RA, SCC start softball season strong
Published 7:58 am Wednesday, March 9, 2016
East St. John offense leads early while WSJ opened season Monday
RESERVE — Riverside Academy softball coach Tamra Regalo calls them “ESPN catches.”
“The kind of catches you’d see on ESPN,” she explained.
She’s referring to some of the plays that have been made by Riverside junior center fielder Toni Perrin.
“She just lays out,” Regalo said. “She covers the field like nobody I’ve seen. She’s probably one of the top five outfielders I’ve ever seen.”
Perrin isn’t all defense, however. She also has hit three home runs this season, including two last weekend against Winnfield in a crazy 18-14 victory. Her first came in a 12-2 loss to Alexandria — one of only two hits the Rebels got against the Class 5A Trojans.
“She’s really coming through for us right now,” Regalo said.
All the other games the Rebels have played (so far) have been wins, putting them at 6-1 heading into the week.
There was a 14-1 victory to start the season against Lutcher, a 15-0 domination of Dominican and an 11-6 win over Parkview Baptist. They beat Hannan 6-5 on Monday.
That, Regalo said, is better than last year when, she says, the team endured a couple of losses to start the season as well as her Riverside head coaching career.
“It’s a reversal of where we started last year,” she said.
Regalo is counting on some of her younger players, including freshman Carli Hymel in left field and eighth grade pitcher Lexi Johnson. Regalo stressed, unlike many softball teams, there is no true ace pitcher of her squad. Senior Cheyenne Triche has the most experience, but the coaches are trying to mix up a rotation among Triche, the young Johnson and junior Maegan Hymel.
“That way there’s no pressure on just one of them,” Regalo said.
Riverside fans probably are looking ahead to March 19 when the Rebels are slated to play cross-town rival St. Charles Catholic. The Lady Comets didn’t let a little thing like a tornado slow them down.
They’re off to a 6-1 start, as well, with 10-run-rule wins over Chalmette, St. James, Ellender and St. John of Plaquemine.
The Comets pitched shutouts against St. John of Plaquemine (14-0) and Ellender (13-0).
East St. John has gotten off to a slower start, but has put up some big numbers.
The Lady Wildcats have scored 133 runs in nine games, including 24 against St. Helena, 20 against Woodlawn, 19 against Donaldsonville and 18 against Independence.
The trouble is, they’ve given up more than that — 145, including 24 to Woodlawn, 23 to Donaldsonville, 19 to St. Joseph’s and 18 to Chalmette.
Junior Kirsten Cases is hitting .731 with 19 hits, four RBIs and 15 runs scored. Tashianna Robinson is hitting .577 with 15 hits, including three doubles. She has scored five runs. Senior Erykah Cemelien is hitting .516 with five doubles. She has scored nine runs.
West St. John has gotten off to the slowest start, but that’s thanks to Mother Nature.
The Lady Rams had several games postponed due to rain and the cancellation of some school days following the tornado, which struck St. John Parish on Feb. 23. The team didn’t open its schedule until Monday against South Plaquemines and lost, 15-5.
