MICHAEL KIRAL

PHOTO: RIVERSIDE’S MEGAN WARNER lets a pitch go against St. Charles Catholic in the opening game of the Riverside Lady Rebel Classic Friday afternoon. (Staff Photo by Michael Kiral) RESERVE – Riverside and St. Charles Catholic got right into the Riverside Lady Rebel Classic Friday afternoon as the Lady Rebels rallied for a 7-5 victory in the tournament opener. Riverside finished the tournament 1-2 after losses to Brazoswood (Texas) and Denham Springs Saturday. With the score tied in the top of the fifth and the time limit close to expiring, the teams went to the tiebreaker format. With Heidi Richard on second to lead off the inning, Kelly Louque sacrificed her over and reached on an error. After pinch runner Kristen Poirrier stole second, Cassie St. Amant lined a single to left-center. Richard scored but Poirrier was thrown out at the plate by center fielder Katie Arcuri with St. Amant going to second. St. Amant advanced to third on a wild pitch by St. Charles Catholic starter Heather Heltz and scored on Jessica Watts’ fly ball to left. Ashley LeBlanc then beat out a bunt, stole second and scored as Lauren Lambert beat out a bunt to third, giving the Lady Rebels a 7-4 lead. St. Charles Catholic led off the bottom of the inning with Sarah Weber on second. Trista LaPorte sent her to third with a single to left. Weber then came in to make it 7-5 as LaPorte was thrown out by LeBlanc trying to steal. Riverside starter Megan Warner then retired Heltz on a pop-up and Crissy Michel on a grounder to second to end the game. St. Charles Catholic had taken a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Jenny Traina led off by slapping a single to left and stole second. After a walk by Arcuri, Weber moved both runners over with a bunt. LaPorte followed with a fly ball to left, plating Traina. Arcuri then came in as Heltz lined a double past Lambert in left. Riverside got a run back in the top of the second as LeBlanc beat out a bunt along the third baseline and stole second. One out later, Jennifer Keating bunted to third and reached on an overthrow as LeBlanc scored to make it 2-1. St. Charles Catholic answered in the bottom half as Amanda Rebaldo dropped a single into short right field and went to second on an errant throw. After Kristen Rodrigues beat out a bunt, Ashley Reine brought in Rebaldo with a fly ball to center, making it 3-1. Weber led off with a double along the right field line, went to third on a wild pitch and scored two outs later as Michel reached on an error, giving the Lady Comets a 4-1 lead. Riverside tied the game with three runs in the top of the fourth. Watts beat out a bunt to lead off the inning, went to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball. After LeBlanc walked and stole second, Watts scored on a bunt by Lambert. Keating then beat out another bunt and stole second. Vanessa Taromina plated both runners with a two-out single into the left-center field gap. Lambert preserved the tie in the bottom half of the inning with a running grab of Traina’s sinking fly ball to left with one out and Reine on second. Brazoswood’s Stephanie Cloudt pitched a perfect game against the Lady Rebels in a 2-0 victory in the first game Saturday morning. In the game later that afternoon against Denham Springs, the Lady Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on their way to a 4-0 victory. Amber Boe led off with a walk and Hope Webre, Chesney McAdams and Amy Ford all singled to drive in a run. Alaina Rancher brought in the second run with a fly ball to left. Denham Springs got out of the top of the third as Boe made a running catch of Heidi Richard’s fly ball in foul territory with two outs and Jennifer Keating on second. Denham Springs added a run in the bottom of the second. Kayla Grisette led off with a single to left and eventually came as Boe and Webre both singled to left. A two-out rally in the bottom of the third produced the fourth run as Rancher singled to short and Jenny Dunkley brought her in with a double to left.