Jordan Porrier keeps Riverside alive in semi-finals round with HR to win

ByJOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

MONROE – Riverside baseball brought it all home from Monroe Wednesday night in the biggest game of the season. Including the state championship.

After surviving by way of a rally against Menard in the semi-finals on Tuesday afternoon courtesy of a home run by Jordan Porrier in the bottom of the final inning of play, the Rebels topped that performance with an even sweeter one in the title game against the defending state champion Ouachita Christian Eagles. Ouachita, who eliminated Riverside in the semi-finals of last year’s post-season, made it into the game after squeaking by St. Charles in a 10 inning, 4-3 win. But the Eagle’s run stopped short once it met the Rebel’s pitching staff and timely hitters.

For Riverside fans, the first realization that the title could well be in hand came in the fourth inning of play when the Rebels turned away Ouachita’s lone base-runner on the top of the side and, in the bottom half, Porrier sacrificed a fly ball to center-field to score Chase Emerson for a 5-2 lead. That series of events led to the Eagles going to the bullpen for the third time in a game where the Ouachita pitchers obviously had trouble getting settled in.

The action actually began in the third with Cavin Richmond on the mound for Riverside. The Eagles leadoff for the inning reached on an infield error by the Rebels followed by a two-out double from Ouachita’s pitcher for the RBI. Another one followed when Eagle first baseman D. Bradshaw doubled to left-center. But when the Rebels came into the batter’s box down 2-0, they cranked it up a notch.

With a reliever taking the mound to start the inning, and Riverside’s top of the order due up to the plate, the Eagles seemed to be trying to keep the Rebels off balance. But when Jade Falgoust came to the plate with one away, he doubled a shot down the right field line to get his team into scoring range right off the bat. Porrier came up next and took a base on balls and A.J. Delauneville got the RBI with a single to left while Porrier made it to third. Wade Delauneville stepped up, still with one out, and was hit by a pitch to load the bases for David Mabile who would double after a change from the Eagles on the mound.Mabile’s shot to right field pushed in A.J. Delauneville and Porrier while Richmond came up and sacrificed to push in Wade Delauneville for a Riverside 4-2 lead.

For the fourth, Richmond helped the Rebels to take charge once they had a lead. After giving up a single up the middle to the first batter of the inning, Richmond made a statement by sending the next three straight batter’s back to the dugout.

Riverside took advantage of their momentum, adding another run on their half of the side when Porrier flied out to centerfield allowing Chase Emerson to tag up and make it home. Emerson had reached as the first batter of the inning on a shot to third base.

The Eagles tried to scratch their way back into this one when they came up in the top of the fifth inning with a single into the left field gap. But Rebel Coach Steve Stropolo went to the bullpen to keep a fresh arm on the mound with Jonathan Giroir. Giroir couldn’t keep the runner from scoring, but he held Ouachita to one run before retiring the side.

The Rebels came up and added another run in their half, this time on a single up the middle by Haydel that scored

With that, the Riverside faithful rushed the field to join in the celebration despite reminders from stadium officials not to do so.But little could get in the way of the fans jubilation.