One step closer
Jefferson Parish advances over Portland, Maine

By STAN HUDY

CLIFTON PARK – While some teams were playing to win for a chance to advance into the single elimination round of the 13-15-year-old Babe Ruth World Series in Clifton Park, Jefferson Parish was playing for the No. 1 spot in the bracket.
The Metairie, Louisiana squad, winner’s of last year’s 14-year-old Babe Ruth World Series in Quincy, Mass. rebounded from a disappointing loss earlier in pool play to drop Portland, Maine, 7-1, and earn the top spot in the American Division. 
The New England regional champion, Portland, would finish pool play with a 1-3 record and fail to advance.

Tuesday afternoon’s three-hour contest saw the Southwest Regional champions come back from a 1-0 deficit and put up seven unanswered runs and capture their third consecutive No. 1 seed in the World Series events. On Tuesday, Babin approached the contest with the same intensity as his last-chance counterparts.
“The last two times in pool play we knew we were number one before the fourth game,” Jefferson Parish coach Bill Babin said. “I was able to start other kids and rest others.

“Today I played all kinds of kids,” Babin said. “But that was because I needed them to win.”

The only key Babin needed was on the mound in starting pitcher Jordan Rittiner.
The right hander went six innings, allowing one run on five hits, walking two batters and striking out six. Chad Guidry came in relief in the seventh, striking out two batters.

“I felt pretty good, everything was working,” Rittiner said. “My two-seam fastball tails in more and my four-seam has more movement.”

He was buoyed by the eight-hit, seven run output by his offense that also took advantage of three Portland, Maine errors.

“Rittiner has been doing that all year,” Babin said. “I hate to say it, but I’ve come to expect it. It’s nice to see it happen.”

The New England champions pushed across its lone run in the bottom of the second inning when Regan Flaherty led off with a walk, Marc Ouimet sacrificed him to second and was doubled home by Dan Brown for the early lead, 1-0.

Jeremy Stout led off the top of the third for Jefferson Parish with a double, moved to third on Harold Toscano’s sacrifice bunt and came around to score on an error by the first baseman, tying the score at one apiece.

Cory Guidry made his presence felt in the fourth inning, hitting a two-out double to drive in Jeremy Stout and Lawrence Trunk. Ryan Holstein reached on a fielder’s choice earlier in the inning, advanced on a dropped third strike to Stout and scored on Trunk’s single for the 4-1 lead.

Jefferson Parish forced two pitching changes in the top of the seventh on its way to the 7-1 final.

Katz finished the game, going 2-for-3 with a run scored, breaking out of a slump at the right time."I’ve been hitting the ball pretty well since the regional,” Katz said. “I’m hitting the ball well and it’s falling in the right places.”

Babin appreciates what the No. 1 seed does for his squad.

“We get two extra days off and get to scout the other teams another time,” Babin said. “To win that third game of the championship is hard.”

Babin’s squad earned time to rest his stable of arms.

“Chad Guidry came on in relief and he pitched 20 inning in last year’s World Series as the MVP,” Babin said. “I still have Jordan (Rittiner) and Ryan (Holstein).”