By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE — Riverside’s rally bid fell short in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday as Lafayette threw out the Rebels’ Grady Gieger at home plate for the game’s final out, preserving a 4-3 victory for last season’s Class 5A runner-up.

Evan Veron’s single with two men on gave Geiger a chance to tie the game from second – and potentially gave Tate Scioneaux a chance to score after that, had the throw home from left been off target. But it was not, and the Rebels were left just short of a non-district win.

“You see where you stand in a game like this,” said Riverside coach Matt White. “We had a chance. But their guy just made a beautiful play. He came up on that thing and fired home immediately. Perfect throw, good tag, and the umpire made a great call.

“I’m proud of my guys. Any game where you battle like we battled, that’s what you look for at the end of the season.”

Lafayette scored two runs in the fifth, then two more in the seventh. The Rebels led 3-2 after six innings, scoring one run in the third and two in the fifth.

Veron was 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and a walk.

Gieger went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Scioneaux was 1-for-1 but reached base in all of his plate appearances, walking three times.

Scioneaux took the loss, pitching the complete game and allowing two earned runs on five hits. He struck out four .

JOHN CURTIS 9, RIVERSIDE 2 – Curtis kept hopes of a split district championship alive with a 9-2 9-2A win over the Rebels at Harahan Playground.

Dustin Madere went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Scioneaux walked twice, went 1-for-2 and scored both runs for Riverside.

Ryan Broussard started and took the loss, allowing three earned runs in four innings. He struck out six.

Tanner Lawson pitched two innings and gave up two earned runs.

Riverside committed four errors. Curtis scored four runs over the first two innings to take control.

Riverside won the previous two meetings with Curtis, both games started by Scioneaux, the Rebels’ ace; he allowed one run over those starts.

But White said that entering the contest  with a two game lead on the Patriots, and with the rivals ranked fourth and fifth respectively in the 2A power rankings, he used a little bit of discretion on Thursday.

“We didn’t want them to see Tate again,” said White. “If the playoffs started today, that’s a potential third round game. Ryan Broussard threw really well in our win over Brother Martin, so we went with him.”

But mistakes cost Riverside.

“We kicked it around a bit and left the bases loaded three times,” he said. “We let them get out to a lead and they kinda sat on it. You have to put pressure on a team if you‘re gonna come back on them, and we never did that.”

RIVERSIDE 10, ALBANY 0 – Perfect games don’t happen often. Nor does hitting for the cycle.

For both to happen in the same game?

“I’ve never given out a game ball in 17 years,” said White. “I’m not real big on them. But I gave out two this time around.”

Gieger hit for the cycle, going 4-for-4 with five RBIs, while freshman Tanner Lawson tossed a perfect game in a non-district Rebels win.

“It was an unbelievable effort,” said White. “Everyone was pumped up for those guys.”