By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

SULPHUR – Riverside battled back in the top of the seventh inning to erase a 2-1 John Curtis lead Saturday, but Katie Brignac’s RBI single in the inning’s bottom half lifted the Lady Patriots to their second consecutive Class 2A state softball championship.

“To get so close, and to do as much as we have … it hurts,” said Riverside coach Kristy Hebert, who led her team to consecutive state semifinal finishes in 2011 and 2012. “All you can do is get better from the hurt.

“Our girls did that all year. Each year, they dug a little deeper and got a little further. This year, we were right there. We just came up a run short.”

Riverside (27-8) trailed 2-1 entering the final inning. Rayne Weber drew a leadoff walk, then reached third on a Madison Watson sacrifice bunt and a passed ball. Taylor Terrio – who was 3 for 3 to that point – lined out to third. Toni Hebert then came up and hit a short ground ball up the middle, but the Curtis (31-1) throw to first was too high and RA tied the game. Brignac got Destin Vicknair to fly out to end the inning.

But Curtis regrouped quickly, and it was enough to clinch the seventh state championship in school history. Pinch hitter Tara Stander got on via an infield single. Saige Eastin bunted her over and Brooke Lee reached on another infield single.

After Heather Scully bunted the runers over, Brignac stepped to the plate and ripped a single to the gap to ignite a Curtis celebration.

“Two outs in that spot, I had just settle down and look for something to drive,” said Brignac. “We’d be excited to win regardless, but playing (Riverside) made it special. They’re a great team and one of the top competitors we’ve faced.”

Brignac gave up just three hits en route to the win. All three hits belonged to Terrio.

Rachel Brockhaus went 2 for 2 with a two-run home run. That home run made it 2-1 in the fourth inning.

Toni Hebert’s sacrifice fly scored Terrio in the third inning after Terrio’s lead off triple.