MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 28, 1999

RESERVE – Three outs.

That’s how close the Riverside Lady Rebels have come each of the last two years from winning games in the state softball tournament in Alexandria.

Two years ago, Buckeye rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh for a 6-4 victory in the quarterfinals. And last year, St. Charles Catholic scoredtwice in the bottom of the seventh to defeat the Lady Rebels, 2-1, in the Class 2A state championship game.

Now the Lady Rebels are going back to Alexandria for the fourth straight year looking to seal the deal.

The road to the championship game will not be an easy one. First up inAlexandria Friday morning is South Beauregard, the District 4-2A champions. The Knights are 25-3 with only one of those losses to an in-state team. In the playoffs, South Beauregard has defeated North Desoto,10-0, and South Cameron, 2-0.

While pitching has been a strong point for the Knights, they have struggled at times with the bats. Their best weapon is the bunt.”They try to get the ball in play and make the defense make the plays,” Riverside coach Matt White said.

Trying to disrupt that strategy will be Riverside ace Tanya Teague who comes into the game with a 24-5 record. Teague has played in the statetournament all four years of her Riverside career and said the experience helps.

“I’m more nervous this year,” Teague said. “There’s more pressure, Iguess, because I’m a senior. It helps a little bit in that I know what toexpect. Knowing that I want to go back (to the championship game) makesme want to work and play harder. There are a lot of good teams. We don’twant to look ahead.”Her battery mate, catcher Katie Brady, said she feels the Lady Rebels’ pitching is a strength again this year and that they are a better hitting ball club.

“I think we’re better with the sticks than we were last year,” Brady said.

“I think we’re ready. We’re a young team and we have come a long way. Ithink we can do it.”Riverside (25-5) finished the season as the District 9-2A champions and defeated Port Barre, 8-2, in the regionals after a first round bye.

In that game, the Lady Rebels were tied going into the fifth inning before Amie Graugnard broke the game open with two home runs. White said thistime he would like to get an early lead to get the nerves out early, especially with the young team he has.

“We have some young girls,” White said. “They have to step up and beready to play in the state tournament. The state tournament is somethingelse. The team that handles the pressure the best and makes the routineplays will win.”Riverside and South Beauregard will play at the Youth Softball Complex at 11 a.m. Friday. The winner will advance to the state semifinals Saturdayat 11 a.m. against the winner of the Buckeye-Christian Life quarterfinal.The Class 2A championship game will be played Saturday at 6 p.m.

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