By Michael Kiral / L’Observateur / March 18, 1998

RESERVE – Riverside rallied from a three-run deficit to defeat St. CharlesCatholic, 10-5, and take first place in the Riverside Spring Classic Sunday afternoon.

The Rebels, Comets and Pope John Paul each finished the tournament 2-1.

Riverside was awarded the tournament championship by virtue of the tie- breaker of the team that gave up the fewest runs during the tournament.

The Rebels improved to 4-2-1 on the season. Riverside opened thetournament with a 7-5 loss to Pope John Paul Thursday before rebounding with a 4-3 victory against Destrehan Saturday.

St. Charles Catholic is 5-4 on the season after defeating Destrehan 10-0Friday and edging Pope John Paul, 7-6, on a bases-loaded single by Steven Faucheux Saturday afternoon.

In Sunday’s action, St. Charles Catholic starter Ty Monica got out of atwo-out, runner on third jam in the top of the first by getting Anson Matherne to line out to Courtney Bonura at short. The Comets then reachedRiverside starter Joel Ortiz for three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Matt Weber led off the inning with a walk. Monica followed with a buntpast the mound for a single. One out later, John Price rapped a single intoleft field, scoring Weber. Rusty Richard bobbled the ball and then threwpast third, allowing Monica to score and Price to reach third. JasonGonzales followed with a single up the middle through the drawn-in infield, giving the Comets a 3-0 lead. After Gonzales reached third on anerrant pick-off attempt, Ortiz got out of the inning by striking out Bonura and Horvath.

The Comets looked to add to their lead in the bottom of the second, loading the bases with one out. Faucheux led off the inning with a walk and wasforced at second by Jon Clement. Weber followed with a single to left andMonica was hit by a pitch. But Ortiz was again able to pitch out of trouble,striking out Stein and getting Price to line out to first to end the inning.

The Rebels, who had been held to a walk through the first two innings, finally broke through in the third. Ortiz led off the inning by rapping adouble into the left-center field gap. One out later, Dustin Zimmer wentthe other way, lofting a double into right-center field to bring in courtesy runner Seth LeBlanc.

Joey Poirrier followed with another double past a diving Stein in right- center field, scoring Zimmer. After a fly out by Kenny Clement, Mathernesingled to right with a strong throw to the plate by Horvath keeping Poirrier at third. Sean Delaneuville then tied the score with a single toleft off the glove of a diving Weber.

Riverside took the lead with five runs in the top of the fourth. AfterBrandon Delaneuville opened the inning with a single past short, Ortiz hit Monica’s first pitch over the right field fence to make it 5-3. Dustin Braudcame in to relieve Monica and walked Richard. A wild pitch and an outlater, Poirrier was hit by a pitch. Another wild pitch brought Richard inand sent Poirrier to second. Clement brought Poirrier in with a double intoleft-center field and came around to score on a single to left by Sean Delaneuville.

St. Charles Catholic threatened in the bottom of the inning, loading thebases on a double by Faucheux and walks by Jarrett Maurin and Monica.

Ortiz again dodged a bullet, getting Stein to hit into a pitcher-catcher- first double play.

Riverside added two runs in the top of the fifth as Ortiz walked and Zimmer launched a drive over the left-center field fence. St. CharlesCatholic rallied in the bottom of the inning with a walk by Price and home run by Gonzales to the right of the scoreboard in center field. GaryEntremont came in to relieve Ortiz, allowing a single to Bonura and hitting Nick Monica before getting Maurin to fly out to end the game by virtue of the two-hour time limit.

Both Riverside coach Tommy Fernandez and St. Charles Catholic coachFrank Monica were happy with their team’s play in the tournament.

“We made some fundamental mistakes but the kids were able to regroup from the slow start,” Fernandez said. “We were stinging the ball whichmade a lot of good things happen.”Monica said his team is still breaking in a couple of pitchers but should be ready around the time district starts next week.

“You have to give credit to Riverside,” Monica said. “They really hit theball. We played well in the tournament and are getting better as a baseballteam.”In Saturday’s action, Riverside jumped out to a 4-0 lead against Destrehan and held off a late Wildcat rally. Chris Bourgeois gained his second victoryof the season with Paul Labiche coming in in the fifth to pick up the save.

The Rebels got on the board in the top of the second as Kenny Clement doubled and came around to score on fly balls by Brandon Delaneuville and Blake Duhe.

Riverside added two runs with a two-out rally in the third. Ryan Romestarted the rally with a single and a steal before going to third on a wild pitch. Poirrier followed with a bad-hop single past short and scored onsingles by Casey Duhe and Brandon Delaneuville. The Rebels made it 4-0 inthe fourth on singles by Bourgeois and Darin St. Pierre.Destrehan began its rally in the bottom of the fifth as Justin St. Pierre ledoff with a single to short. One out later, Roberto Martinez launched a shotover the left field wall to cut the deficit to 4-2. Ben McLaren followedwith a walk and came around to score on a single by Mike Bierman. Labichecame in to relieve Bourgeois and struck out Craig Naquin to end the threat.

Destrehan threatened again in the sixth as Todd Picou singled and Martinez reached on an error with two outs. But Labiche got McLaren to fly out tocenter to end the game.

Pope John Paul edged the Wildcats, 7-6, Sunday morning, dropping Destrehan to 0-8 on the season.

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