2 tournament last week at NOAH.

The game was called after five innings due to the 10-run rule.

LaPlace will open the state tournament Friday at 7 p.m. against the secondplace team from Alexandria-based District 3. The winner of that gamewill play the winner of the District 1 champion-District 4 runner-up Monday at 5:30 p.m. The losers of those games play Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Thedouble-elimination, eight-team tournament will conclude July 29.

In the District 2 championship game against Bogalusa Friday, LaPlace scored five runs in the first inning, four more in the second and took a 9-1 lead into the fifth inning. In the bottom of the fifth, LaPlace loaded thebases on three walks and Blake Gillies drove in Kyle Olasin with the game- ending run with a squeeze.

LaPlace opened the tournament with an 8-2 victory over Marksville. TheAll-Stars then defeated Bogalusa, 11-1, before coming back to defeat Mid Parish, 12-1, to advance to the championship game.

The team was led by the hitting of Matt Heltz, Mike Turcuit and Olasin and the pitching of Heltz, Brandon Whitehead and Casey Robottom. Heltz andTurcuit each had home runs in the tournament.

“It was a general all-around team effort,” coach Herb Stell said.

Team members are Casey Robottom, Kyle Olasin, Matt heltz, Kendall Diggs, Benny gomez, Chase Berthelot, Mike Turcuit, Derek Waguespack, Blake Gillies, Brandon Whitehead, Steven Haniford and David Curtis. The manageris Mark Haniford. Coaches are Herb Stell and Chris Heltz.

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