By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

St. Charles extended its undefeated streak to seven games to begin the 2009 season by going 4-0 at this past weekend’s Comet Classic tournament in LaPlace, including a 4-1 victory over Riverside on Saturday in the tournament’s final game.

Riverside had entered the final game with a 3-0 record in the tournament.

The Comets opened the tourney with a 11-0 win over De La Salle on Thursday. On Friday, SCC downed Academy of Our Lady 4-0. It followed that win up with a 12-0 victory over Assumption Saturday.

Combined, SCC outscored opponents 31-1 in the tournament. On the season, the undefeated Comets have outscored opponents by a staggering 63-2 margin.

Individual tournament statistics for SCC were not available at press time.

Riverside, meanwhile, opened the tournament with a come from behind 9-7 victory over Academy of our Lady on Thursday.

The Rebels’ Bridget Petit doubled home the two deciding runs in the top of the sixth and final inning, where the Rebels erased a 7-5 deficit by scoring four runs. Heidi Garcich and Shea Lafountain each had RBIs in the inning.

Destin Vicknair recorded the final three outs in the bottom of the inning, and notched the victory. Vicknair pitched the final two innings in relief of Garcich, who started.

RA found things to come much easier on Friday, as it toppled Assumption 11-1.

Vicknair again notched the win for the Rebels, going five innings.

Vicknair went three innings on Saturday to record her third and final win of the weekend for the Rebels, a 7-0 defeat of De La Salle on Saturday.

“I thought it was a good weekend for us overall,” said Rebels coach Kristy Hebert. “We hit the ball well, even in the last game. We just couldn’t get the timely hit (against St. Charles).”

Hebert said that she was especially pleased with the team’s pitching, especially the effort of Vicknair, who has pitched in each of the Rebels’ games this season despite only being an eighth grader.

While Hebert says Vicknair’s offering much more help than one would expect from the average player of that age, her success doesn’t come as a huge surprise.

“It’s really not a huge shock,” said Hebert. “She works extremely hard, plays competitively during the summer. I wouldn’t have her in these games if I didn’t think she was ready to handle it. The same goes for the rest of the younger girls we start.”