SULPHUR — The Riverside Academy Lady Rebels’ turbulent softball season came to a close Thursday with a 11-1 loss against St. Thomas Aquinas in the Division III quarterfinals, held in Sulphur.

Head coach Tamra Regalo said the girls came in strong and stuck it out for seven innings.

Sophomore pitcher Lexi Johnson recorded five strikeouts, and freshman Chloe Simon hit her stride, going 2 for 3 at the plate and stealing three bases.

Inconsistent hitting against skillful pitchers sealed the loss, according to Regalo.

With only three seniors leaving the program, Regalo looks forward to most of the girls returning to make more noise next year. Staying healthy is a big focus because several injuries impacted the talented squad this year, she said. One senior was sidelined early in the season with a basketball injury, and two go-to pitchers recovering from surgery and tendonitis weren’t cleared to take the mound until the playoffs.

Moving forward, Regalo said hitting would be another focus for the program.

“We need to work on our batting to get them ready for this caliber of pitching,” Regalo said. “Walking less people is another way we can improve. We’re a young team. We’re still building.”

Regalo said traveling to Sulphur again got the girls’ adrenaline pumping, and they did a good job of remaining focused amongst excitable crowds.