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PORTS
7
14 year olds place fourth in state
By DUANE E. HARRIS
Sports Editor
"We were ripped off, cheated. They
told. us that the Bossier City teams
WOuld be the only teams to finish but we
'ver thought they would beat us that
,," furiously expounded Tangi-All
coach Jody Ragan following his
team's mammoth disappointment in the
B finals held in Bossier City Saturday,
20 to Wednesday, July 24.
ut their performance will forever be
ted in the history books. Looking
ack, it was the first time in 15 years that
'chatoula sent a Dixie Boys baseball
m to a state terminal after winning
e district title. In 1970, a Tangi boys
tam played in the tournament only
eCause Ponchatoula sponsored the
acket.
RrsThe Tangi All-Star team consisted of
from Ponchatoula, Independence
1 Loranger. The list included Chris
llle, Darryll Allen, Brad Roberts.
Morgan Darren Reese, Allen
[alone, Steven Neel, Lance Vitter, Jay
dams, Shane Dufrene, Mark Addison
1 Truman Holland. Tangi won the
alct title finals held in Gonzales
Iday, July 19.
Not only were the coaches and
yers frustrated but the fans fumed
m anger and didn't exactly keep it a
'et.
"Those kids were the best team
nchatoula ever had. It didn't add up.
nzales was a hell of a lot better than
teams Tangi played in Bossier City
Sad we beat them in Gonzales. We
n't ever have a team like that again,"
eXPressed Bobby Vitter.
"It wasn't as though the kids were
really good but they knew how to work
together and the boys knew that to win
would take unequaled cooperation,"
commented Wayne Foster.
According to the coaches, the
cheating was so obvious: "The local
officials didn't try to hide the fact that
they were going to see that Ponchatoula
didn't make it," stated Tangi Coach
Jody Ragan.
Numerous inadequate calls, signalled
umpires, illegal methods and
procedures, a useless protest committee
and personal acts implied against Tangi
players all contributed to the loss,
according to coach Jody Ragan.
"The bad calls were terrible. I mean,
for example, once a Bossier City pitcher
hit one of our boys in the head on a
pitch and the umpire rules it a strike! On
countless occasions, the umpires who
didn't have the slightest idea as to what
they were doing, changed their calls
over and over after realizing who it
would affect the most!"
According to Coach Ragan, the
umpires also referred signals to
opposing batters.
"Those umpire signals were really
rotten. After | caught the lirst base
umpire giving signals as to the pitch to
the batter, I wanted to prove it. When
Darryl would go to pitch, the umpire
would signal whether it would be a
curve or what by standing straight or
squatting. In the first inning when the
umpires signalled the pitches, Bossier
City picked up seven hits. After we
changed our signals, Bossier could only
hit three for the rest of the game!"
recalled Ragan.
What did the spectators think of the
apparently illegal conduct? "Everybody
said that we were the best team they
had seen play in the whole tournament.
If it wasn't for those home town
umpires .... " said Bobby Vitter, who
drove the team to the Bossier City field.
If the officials didn't get to them, the
individuals took the matter into their
own hands, as explained by Coach
Ragan. "There were coaches and
umpires who told our boys that they
could come over and they would sell
them some liquor and give them a good
time," recalled Coach Ragan.
These and other matters brought
before the protest committee were
merely shrugged off, according to
Commissioner Melvin Allen.
"The protest committee never did
anything. They are supposed to, by rule
take all matters in consideration and
examine points carefully. But, what can
I say," said Coach Ragan.
How did the players take it? Poncha-
toula's 14 year olds just finally had
enough as explained by Wayne Foster.
"It all just got the best of them. They
knew that the officials weren't going to
let them win."
According to Foster, who exists as a
prime sports enthusiast in any Poncha-
toula sport and stands behind Coach
Ragan all the way, it wasn't the result of
bad coaching.
'I know Jody. He's a good coach and
there aren't many who know as much
about baseball as he does. He proved it
by taking Tangi to the state lina|s.
Unfortunately, up north they take
baseball a little more seriously than we
do, enough to cheat in order to win
because Ponchatoula had some good
players."
For the players, it was a valuable
encounter. Although you can bet that
they disagree totally.
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THE PONCHATOULA TIMES,
As described by Commissioner Allen,
"the players really took the game to
heart."
"We didn't and never gave up. l
wanted to win," stated Tangi All-Star
infield player Chris Paille, who led
Tangi in runs and in hits for the entire
tournament.
Tangi first uncovered the unbiased
caliber of the games when they lost to
Bossier City' American League All-
Stars 9-8 subsequent to the game's
postponement called due to rain in the
AUGUST I, 1985, PAGE THIRTEEN
sixth inning. Sunday, the game cranked
off at 6 p.m. and in overtime, Bossier
City won by a single run.
Tangi moved on to overthrow the
Morehouse All-Stars 12-11 Monday,
July 22. Tuesday, Tangi, to the delight
of many Ponchatoula fans, defamed
Morgan City's All-Stars 11-6. Into the
final bracket of the tournament, Tangi
had but one more opponent to defeat to
play for the state championship.
