Proving they were more than ready for their one of the biggest game to date of their young careers, the Jackson Parish 12U All Stars made quick work of Grant Parish to become the sixth local team to qualify for their respective state tournament. The local contingent ended up as runner-up in the District 5 Tournament played at the Jackson Parish Recreation Department Complex after Buckeye came through the losers bracket to defeat JP12U twice. Regardless, the goal of making state was met and mission accomplished. 

JP12U 16 Grant Parish 1: The finals of the winners bracket game that qualified the winner for state was basically over before anyone got settled in the stands. JP12U opened with seven runs and followed that up with six more in the second inning before closing the contest out with three more to take the 16-1 victory that was called after  three innings per the “Mercy Rule” 

Four of the first five Grant batters reached base via three walks and a single to put the visitors up by a run. From then on it was all Jackson Parish who recorded the highlights led by a nifty defensive play by Dawson Griffin that got things turned around. With the bases full of Grant runners the second baseman fielded a grounder, stepped on the bag and fired to first completing a double play to end the inning.  

The momentum carried over as Jackson Parish sent 11 batters to the plate and scored 7 runs before the first inning was over. Bryce Tolar hit the first pitch he saw for a single, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a grounder by Tucker Goss, who went to second on the throwing error in attempt to get him out. Hayden Seymore followed with a single to left field to give JP12U a 2-1 lead and with heads up base running advanced to second when Grant misplayed the throw in from the outfield.

Jackson Parish then broke out the “big sticks” as Griffin roped a triple and Kolt Keiffer hit a double, followed by a pair of singles by Ryan Mauthe and Leyton Younse to up the lead to 5-1. A walk to Asher Rhodes and a single by Mason Thomas plated another run setting up Rhodes scoring on a wild pitch for the final run of the inning. 

Another pair of standout defensive plays by the locals thwarted Grant again in the second inning. After the lead off batter reached on a single, Mauthe, who came on to pitch in relief in the top of the first, fielded a grounder, wheeled and fired to Griffin at second, who in turn relayed to Seymore at first for the second double play in two innings. The final out was recorded when the Grant base runner who had walked to get on and stole his way to third, tried it one more time but got thrown out at the plate when Asher Rhodes retrieved a wild pitch and flipped it to Mauthe, who raced in to cover the plate and tagged the runner out. 

JP12U blew the game open in the bottom of the second when Tolar hit his second single of the contest and stole second. Goss followed by coaxing a walk and then both scored after a double steal and another throwing error by Grant. The onslaught continued when Seymore walked and then scored on Griffin’s second triple of the game to give JP12U a commanding 10-1 lead. Another walk, this time drawn by Keiffer preceded a Mauthe single to score another run leading to a fly out by Younse that scored Keiffer on the fourth throwing error of the game by Grant. Asher Rhodes then singled as Jackson Parish took a 13-1 advantage into the third inning. 

Grant went quietly in their half of the frame with Mauthe striking out two of the three batters faced leading to Jackson Parish ending the contest in their half of the inning. Aiden Rhodes and Asher Burns drew walks to open the frame followed by a fielders choice grounder by Jaxon Cheatwood that forced Burns out at second. Tolar collected his third hit in three at bats with a double to score Rhodes and advance Cheatwood to third before both scored to give JP12U the fifteen run advantage prompting the umpire to call the game. 

TEAM	1	2	3	R	H	E
Grant	1	0	0	1	2	5
JP12U	7	6	3	16	12	0

Buckeye 10 Jackson Parish 0: In the rematch of the earlier 7-6 win by Jackson Parish where the locals scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to steal the victory the visitors got their revenge to force a winner take all contest for the district title.  The contest was close until the bottom of the fifth inning when Buckeye who was holding a slim 3-0 lead erupted for seven to end the game via the “ten run” rule. 

