I have been watching sports for as long as I can remember and been covering it for at least the past five years.

I have had the opportunity to see some historic things. From Warren Morris hitting the game-winning homerun to give LSU the National Championship to Kristin Schmidt pitching three games in one day in the Women’s College World Series, I can undoubtedly say that the events that I have seen live are pretty impressive.

However, what I saw Thursday afternoon in the state quarterfinal match-up between South Beauregard and Riverside Academy vaults to the top of the list of the most impressive individual efforts I have ever seen.

Sophomore right-hander Nicole Poirrier literally left pieces of herself out on the field in the Lady Rebels loss to the Knights Friday afternoon.

For those of you who were unable to attend, let me reset it for you. Attempting to lay down a bunt in the top of the eighth inning, Poirrier took a foul ball off of the face, breaking her nose.

In the bottom of the eighth inning with a runner on third base, Poirrier took one of the hardest hit balls I have ever seen off of the chest, which allowed Brittany Buller to score the game-winning run.

It was later discovered on a trip to the hospital that Poirrier had bruised ribs.

Perhaps what was even more amazing was the fact that the 15-year-old was willing and able to talk to the media, i.e. ME after the game.

With a bandage on her nose and a bloody towel in her hand, Poirrier said she gave it all she could.

“I don’t think that we could have done any better out there,” a tearful Poirrier said after the game. “We were together. We came in here playing with a lot of heart thinking we could win. We were together and could not have done anything better.”

Breaking out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, Poirrier and the Lady Rebels look like they would pull the upset against the defending state champions.

“In the beginning it was going our way,” Poirrier said. “We thought we had a chance, but in the end they did what they had to do to win.”

Riverside Head Coach Mickey Roussel best summed up his sophomore’s performance Friday afternoon.

“I don’t know if there is an adjective to describe what Nicole did out there,” Roussel said. “To have her take the beating that she did and still stay in there. You can’t ask anymore from a player. I don’t know if there is a word for it. It was just awesome.”

Awesome is a good word to describe the performance of the sophomore right-hander.

Poirrier will be back next season along with a host of Riverside teammates that will undoubtedly use this experience as motivation throughout the summer and fall workouts and the 2006 season.

Hats off to the Lady Rebels on an outstanding performance that just didn’t end the way that they wanted it to.