By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

SHREVEPORT –  An explosive offensive output in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s Class 2A regional round baseball playoff game lifted Evangel into the state quarterfinals, 7-1 victors over visiting Riverside.

“We could never really get anything going,” said Riverside coach Matt White. “They’re a real solid ball club without any noticeable weaknesses. Our scouting report hardly did them justice.”

It was the first meeting between the teams since Riverside’s victory over then top-seeded Evangel in last season’s Class 2A semifinal.

Now the third seed in 2A, Evangel scored five fifth inning runs to blow open what was a 2-0 Eagles lead. Chase Defriend’s two-run home run capped that push and gave Evangel starter Scotty Harville all the run support he could ask for. Harville allowed two hits and an earned run while striking out six over six innings.

“They led 1-0 for a little while but, man, it felt more like a five or six run lead, just because of the way he was pitching and the way they were making plays defensively,” said White.

Nate Fielder and Blake Buckman also drove in runs in the fifth for the Eagles (19-10). Miller Parker collected two hits and scored a pair of runs.

Riverside sophomore lefthander Tanner Lawson went five innings, allowing six earned runs on eight hits and two walks. Brandon Hymel pitched a perfect sixth in relief.

Dustin Madere and Mason Vicknair collected the Rebels’ two lone hits. Vicknair’s RBI single in the sixth inning knocked in Andre Faucheux.

Riverside (13-15) flipped over much of its lineup after last season, with a senior-heavy lineup giving way to one laced with underclassmen.

The Rebels will lose three key players entering next year: shortstop Dustin Madere and second baseman Andre Faucheux were two of the team’s most productive players, each of them a senior.

RA also received some bad news this season when it learned Lawson, who put together a breakout campaign, won’t be returning to the school next year, as he and his family will be moving to Texas.

White said he’s encouraged by the team’s returning young players, though, and said the team’s top priority this summer will be to develop the club’s pitching rotation for next season. Hymel, himself a sophomore, showed a lot of ability in his first significant pitching action this season.

“(Hymel) threw awfully well down the strength,” said White. “We’re going to look at a lot of different guys out there and see if they can give us some quality innings.”