By Mike Pervel

PONTCHARTRAIN NEWSPAPERS

Riverside’s Tate Scioneaux blasted two homers and drove in six runs Tuesday helping to propel the Rebels to a 15-3 regional round road victory over the Northlake Christian School Wolverines, the two-time defending state champions.

Riverside (19-11), the No. 10 seed, travels to face Evangel today at 2 p.m.

NCS, the No. seven seed, finishes their season 20-3 under first-year head coach Ricky Porter, who took over from Rowland Skinner, who moved on to Class 5A Mandeville High.

Scioneaux, the Rebels’ junior third baseman, ripped a two-run shot in the fifth inning and followed up with a three-run blast in the seventh to give him 13 round trippers on the season.

“The whole season I was saying my goal was to hit two homeruns in one game and today I finally came through with it. I’m just so happy that we can go to the quarterfinals,” Scioneaux said.

“We knew we would have to battle against a very good Northlake Christian team. I did my best to keep the team up in the dugout,” Scioneaux added.

Riverside, which banged out 18 hits including six doubles in the contest, got to NCS starter Josh Favaloro (10-2) for a run in the first inning.

Rebels’ designated hitter Wren Vicknair, who went 4 for 6, hit one of his two doubles with one out in the first inning. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball to put Riverside up.

Riverside upped its lead to 2-0 with a run in the third inning. With one out, Martin earned a walk and stole second. Favaloro struck out the next hitter, but Vicknair ripped a double to center field, scoring Martin to make it 2-0.

The Rebels touched Favaloro for two unearned runs in the fourth. Kaleb Bush delivered a clutch two-out, two-run double scoring Austin Vicknair, who reached on an error and courtesy runner Jeremiah Berteau, who had replaced C. J. Edler, following a single.

Riverside blew the game open, scoring seven runs in the fifth inning, sending 12 batters to the plate to build an 11-0 advantage.

The big at bat was Scioneaux’s two-run clout, while Wren Vicknair collected two doubles with an RBI. Grady Gieger, Edler, Dustin Madere and Bush contributed run producing singles in the inning.

Rebels’ senior starter Dylan Martin (5-2) was in complete command of the Northlake Christian hitters, allowing just one hit a two-out wind aided double to left in the first inning by Wolverines’ senior catcher Tyler Clark.

Martin breezed through the Wolverines’ order in the first four-innings recording six strikeouts with just one walk.

Martin talked about his outing.

“I just let the ball do the work for the most part.

“Coach Barrett Morgan did a good job with his pitch calling,” Martin said.

Martin said all of his pitches were working and he had a pretty good fastball.

Martin, who authored a perfect game against the John Curtis Patriots last season as a junior, said his regional round performance was the second best outing of his career.

Martin struggled with his control in the fifth inning. He walked NCS’ Brandon Cazaubon to open the inning. Senior courtesy runner Derek Williams ran for Cazaubon and advanced to second on a balk and then stole third. Martin struck out the next batter, but then issued two consecutive walks to Greg Mula and Josh Vasalech, loading the bases with the Rebels holding a commanding 11-0 advantage.

Riverside’s Scioneaux replaced Martin in the fifth with the bases juiced. Wolverines’ junior Keith Picou, who went 2-3 with a walk, greeted him, taking a 1-1 pitch to left field for a two-run opposite field double, plating Williams and Mula to cut the Rebels’ advantage to 11-2.

Senior Seth Laigast walked, but was forced at second on Clark’s ground ball to short, which scored Vasalech to make it 11-3. Scioneaux struck out the next hitter stranding runners at first and third.

Riverside first-year head coach Matt White said his Rebels played an outstanding game.

“Dylan (Martin) was on his ‘A’ game today against a great Northlake Christian hitting team. We told him on Sunday that the ball was in his hands and did he want it,” White said.

“Dylan is a seasoned veteran, who is an all-state guy. He wanted the ball,” White added.

Scioneaux capped off his two-homer performance ripping a three-run blast in the seventh following singles by Martin and Wren Vicknair.

Gieger picked up Riverside’s final run, scoring Bryant Tassin, who had singled.