RESERVE—Jordan Loving struck out three batters in the first inning. Then the Riverside pitcher recorded three more punch outs in the second.

That start simply set the tone for the Riverside pitcher’s day. Loving finished Tuesday’s clash with visiting Fisher with 14 strikeouts as the Rebels defeated Fisher by the 10-run rule in six innings, 11-1.

It was a key victory for Riverside. Fisher (13-3) is ranked third in Class 2A power points; the Rebels have climbed to 13th following the victory.

Loving allowed four hits, one earned run and walked four in his six innings of work to lead Riverside to its fifth straight win.

“Fisher’s pretty high up in the rankings, so we knew this was a big game,” Loving said. “We really came out on fire. My defense made some great plays behind me, and offensively we had some great quality at-bats and made timely hits. This was a great team win.”

While Loving hit the ground running, Fisher’s Austin Carlile struggled to find the strikezone. Riverside (9-10) scored three first inning runs without recording a hit after Tyler Gauthier, T.J. St. Pierre and Mason Vicknair each drew walks to load the bases with no outs. A Fisher error and then sacrifice flies by Brandon Hymel and Evan Veron plated those runs.

Vicknair made it 4-0 in the second inning after his single followed walks by Gauthier and St. Pierre that led off the frame. Hymel’s second sacrifice fly made it 5-0.

Fisher got on the board in the fourth inning after Carlile blasted a home run to right field to make it 5-1.

That score held until the sixth, when Vicknair got a hold of a Brennan DesRoches pitch and rocked it to left field, the ball leaping out of the yard quickly to push the lead to 6-1. Hymel followed with a double, then Loving and Brandon Morris drew walks from reliever Kelby Wade before Veron singled two runs home. Drake Perret’s double to deep center made it 10-1, then Gauthier hit a ground ball to drive home the final run.

It was Riverside’s fifth straight win, putting the Rebels at 9-10 on the season.

“It’s like I told our guys, we weren’t going to win a state title in February,” Riverside coach Frank Cazeaux said.

“But it starts here in April. These guys are responding. I inherited a heck of a club, and it just takes a little time for everything to gel.”

Vicknair began the season leading off, but has since moved into the three-hole. Gauthier is back in the leadoff role. Both have been heating up — Gauthier’s at-bat to lead off Tuesday’s game saw him foul off a number of pitches and draw a full count before earning a walk, a patient approach that set the tone for the game.

“He’s the kicker on the football team, and I tell him to kick it off for us just like he does for them,” Cazeaux said. “He’s done a tremendous job.”