By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE – Riverside starter Tate Scioneaux cruised through four innings, but visiting St. Amant found some traction in the fifth, scoring six runs to drop the Rebels in the season opener for both teams, 6-2.

Bryant Tassin was 2-for-2 with a home run in the game.

Scioneaux (0-1) had a 2-0 lead and a one-hitter going through four innings. But the Gators capitalized on some Rebel mistakes in the fifth to score all six of their runs. After a leadoff single, an error on a throw to first gave St. Amant (1-0) men on second and third with no outs, sparking the big inning.

“When you give them a little break like that, that’s what happens,” said Riverside coach Britt Waguespack.

Tassin gave Riverside (1-0) a 1-0 lead in the first inning via a solo home run.

Scioneaux helped his own cause in the third with an RBI single, making it 2-0.

On the mound, he finished the day having gone five innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two.

“He probably throws the hardest of our guys, right at 82-83,” said Waguespack.

“He’s got a tremendous future, and we felt he gave us the best chance to win on Tuesday.

“But at the same time, he’s not necessarily our number one. We feel like we’ve got three guys in he, Dylan Martin and Bryant Tassin that can all be that guy.”

Martin allowed no runs or hits and walked one in two innings of relief.

Waguespack said he felt the team’s bats were quiet, but he quickly asserted his feeling that they would come around soon.

“Pitching’s always ahead of your hitting at this stage,” said Waguespack.

There are a lot of landmines on Riverside’s schedule this season, and Waguespack was not shy in seeking out challenges early. The Rebels faced Class 5A Jesuit Thursday, and today they will take on last season’s Class 2A runner-up Sterlington and then tangle with rival St. Charles, the Class 3A runner-up last year and a top Class 2A contender.

Waguespack said it’s all part of the Rebels’ attempt to surpass its postseason run to the Class 2A quarterfinals a year ago.

“We know we could stick to Class 2A, Class 1A, pick our opponents and go 25-4. But are you getting better?” Waguespack said. “St. Charles plays the big guns, so does Lutcher, and so do we. It gives our guys the ability to play at their fullest potential.”