By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RIVER RIDGE – Riding a 48-game winning streak into the week, John Curtis’ softball team realistically had one major obstacle left before the run reached 50 – archrival Riverside, also doubling as the Patriots’ largest obstacle to the District 10-2A title and perhaps, ultimately, the Class 2A state championship.

But Curtis didn’t blink. Score round one for the Patriots, 6-3 winners over the visiting Rebels after holding off a late inning RA rally Tuesday.

Katie Brignac earned the win on the mound for Curtis in her first game back from injury after a two game absence. She went all seven innings and allowed two earned runs on seven hits and four walks. She struck out 13.

“It wasn’t my best game today, but I felt fine,” said Brignac. “(Riverside) is very good. They’re our rivals … This was always going to be one of our toughest games, so of course everyone was up for it. We know each others strengths and weaknesses because we’ve played one another so much.”

Curtis beat Riverside 4-3 in a thrilling Class 2A state semifinal last season, en route to the 2A state championship for the Patriots.

The loss snapped an 11-game Riverside winning streak.

Riverside (16-4) fell behind 6-1 after Jenna Bordelon scored on a wild pitch near the end of the fifth inning. But the Rebels generated another chance.

Erica Delaneuville drew a walk to lead off the sixth inning. Megan Stein doubled, then Riverside put a run on the board after a passed ball. Hailey Tassin drew a walk and Rayne Weber singled home the Rebels’ third run.

But Curtis (18-0) escaped a potential big inning when third baseman Rebecca Dill raced to catch a popped up bunt attempt by Kori Bourgeois. Dill made the throw to first to double off Weber, who had taken off for second.

“That’s her,” said Curtis coach Jerry Godfrey of Dill. “You put a pop up in front of her and we know she’s gonna make that play. That play right there was the game for us. It won the game for us.”

Said Riverside coach Kristy Hebert, “We had a bunt and run on there … we need to do a better job of executing that, of reading that play on both ends of it. It was unfortunate. But all you can go is get back to work and put it behind you.”

The Rebels struck first, going ahead 1-0 in the first inning after Taylor Terrio led off the game with a double. Delaneuville plated her on a double to the centerfield wall.

But Curtis answered in their first chance to bat. Brooke Lee walked to lead off, then with one out, Brignac helped her own cause by taking hold of a pitch and knocking it over the left field wall, her home run making it 2-1. With two outs, Rachel Brockhaus followed up with the inning’s second home run, a solo shot to center that made it 3-1.

“We haven’t done a great job of hitting lately,” said Godfrey. “So that’s what we went back and concentrated on in practice. We were just hitting, hitting, hitting. Today, the work paid off.”

Curtis added two more runs in the third inning. Brignac led things off with a single and Payton Adams added another. With one out, Logan Melancon singled in a run. Then Dill grounded out to plate another, making it 5-1.

Delaneuville led Riverside at the plate, going 2 for 2 with a double and reaching base in all three of her plate appearances. She left the game in the sixth after injuring her hand on a slide back to first base on a pickoff attempt. Taylor Terrio went 2 for 3.

Destin Vicknair took the loss, going six innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and five walks. She struck out five.  

Hebert said that while the loss wasn’t what the Rebels hoped for, all of their goals are still well in play. A rematch with Curtis is set to be played at Riverside later on – and, if things hold to form, another rematch in the state tournament could also be in the cards.

“It’s not the end of our season. In the end, it’s just another game,” said Hebert. “I don’t feel we played our best softball. We can play much better than we did today.You’d like to win district, but our ultimate goal isn’t a district championship. It’s a state championship.”