MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 20, 1999

RESERVE – Riverside took a big step toward the playoffs Thursday afternoon with a victory in a game that had a postseason feel to it.

Brandi Falgoust hit a two-run home run and Tanya Teague struck out seven and scattered eight hits as the Lady Rebels defeated St. Charles Catholic,10-5, at Lady Rebels Park. Riverside improved to 15-4 overall and 3-0 inDistrict 9-2A. The Lady Comets dropped to 7-7 overall and 2-1 in district.”It felt like the state championship game all over again with all the hoopla,” Riverside coach Matt White said. “It was a big game for thedistrict title and that is the ticket to the playoffs. I’m just happy to be 3-0 in district.”St. Charles Catholic, which went 20 innings before scoring against Teaguea year ago, got off to a quicker start this season, scoring two runs in the first.

With one out, Cristin Clement hit a grounder down the third base line that hit the bag for a single. Clement stole second and came in as LaceyTrepagnier lined a double to center field.

Sarah Weber then beat out a bunt to third with Trepagnier coming in as Amy Graugnard’s throw bounced off Courtney St. Amant’s glove, giving theLady Comets a 2-0 lead.

Riverside answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs against St. Charles Catholic starter Marci Martin. With two outs, Katie Bradywalked and Brandi Falgoust followed by slapping a single to left field.

Nicole Lambert then lined a single to left, advancing to second as courtesy runner Vanessa Taromina scored. Falgoust and Lambert then came in asHeidi Richard bounced a single past short, putting the Lady Rebels ahead 3-2.

Joanie Kepler reached back to snare St. Amant’s fly ball to right to end aRiverside threat in the bottom of the second.

Martin led off the third inning by drilling a double into the left-center field gap. Clement then popped up a bunt that fell in, putting runners at thecorners with none out. Shannon Dolive followed with a fly ball to right,scoring courtesy runner Katie Acuri with the tying run.

Riverside went back ahead in the bottom of the inning. With one out,Falgoust lined a single to center, advanced to second on a wild pitch and went to third as Lambert singled to center. Richard then reached as AlishaReine bobbled her grounder to second, scoring Falgoust to make it 4-3.

St. Charles Catholic had an opportunity to tie the score in the fourth asCourtney Vicknair led off by slicing a double into right field. Teague thenstruck out Jessie Zeringue and after a sacrifice by Kristen Clement, got Reine out on strikes to end the inning.

Riverside then got a cushion with four runs in the bottom of the inning.

Ashley Bourgeois led off by beating out a bunt in front of the mound and advancing to second as Martin’s throw went out of play.

One out later, St. Amant doubled off the right-center field wall to scoreBourgeois. Brady followed with a single to left, bringing in St. Amant.Falgoust then launched her first home run of the season over the right field wall, increasing the lead to 8-3.

“I had been in a bad slump but it all came out today,” Falgoust, who went 3-for-3, said. “I rounded first and I thought that’s it, it’s going out. I lovegames like that and when I hit the home run, it topped it all off.”Riverside added two runs in the fifth as Kelly Louque walked and Bourgeois singled to right to open the inning. Both runners then came homeas Dolive’s throw skipped past first on Graugnard’s grounder, giving the Lady Rebels a 10-3 lead.

The Lady Comets got single runs in each of the final two innings. In thesixth, Vicknair singled with one out and came home on an obstruction call after Kristen Clement singled to right.

Cristin Clement led off the seventh by reaching on a two-base error by Teague, stole second and came in on Trepagnier’s grounder to third. Teaguethen got Weber to bunt foul with two strikes for the third out, improving her record to 15-4 on the year.

Martin took the loss to drop to 6-5.

“They played better than we did today,” St. Charles Catholic coach TeriHruska said. “Tanya pitched a great game. They were jacking the ball andwe weren’t. We didn’t put the bat on the ball enough and they put the baton the ball too much.”White said the original plan was to bunt the ball and put pressure on the Lady Comets’ defense, but once the team started hitting the ball with two outs in the first, that plan was scrapped.

“You’ve got to go with what they give you,” White said. “We startedgetting two-out hits and Brandi’s home run sparked us. It started to easeus. We at least got that cushion to work with. “We’re undefeated in district and I can’t ask for anything else right now.”

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