Oviedo rallies to end Patterson’s dream season

Part of the Patterson 10U All-Star chant proclaims that the team comes ready to play.
Those words were never more accurate than Wednesday as the squad won three straight games, beginning with a 7 a.m. CDT contest, before surrendering a late lead and falling in the semifinals to Oviedo, Florida, 3-2, in the semifinals.
With the loss, Patterson finished third in Babe Ruth’s 10U Division. Fern Creek won the 10U Babe Ruth Title as it completed a perfect run through the tournament with an 8-2 victory against Oviedo in Wednesday’s championship game.
“I knew we had a good team coming into the World Series,” Patterson assistant coach Jeff Lipari said. “Had never been here. (We) wanted to see what we could do, and actually, I think our little team was better than I thought we were coming out. We had some kids step up that hadn’t done a few things in the past for state and regionals, and they stepped up and did an excellent job, and it takes a team to make it to where we’re at.”
For Patterson, Wednesday started with a 2-1 win against Pennsylvania-based Audubon All-Stars and later in the morning with a 2-1win against the Rochester Slammers Red. On Wednesday afternoon, Patterson avenged its opening-round loss in bracket play with a 4-0 victory against defending 10U World Series champs, Pitt County, North Carolina, before the team’s run came to an end in the semifinals. (See more on Wednesday’s other games in the story below).
“We came to the World Series for the experience, not thinking we would be as successful (as they were),” Patterson head coach Harris DeHart said. “We knew we could compete with a lot of teams but to come take third in the World Series, we’re very proud of them. Very pleased with them.”
Because the World Series had been hampered by inclement weather, Wednesday’s games were shortened to an hour each. Patterson’s semifinal contest lasted three innings.
Against Oviedo, Patterson took leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before Oviedo rallied for two runs in its final at bat for the victory.
With one out in the bottom of the third, Patterson pitcher Laila Dugar hit Ava Thornsbury with a pitch.
The next batter, Ava Gelm doubled to right fight that scored Thornsbury’s courtesy runner, Karson Cuozzo, to tie the game at two.
Then Jadyn Tummins reached on a bunt single and Gelm’s courtesy runner advanced to third on the play.
Reagan DeBerry followed with a bunt, and the runner at third was safe at home after Lipari couldn’t hold onto the ball after a throw by Dugar. However, Lipari alertly threw to third base where Lightfoot tagged out a runner trying to steal third base.