Jackson Parish made several threats to score during the contest but stranded nine base runners in the contest, including leaving the bases loaded in the final frame. Bryce Tolar, Dawson Griffin, Leyton Younse and Jaxon Cheatwood managed singles off of four Buckeye pitchers who combined for the shut out. JP12U had five stolen bases as well with Griffin taking two, and Tucker Goss, Asher Burns and Younse stealing one each. 

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	R	H	E
Jackson Parish	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2
Buckeye	1	1	0	1	7	10	8	1

Buckeye 9 Jackson Parish 8: The final contest between the two state qualifiers was very similar to the first time the pair squared off. Only this time the ending wasn’t the same. Just like in game one, Jackson Parish orchestrated a pair of spirited rally’s to overcome a large deficit late but instead of scoring enough to win it as before, this time it only led a tie score heading into the final frame. As fate would have it, Buckeye would score a run in the top of the sixth and then hold JP12U scoreless to win their third straight game played on Tuesday night and claim the district championship.

Early Fireworks!  The “rubber game” of the three game set between the two squads started with a bang. Buckeye picked right up where they left off in the game prior by putting up five runs in the top of the first. Undaunted, JP12U shook off the doldrums of being shut out in the first of the finals matchup to put up four runs and narrow the lead to just one run. 

Bryce Tolar started the rally with a single followed by a walk to Tucker Goss. Hayden Seymore singled to left field to score both, took second on the throw in to the infield and would score himself after advancing to third on a wild pitch and stealing home. Three straight walks to Kolt Keiffer, Ryan Mauthe and Leyton Younse loaded the bases but after Keiffer scored on a wild pitch, Buckeye got out of the inning leaving two runners on base. 

The Buckeye lead was 8-4 when JP12U dug deep to claw back and draw to within one run again in the bottom of the fourth inning. Once again it was superior patience at the plate that led to the uprising as Keiffer reached on an error and Younse, Asher Rhodes and Mason Thomas all coaxed walks, the latter two being on a 3-2 count. A clutch, two out single by Asher Burns closed the gap to 8-7 but once again Buckeye escaped with the tying run in scoring position.

JP12U made it all the way back the next inning through the effort of Seymore, who got hit by a pitch to reach first, stole second and third base and then scampered home on a wild pitch, all with two outs.  

It looked like Jackson Parish would get through the top of the sixth inning unscathed but with two outs, Buckeye capitalized on a hit batter and a walk with a single to score the eventual winning run. 

Even with managing just seven hits over the final two games against Buckeye pitching including three in the final contest, as a team, Jackson Parish batted .346 over the five games played. Tolar led the way with a sterling .667 average followed closely by Griffin who hit .587 for the tourney. Mauthe also turned in a splendid offensive effort ending with a .500 average. 

In the “extra base”  category both Griffin and Mauthe smashed a pair of triples with Seymore also hitting a three-bagger. Tolar, Griffin, Seymore and Kolt Keiffer all hit a double as well. Seymore led the team with 6 RBI, just one ahead of Mauthe who finished with five. Tolar, Griffin and Leyton Younse all drove in three runs each. Tolar crossed home plate a whopping 8 times to lead in runs scored with Seymore, Goss and Keiffer scoring five times apiece. Griffin finished with four runs and both Jaxon Cheatwood and Asher Rhodes chipped in with three tallies each. 

Perhaps the biggest strength was the teams adeptness on the base paths. All twelve on the roster had at least one stolen base to combine for 39 thefts over the five games, compiling an average of nearly 8 per game. Tolar led the charge with six, Seymore and Asher Rhodes had five and Griffin, Mauthe, Younse, Cheatwood, Keiffer and Goss all swiped three bases. Thomas and Burns had two each and Aiden Rhodes stole one to round out the impressive team base running performance. 

By virtue of their runner-up finish, JP12U will next play July 13-18 at the State Tournament being held at Osterland Park in Monroe.

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H	E
Buckeye	5	0	1	2	0	1	9	9	2
Jackson Parish	4	0	0	3	1	0	8	3	0

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