The Bogalusa Bandits 10-under All-Star Team captured the United States Specialty Sports Association Louisiana State Tournament this weekend at the Slidell Bantam Baseball Association Fields.
The eight-team tournament began with pool play Saturday to determine seeding for Sunday’s single elimination round.
Teams played 90-minute games. There were ties on Saturday, but if there was a tie in Sunday’s games, the squads played extra innings under international tiebreaking rules where the inning begins with a runner on second and nobody out.
The Bandits went 1-0-1 in pool play.
They defeated Ascension Parish, 3-2, in the opener of pool play. Bogalusa’s second game was a 12-12 tie with Franklinton.
Bogalusa was victorious in all three games Sunday.
The first one was a 9-1 win over the Zachary All Stars.
Jaylon Keys pitched a complete game.
The next game was a 5-0 win over Franklinton. Trevor Bennett tossed a complete game in the victory.
The win put the Bandits into the championship game. Bogalusa faced the Carrollton Reds out of New Orleans and won, 9-7, in extra innings.
Caden Carney and Bennett drove in the runs during extra innings.
Tre Hughes pitched the final inning to secure the victory.
Ein Knight started the title game and went four innings before reaching his innings limit of eight for the weekend.
“This was a true team win throughout the tournament,” Bandits coach Britt Ikerd said. “Each kid had a part in each win. We couldn’t be prouder of these kids for bringing Bogalusa a state title.”
Bogalusa is 8-0-1 this season.
Franklinton finished 2-1-1 for the tournament.
The team began with a 6-4 win over LPR Rampage. The second contest was the 12-12 tie with Bogalusa.
In bracket play, Franklinton defeated LPR, 15-2, in the opener.
The second game was the 5-0 setback to Bogalusa.
Both Bogalusa and Franklinton qualified for the USSSA World Series that takes place June 27-30, in Gulfport, Miss.