BY DAVID FOLSE II

Sports Editor

LaPlace-It’s put up or shut up time now.

The regular season is over.

A mistake now means your season and for the seniors, their careers are over.

Riverside and St. Charles Catholic concluded the regular season Thursday afternoon at Lady Comet Diamond. Riverside defeated the Lady Comets, 7-3.

With the Lady Rebels taking home yet another 10-2A district championship and St. Charles Catholic qualifying out of district 10-3A, both teams are tentatively set to begin their runs towards a state championship Tuesday afternoon against an opponent yet to be determined.

Jumping on St. Charles Catholic’s ace Mary Clement early, the Lady Rebels touched Clement for six runs in four innings of work.

Riverside wasted no time in the first inning pushing across a pair of runs. Lisa Lambert led off with a single and stole second base. After consecutive strikeouts, Jenna St. Amant lined a shot into rightfield, scoring Lambert.

St. Amant would score two pitches later on an RBI single from leftfielder Lori Bourgeois.

Two perfectly executed sacrifice bunts helped push across another run in the second inning for Riverside.

After Brittany St. Pierre led off the inning with a walk, she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Brooke Bourgeois. Clement then walked Sally Songy to put runners at first and second.

Another sacrifice bunt, this time by Lambert put runners at second and third with two outs.

First baseman Marci Millet scored St. Pierre with an infield single.

Breaking open the game in the third inning, Riverside pushed across three runs on two hits.

St. Amant and Lori Bourgeois led off the inning with back-to=back hits and after a walk to Poirrer, consecutive RBI groundouts from St. Pierre and Brooke Bourgeois pushed the Lady Rebels lead to 6-0.

St. Charles Catholic would push three runs across in the sixth inning.

Brittany Marse led off the inning reaching on an infield single. After a fielder’s choice from Angelle Cupit, three consecutive hits, including an RBI single from Bridget Millet and two-run double from Mary Clement cut the lead to 7-3.

“We really played well,” an excited Mickey Roussel said. “It was really nice to see us pick up two runs with two outs in the first inning. That’s outstanding. You have to have that type of hitting come playoff time.After that Nicole kind of cruised a little bit.

“We played small ball really well today. We bunted well, advanced the runners, really did the little things. If we can score seven runs, we are going to be hard to beat, but that is not going to happen all the time.”

Happy with the way his team is playing heading into the playoffs, Roussel said he is excited to see how his young squad reacts to post-season play beginning on Tuesday.

“When you have four sophomores and a freshmen, the word cruise is nonexistent,” Roussel joked. “I would rather say that we are feeling good heading into the post-season.

“This bunch has been there. Some of these girls were here in 2002 when we won it all. They know what it takes. We have been there before, so we ought not have any added pressure on ourselves.”

Finishing the game 2-4 with a double and one run driven in, St. Amant echoed her coach’s comments.

“I have been seeing the ball well as of late,” St. Amant said. “I credit that to all the practice we have had in the cages.That is the thing that we really have to work on the most because we have a strong defense and Nicole is solid in the circle.”

Picking up the complete-game victory and allowing only three runs on five hits and striking out five, Poirrier said she is excited to begin the post-season.

“I credit my defense,” Poirrier said. “They really played well and would pick me up if I missed a spot. We are also really hitting.”

The main pitcher for the Lady Rebels, the young sophomore said she welcomes the added pressure of the post-season.

“It pushes me more to do better,” Poirrier said. “Knowing that the coaching staff believes in me that much makes me even better as a person and as a athlete. Knowing that everyone out there is behind you 100-percent is great.”