Tangi's State Tourney Leaders
Chris PaiUe led Tangi overall in
scoring and hits throughout the entire
tournament in Bossier City. Chris was
credited with scoring seven runs and
eight hits in which there were two
doubles. Chris Carter shadowed Paille
in scoring with six runs while Darren
Reese, Shane Dufrene. Steven Neel
and Darryl Allen attributed four each.
Shawn Hutson and Lance Vitter
followed with three each.
Overall in hits, Chris Paille led
superior with eight. Shawn Hutson
suplanted Paille in hits with seven, Chris
Carter with five, Shane Dufrene with
four, Truman Holland and Darren
Reese with three each.
Chris Paille, Shane Dufrene and
Chris Carter led in doubles with two
each while Shawn Hutson added one.
Steven Neel and Darryl Allen were
credited with scoring a home run each
while Darren Reese and Shawn Hutson
picked up a triple each.
Nature interrupts Tangi victory :Game one
Tangi came from a seven point
deficit in the fourth inninq and led by
one in the sixth inning before the game
was called for foul weather Saturday,
July 20. Tangi returned to the field
Sunday, July 21 and lost 9-8 to Bossier
City in overtime.
"We would have won it if it hadn't
been postponed," remarked Tangi
Coach Jody Ragan.
In three innings Ponchatoula had five
hits but had yet to score. In the same
three frames, Bossier City had scored
six runs on seven hits in which two were
home runs.
Finally Tangi made a drastic change.
Shawn Hutson and coach Jody Ragan
switched up their signals and as a result,
Chris Paille, Chris Carter, Truman
Holland, Darren Reese, Shane Dufrene,
Shawn Hutson and Darryl Allen scored
on five hits and two walks. For the first
time Tangi led 7-8.
"It was unusual the way they played.
We figured that Bossier sent out scouts
to Gonzales when we took the district
title. They just knew what we were
going to do," mentioned Coach Ragan.
"That's why mey wanted to ca tne
game!" pointed out Bobby Vitter, who
drove the players to Bossier City.
Tangi led 8-7 when opposing officials
moved to postpone the game due to
rain.
The game was postponed to Sunday,
July 22.
Darryl A,en was put out after stealing
two bases, Addison was put out at first
while Chris Carter and Holland were
declared out before reaching third.
Meanwhile, Bossier City veered up to
crack off a home run that tied the score.
Foctunatehj; ,ven Neei who had the
mound for Tangi, forced three consecu-
tive strike outs. But it was tied at eight.
Chris Paille scored Tangi's only run of
the seventh inning on a walk while
Darren Reese and Shane Dufrene were
both walked. Strike outs put Bossier
City back at bat.
In the tenth inning Holland was
walked but forced outs on Carter, Paille
and Addison put Bossier back at bat.
Bossier City scored their winning run
on a walk pitched by Darryl Allen. Tangi
lost the first game of the Bossier City
Nationals to Bossier City, 9-8.
Chris Paille led Tangi in scoring
with two runs as Carter, Holland,
Reese, Dufrene, Hutson'and Allen attri-
buted one each.
In hits, Shawn Hutson led with three
in which one was a double.
Truman Holland led the team in
stolen bases with five who was followed
by Darryl Allen with three. Carter, Paille
and Hutson each stole two.
Chris Paille led in walks with four.
Shane Dufrene followed with two as
Holland, Reese, Allen and Addison
added one walk each.
Shawn Hutson and Chris Carter were
: Game two
, Tangi Stars sink
Morgan Citu
Tangi's All-Stars were shining bright
Tuesday, July 23 whea Tangi
overlooked a threatening attack and
defated Morgan City 11-6.
Morgan City opened the game
scoring two runs right off the bat, which
were left unanswered by Tangi in the
bottom of the inning.
Morgan city led 2-0 going into the
second inning.
But Tangi cawed a stout image of a
team with talent when at bat. Chris
Carter, Chris Paille, Shand Duffene,
Darryl Allen, Holland and Addison set
the pace and scored six runs on five
hits, a home run and two walks.
Darryl Allen astonished onlooking
Tangi fans when he drove one
downtown as a home run, Tangi's first
homer of the Bossier City Tournament.
Shortly before their turn at bat, Morgan
City pulled home four runs.
Morgan City sent three up for three
outs and Tangi had added three runs to
their incredible lead. Tangi compiled the
runs and won 11-6.
Chris PaiUe single handedly achieved
as the team's leader in runs scored and
in hits with three each. Shane Dufrene
scored two runs while Carter, Holland,
Hutson, Neel, Addison and Allen
trailed with one each.
In hits, Darryl Allen, Neel, Reese,
Hutson and Holland all had one each.
Darryl also rapped off the team's only
home run as Shawn Hutson was
credited with the team's only triple.
Chris Paiile and Darryl Allen shared
the mound in pitching to strike out 10
batters and walk three.
each credited with a double while
Darren Reese picked up the team's only
triple.
In an ending composite, Tangi scored
eight runs on nine hits in which there
were two doubles and a triple, 14 stolen
bases, eight walked batters and 17 strike
outs.
Chris Paille, Shawn Hutson, Steven
Neel and Darryl Allen shared the
mound and pitched nine strike outs and
three walks.
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