DANIEL TYLER GOODEN

PHOTO: A FORCED RETIREMENT Jennifer Keating puts the top of the seventh inning to rest as she stretches out to bring in the last pop fly and catches a Trojan leading too far toward second. (Staff Photo by Daniel Tyler Gooden) RESERVE – Like two rams going head to head the Riverside Lady Rebels and the Sacred Heart Trojans butted horns without giving an inch for 11 straight innings. In the top of the 12th, Sacred Heart slipped on past to take the regional game 1-0. Both teams were playing their finest Thursday night at Riverside. In the defensive, neither the Lady Rebels nor the Trojans committed a single error in those long 12 innings. The chances are high that Sacred Heart will go all the way in the state championship, said Riverside Coach Matt White. “They have a very dominate pitcher just like we do,” added White. Throughout the game, Sacred Heart’s Aimee Lafleur allowed only four hits and Riverside’s Summer Delaneuville allowed only five. In such a nerve-wracking display of talent, each offense fought to make their move and each defense stepped up to deny the chance. Delaneuville rallied the team with a triple that made it to the back wall of left field halfway through the game, but her designated runner was tagged out in a failed sacrifice before making it home. In the seventh inning, both teams got their runners to third. In the bottom of the seventh, Riverside filled the bases but was shut down before they could score a run. “You can’t keep squandering your chances like that and win,” said White. Sacred Heart will go on to play in the quarterfinals against the Iota/Westminster winner.