Patterson won 3 straight games to advance to semis

By GEOFF STOUTE
gstoute@daily-review.com
PALM CITY, Fla. – The Patterson All-Star team won three elimination games at the Babe Ruth 10U Softball World Series Wednesday to advance to the semifinals.
Patterson defeated Pennsylvania-based Audubon All-Stars, 6-5, and New Hampshire-based Rochester Slammers Red, 2-1, Wednesday morning, while Wednesday afternoon, the squad eliminated defending 10U world series champion, Pitt County, North Carolina, 4-0.
Because the tournament was behind schedule due to inclement weather, games were limited to an hour apiece.
Below are recaps of each game:
Patterson 4,
Pitt County 0
Patterson scored one run in the first and three in the third to knock off Pitt County, North Carolina, 4-0, in four innings.
Patterson’s first-inning run came via an Amaya Williams double down the right field line that scored Emily Lipari. Lipari had reached base after being hit by a pitch.
The local squad put the game away in the fourth with three runs.
The inning’s bit hit was Lipari’s double over the right fielder’s head that scored Kyla Samuels and Bryleigh DeHart. Samuels and DeHart had reached base via a walk.
Patterson added another run two batters later when Lipari scored on Kamille Lightfoot’s groundout to second base.
Hits were even at three apiece.
Williams finished 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Lipari was 1-for-1 with a double. two RBIs and two runs.
On the mound, Dugar pitched four innings and surrendered three hits, two walks and fanned one.
Brianna Bowers suffered the loss. In 3.1 innings, she surrendered four runs – three earned – on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Offensively, Shea Jenkins led Pitt County with a 1-for-2 performance with a double. Other top offensive contributors included Katelyn Corbett, 1-for-1, and Bowers, 1-for-2.
Patterson made several nice defensive plays in the contest, including a double play in the top of the second with a runner on third base and another also on base. Williams had a running catch in the top of the third, while Lightfoot leaped to rob a Pitt County player of a single into left field.
Patterson 2,
Rochester 1
Dugar tosses a no-hitter and drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the third as Patterson defeated Rochester, 2-1, in three innings.
Dugar pitched a complete game and surrendered one unearned run on no hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Offensively, with a runner on second base and two outs, Dugar singled to centerfield bringing home Williams. Williams had reached base earlier in the inning via an infield single.
Patterson plated the game’s first run in the bottom of the first inning as Lightfoot laud down a bunt for a hit, and Lipari came home from third for a 1-0 Patterson lead.
Rochester tied the game at 1 in the top of the second when Kylie Young scored on a pitch by Dugar that got past Lipari, Patterson’s catcher. Young had reached base via a walk.
Hailey Strong suffered the loss for Rochester. In 2.2 innings, she surrendered two earned runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Offensive leaders for Patterson were Williams, 2-for-2 with a run; Lightfoot and Dugar, each 1-for-2 with an RBI; and Lipari, 1-for-2 with a run.
Patterson 6, Audubon 5
The Patterson 10U All-Stars rallied to defeat Pennsylvania-based Audubon All-Stars, 6-5, Wednesday morning.
Trailing 5-3 heading into the bottom of the second inning, Patterson loaded the bases with no outs via three straight walks. A run scored on a pop up in the infield by DeHart. While the ball landed on the ground, DeHart was out via the infield fly rule.
However, Madison Gray, who led off the inning with a walk, scored on the play.
Patterson tied the score one batter later when Lipari’s fly out to left field was dropped by the leftfielder, and Samuels, who had earlier walked, came home to score.
Patterson scored the winning run one batter later when Charlotte Callais, who had reached on a walk, scored when a pitch got past Audubon’s catcher.
Audubon scored a run in the top of the first, while Patterson countered with three in the bottom of the frame, including a triple by Callais that she scored on.
In the top of the second, Audubon scored a run on a double steal attempt, while it added another on a double by Avery Schwartz to tie the game at 3.
Audubon plated two more runs via a sacrifice fly and a single by Courtney Freese.
Audubon outhit Patterson 6-4.
Schwartz led Audubon with a 2-for-2 performance with an RBI and two runs, while Abigail Arnold was 2-for-2 with a run.
Courtney Freese suffered the loss for Audubon in relief. In one inning, she surrendered three runs (two earned) on one hit with three walks and one strikeout.
Lipari earned the win for Patterson. In three innings, she surrendered five earned runs on six hits with five walks and four strikeouts.
Offensively, Callais led the squad with a 1-for-1 performance with a triple, an RBI and two runs. Lipari finished 1-for-2 with an RBI, while Williams and DeHart each were 1-for-2 with a run. Lightfoot added an RBI.

Soon after, time ran out, and because Oviedo was the home team and in the lead, the contest ended.
Patterson took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With one out and the bases loaded via a Bryleigh DeHart single and consecutive walks, Oviedo made a pitching change.
The new pitcher fanned Kamille Lightfoot before Dugar singled to centerfield bring home DeHart.
In the bottom of the first, Oviedo tied the game on a ground out by No. 14.
However, in the inning, Patterson threw out runners trying to take home twice as Lipari applied the tags and Patterson escaped with the score tied at 1 after an inning.
In the bottom of the second, Patterson got out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam when Lightfoot fielded the ball at shortstop and threw a dart to Lipari at home, who applied the tag for the out.
Patterson retook the lead in the top of the third when Lipari scored on an overthrow of first base.
Dugar led Patterson with a 1-for-2 performance with an RBI. Other top offensive contributors included Lipari, 1-for-1 with a run; Amaya Williams, 1-for-1; and DeHart, 1-for-2 with a run.
Dugar pitched 2.1 innings and surrendered three earned runs on five hits with two walks and one strikeout. She hit three batters.
Rachel Matthiesen earned the win in relief for Oviedo. In 2.2 innings, she surrendered one earned run on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
Madison Slavik started the game and in 0.1 innings, she surrendered one earned run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout.
Offensively, Gelm led Oviedo with a 2-for-2 performance with a double and an RBI. Other top offensive contributors included Slavik, 1-for-1 with a run; Riley Fennell, 1-for-1; Madison Molina and DeBerry, each an RBI; and Cuozzo and Kendell Jensen, each a run.
Patterson concluded World Series play with a combined 5-2 mark in pool and bracket games.
While it fell short of a national title, with an obviously talented squad, this may not be Patterson’s last trip to the Babe Ruth World Series.
“We’re already planning the next couple years,” DeHart said. “We’re looking forward to it. We’ll be back.”