Michael Kiral / L’Observateur / June 17, 1998

RESERVE – The Riverside Extra Inning Club used a seven-run sixth inning to defeat River Ridge Chiropractic & Dental Care, 12-7, and remain undefeated in Second District East play Monday afternoon.

Riverside won its seventh consecutive district game and improved to 8-2 overall. John Curtis-based River Ridge fell to 3-5 in both district play andoverall.

The contest was tied at five going into the sixth when Brandon Delaneuville led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Keith LeBlanc then bunted to River Ridge reliever Pete Watsonwho threw late to third trying to get Delaneuville. Watson then hadLeBlanc picked off first but LeBlanc beat first baseman Kris Hebert’s throw to second. A walk to Dustin Duhon loaded the bases with none out.Delaneuville came in to score on a wild pitch as Joey Poirrier was drawing a walk. After Sean Delaneuville popped up to third, another wild pitchscored LeBlanc to make it 7-5, Riverside. Blake Duhe followed with asingle to center, scoring Duhon and Poirrier to increase the lead to four.

A single by Anson Matherne and a hit by pitch by Ryan Rome loaded the bases before Seth LeBlanc walked to force in courtesy runner Derrick Louque. Brandon Delaneuville followed with a shot to center that got stuckunder the fence for a ground rule double, allowing Matherne and Rome to come in to make it 12-5. River Ridge got out of the inning as Keith LeBlancflied out to center and Seth LeBlanc was thrown out trying to score from third.

River Ridge began a rally in the top of the seventh against Riverside reliever Chris Bourgeois. Terry Stevens opened the inning with a double toleft-center before Danny Wimprine popped up to short. Brandon Mullerfollowed by getting hit by a pitch and Hebert reached on an error by Poirrier to load the bases.

A ground out to first by Brent McConnell scored Stevens to cut the deficit to 12-6 before Watson followed with a single deep in the hole between first and second. Muller scored but Hebert was thrown out at the plate byBrandon Delaneuville to end the game.

River Ridge had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second off Riverside starter Paul LaBiche on walks by Wimprine and Muller, a ground out by Hebert and a double by starting pitcher Jerry Camardelle. The lead wouldgrow to 4-0 in the top of third on a hit by pitch by Tony Buea, a two-base error by Sean Delaneuville on Matt Curtis’ grounder and a single by Wimprine.

The Extra Inning Club rallied to tie the score in the bottom half of the inning. Seth LeBlanc and Damian Melancon opened the inning with walksand Keith LeBlanc followed with a RBI double to left. After Duhon groundedout to second to score Delaneuville, Poirrier launched a shot over the left- center field fence to tie the score at four.

Riverside went ahead in the bottom of the fourth as Rome, Seth LeBlanc and Melancon singled to lead off the inning. Keith LeBlanc walked to forcein Rome before Watson came in to strike out Duhon and Poirrier to end the inning.

River Ridge tied the score on Stevens’ one-out home run to right in the fifth. River Ridge loaded the bases with two outs on singles by Wimprineand Hebert and a walk by McConnell. Bourgeois then came in to pitch andgot Watson to ground out to Poirrier at third to get out of the jam.

Bourgeois picked up the win in relief, giving up two hits in 2 1/3 innings of work to improve to 1-0 on the season.

“Chris gets the ball over the plate,” Riverside coach Tommy Fernandez said. “He worked hard and we made the plays behind him.””We are playing with a more relaxed attitude and almost everyone is getting to play a decent amount,” Fernandez said of his team’s improvement since the start of Legion play. “We are coming up with theclutch hits late in the game. We are happy that we are winning and hope itcontinues.”

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