MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / May 4, 1999

ALEXANDRIA – Unbelievable.

That was how Riverside coach Matt White described the Lady Rebels’ game against South Beauregard in the Class 2A quarterfinals at the Alexandria Youth Softball Complex Friday afternoon.

Shayla Goins scored on a throwing error in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving the Lady K’s a 1-0 victory and Riverside another heart- breaking loss in the state tournament. It was the third straight year thatthe Lady Rebels have lost in the tournament in the opponent’s final at-bat.

South Beauregard (28-6) went on to win the state championship with a 1- 0 nine inning victory over DeQuincy in the championship game Saturday night. The Lady K’s had earlier defeated Buckeye, 2-0, in the semifinals,while DeQuincy advanced with a 1-0 nine inning victory over Ouachita Christian.

Riverside ended its season at 25-6.

Goins led off the bottom of the seventh by beating out a chopper in front of the plate, just the second hit the Lady K’s had gotten off Riverside starter Tanya Teague. Teague then came back to get Heidi Hallmack to popup to catcher Katie Brady and struck out Jada Goins swinging, her 17th strike out of the game.

Teague quickly got two strikes on Candice Westbrook before Westbrook was able to get a piece of the next pitch, hitting a soft liner into center field.

Lady K’s coach Jack Deason gambled, waving Goins to third as center fielder Brandi Falgoust fielded the ball. Falgoust threw to third but herthrow was up the left field line, allowing Goins to come in with the winning run.

“It was an unbelievable game,” White said, comparing the decision to send Goins to the one he made in the Lady Rebels’ semifinal victory over DeQuincy a year ago. “That was a great decision by their coach. He wassmart enough to send her and the gamble paid off. That was just a greatcoaching move.”The loss overshadowed a sparkling pitching performance by Teague (25-6) in her last game with the Lady Rebels. The senior pitched a three-hitterwhile striking out 17 and walking none. She struck out the side in thesecond, third, fourth and sixth innings. At one point, she retired 15 battersin a row, including 11 straight strike outs.

“That was the most dominating game I’ve seen her pitch,” White said of Teague. “She totally dominated the game.”South Beauregard had only batter reach base before the seventh inning.

Jada Goins popped a single over third to lead off the second inning, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. But Teague came back to strikeout Westbrook, Courtney Thomas and Laura Bostick to end the inning.

South Beauregard pitcher Jada Goins (22-3) was matching Teague inning for inning, however. A one-out single by Nicole Lambert in the second anda two-out single by Katie Brady were the only hits Goins gave up going into the seventh.

Courtney St. Amant led off the top of the seventh with a single to center.But Goins got out of the inning without further damage as pinch runner Vanessa Taromina was caught stealing, Brady popped up and Falgoust struck out.

“We hit the ball right at them all day and they got the hit at the end,” White said.

White gave credit to his team, especially to the seniors, for battling back the whole year and said he is looking forward to next year.

“Baseball and softball have ways of evening out,” White said. “Their hitsfell in and ours didn’t today. Hopefully, it will be our turn next year.”

Return To Sports Stories

Copyright © 1998, Wick Communications, Inc.

Internet services provided by NeoSoft.

Best viewed with 3.0 or higher