Two times Jackson Parish played Sterlington in the Little League District 5 tournament held at the Jackson Parish Recreation Department Sports Complex this weekend. Both times, Sterlington scored 8 runs. In the district tourney opener for both teams on Friday night, it was good for an 8-0 victory over the locals. The second time, eight was not enough as Jackson Parish stormed to a 14-8 victory that propelled JP12U into the championship game, where they will have to beat undefeated Bossier twice on Sunday, June 22nd, to claim the district title. The contest is scheduled for 2:30 pm on field 4. If JP12U wins that one, a winner-takes-all game will immediately follow. 

Sterlington 8 Jackson Parish 0 (Game One) – The bats stayed silent for all six innings as a pair of Sterlington pitchers combined to strike out 12 and limit JP12U to only a Kate Keiffer double. 

Jackson Parish 11 Bossier 1 (Game Two) In Jackson Parish’s second game of the tourney once again a team had only one hit. This time it was JP12U’s opponent, Bossier, who fell victim to the effort of Hannah Aldy and Jessie Walker who combined to strike out seven over five innings. Jackson Parish also saw their bats come alive with 12 hits that included five for extra bases led by a double and triple by Kate Keiffer, who went 3/3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Jessie Walker (3B, 2 runs), Aldy (2 runs) and Emma Gray (2 RBI, 2 runs) added two hits apiece while Lizzie Sullivan (3B, RBI, run), Amelia Staggs (2B, RBI) and Elliot Savage (2 runs) all got a hit each. Charlee Mauthe and Ryleigh McCormick chipped in with an RBI as well. 

Jackson Parish 14 Sterlington 8 (Game Three) – Seven runs in the top of the third inning broke open a 2-1 game and propelled JP12U to the revenge victory that saw Jackson Parish garner only 4 hits, all for extra bases, but took advantage of 12 free passes and five Sterlington errors. 

Kate Keiffer, who had a tournament high 5 RBI, staked JP12U to an early 2-0 lead when her inside-the-park home run in the top of the first inning scored Hannah Aldy, who had reached on an error. After Sterlington cut the lead in half in their first at bat, Jackson Parish broke it open thanks to walks to Ryleigh McCormick, Brylee Ingles, Lizzie Sullivan, Amelia Staggs, and Brooklyn Keiffer, Aldy getting hit by a pitch, and Elliot Savage reaching on an error. Adding to the onslaught were big blows by Kate Keiffer, whose triple scored three and a double by Charleigh Newton. 

Just when it looked like JP12U was in the clear, Sterlington scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth to narrow the gap to 9-7, but Jackson Parish responded by scoring two in the fifth and three more in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. Lizzie Sullivan and Aldy scored to make it 11-7 when Amelia Staggs hit a grounder to third that was misplayed, then Jackson Parish scored three more in the sixth when Elliot Savage hit a three-run inside-the-park home run that scored Brooklyn Keiffer and Emma Gray.