Comets, Rebs smash Donaldsonville,

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 4, 2006

set for third district face-off Tuesday

By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

If the Tigers are a barometer, Riverside’s offense is twice as good as St. Charles’. But by the same measure, the Comet’s defense is 100 percent better. Either way, they both beat the heck out of Donaldsonville this week.

It was St. Charles turn first as they hosted the Tigers on Tuesday and used a third inning burst to bat their entire side and score nine runs. James Callahan led SCC from the batter’s box, going 2-for-2 with 3 RBIs, while Phillip Sutton got the win from the mound and gave up only two hits to keep his record at a perfect 5-0. The Comets recorded nine hits in the game and the defense shut the Patriots out for a 10-0 win. The Comets also recorded another 10 runs in a shutout over John Curtis on Thursday with a steady dose of base-runners in all seven innings. There, Kyle Olasin recorded four hits while Michael Oncale got the win from the mound.

But on the heels of first-ranked St. Charles, Riverside’s baseball squad took an impressive win over Donaldsonville where they scored 20 points of their own.

Though they did give up a run to Donaldsonville in the first inning, the Rebels scored twice as many runs on the Tigers Thursday as the Comets did on Tuesday and got a 20-1 win.

Chase Emerson put the Rebels in a commanding lead early in the game when they were already up by two with a hit to shallow left that dropped right in front of a diving fielder and bounced off of his glove.

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The Emerson hit drove in three runs and reached third base before it was all over with, to make it 5-1 going into the bottom of the side.

With A.J. Delauneville on the mound for the Rebels, the Tigers went three up and down for the top of the second before Riverside officially put it out of reach with a seven-run inning sparked by a two-run homer by shortstop Jordan Porrier that drove in centerfielder Lee Haydel. Another run scored when

Gavin Richmond walked to first pushing in A.J. Delauneville. Before the inning was over, and after the Tigers replaced their starting pitcher, Blaze Steib would also score runners with a single to left to bring the tally to 12-1.Showing their depth, the Rebels began rotating out starters, but never missed a beat on offense. Several Riverside batters reached base on back-to-back errors by the Tigers infield and Remy Porrier lined between the first baseman’s legs to load the bases for Ian Melancon who put the dagger in Donaldsonville with a grand slam and a 16-1 lead. The Rebels would add four more runs in the final innings for the eventual 20-1 victory.

But all comparisons can be thrown by the wayside when St. Charles (16-5, 6-0) and Riverside (14-3-2, 5-1) meet for the third and final district game this Tuesday in LaPlace. The Comets have topped the Rebels in both of those matches. But the third game looks to be the deciding factor in the 10-2A district title race.