By ROBERT L. LEE

RESERVE – A flawless Lady Rebel performance and more Newman errors than hits led to a merciful 10-0 Riverside home win Thursday. The Lady Rebels’ Lisa Lambert drove a low hit straight up the middle of the field, allowing the 10th and 11th runners to cross home plate, but the game was called to a close with the score at only 10-0 in the sixth inning.

Lady Rebels’ coach Matt White attributed the shut-out performance to pitcher Summer Delaneuville for making the 10 strike outs and everyone else on the field for making the plays and not allowing the Greenies to move past second base. The strength of the Riverside infield not only suffocated the Greenies, but allowed the Lady Rebels outfielders another laid back evening.

“We could’ve almost put a couple chairs in the outfield,” said White. He said the pitcher and catcher, Ashley LeBlanc, were doing most of the work, although the rest of the infield and outfield deserves credit for the win, because “when the ball is put in play, anything can happen.

“Just to play as a team is our biggest concern,” he continued. “We play all the girls on our team not just a few. They are starting to get the team concept.”

White added that Riverside’s team concept has been combined with the experience of the 4 and 5-A competition the Lady Rebels have faced this season, preparing them for district play and their “ultimate dream” of a state championship. White said he is confident that no matter what happens, the road to the title will travel through Riverside.

Against Newman, the Lady Rebels marched ahead early with four hits and two walks to build a 4-0 lead in the first inning. LeBlanc began Riverside’s lineup and landed a position on first base, when she bunted and the Greenies began their streak of errors, dropping the throw at first base. Mindy Richard followed and slipped in a single, then stole second.

Delaneuville took first base on a walk, which put the bases loaded and Riverside’s fourth batter, Daphne Zimmer at the plate. A wild pitch opened the door for the first point, when LeBlanc left third and slid into home just before the catcher made the tag. Zimmer was then thrown her fourth ball and walked to first.

Holly Ocmand stepped up and forced a hit to left field, bringing home two runners and bumping the lead to 3-0. A strike out, a bunt and another Newman error at first brought Riverside’s score to 4-0, before the Greenies could make the final two outs and end the first inning.

The Greenies slowly raised their intensity through the ensuing innings, but their plague of errors continued to spread. In the fourth inning, the Lady Rebels picked up their scoring where they left off and put up another four runs and an 8-0 lead. A Zimmer single, an Ocmand double and a Kayla Poirrier single accounted for the fourth inning spurt.

With the bases loaded in the sixth inning, Meggie Martin was given a walk and the Lady Rebels jogged to a 9-0 lead. Lambert grabbed the bat, made her direct hit and ended the game with the 10-point rule.

“We had 5-0 start last time we played them,” said White. “This was kind of demoralizing.”