When the ball jumped off her bat in the bottom of the first inning, Anna Riva knew it was going over the fence.

Same thing in the bottom of the second.

In the fourth, she was “scared a little bit,” but that one, too, soared over the fence.

Riva launched three home runs - one to left center, one to right center and one to straightway center and also ripped a double to the left-center gap and drove in six runs to power La Salle-Peru to an 11-4 nonconference victory over Morton on Friday at the L-P Sports Complex for its first victory of the season.

“I was really, really happy that all the hard work I and my team have been putting in paid off,” said Riva, who never had hit three homers in a game before. “I was honestly shocked. It was our first home game, so I came to the field motivated to do well for myself and my team.”

Riva belted a three-run shot in L-P’s five-run first inning, ripped a two-out solo shot in the second and smacked a leadoff homer in the fourth.

“I was waiting back a little more on the ball and my timing felt really, really good,” Riva said.

The offensive onslaught was more than triple what the Cavs had put up in their first three games combined.

L-P scored two runs in a season-opening loss, managed one in its second game and was blanked in a loss Thursday.

L-P coach Randy Huebbe tweaked the lineup before Friday’s game, moving Kelsey Frederick into the leadoff spot and putting Karmen Piano in the No. 2 slot.

“I put Kelsey there because she’d been our best contact hitter we’ve had (through three games) and we moved Karmen from leadoff to two because she’s a better bunter and we’ve been struggling bunting,” Huebbe said. “The first three games were frustrating because we outplayed the teams and lost.”

The lineup shuffling paid off as Frederick belted a leadoff homer to right-center field to spark the five-run first.

Piano drew a walk and Makenzie Chamberlain singled to set the table for Riva’s first homer.

In the third, Sophie Pyszka hit a two-out single, advanced to second on a single by Frederick and a passed ball before scoring on a wild pitch.

The Cavs tacked on three runs in the fourth. Along with Riva’s homer, Taylor Vescogni, Maggie Boudreau and Shayla Turczyn drew walks to load the bases and Frederick was hit by a pitch to bring in a run before Turczyn scored on a wild pitch.

Chamberlain reached on an error to start the sixth and Riva brought her all the way around on a hard line drive double to the gap.

The Cavs finished with 12 hits - four the opposite way - with five walks and two hit batters.

“Kaitlyn Gibson, our hitting coach, has been working with the whole team on going with the pitch, hitting with two strikes, going up the middle, hitting right and it shows,” Huebbe said. “We were hitting changeups. Last year, we struggled with changeups.”

Riva said she hopes Friday’s big game is a launching point for the Cavs.

“Definitely, I think it can be a start to a big run for us,” Riva said. “I have a really good feeling about it.”

The Cavs and starting pitcher Sydney Delphi gave up two runs in each the first and second innings before settling in and shutting out the Potters the rest of the way.

Delphi pitched five innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on eight hits - only two in her final three innings - with four strikeouts and one walk.

Claire Boudreau threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit with one strikeout and no walks.

“Sydney in her first varsity start was a little nervous,” Huebbe said. “We made some adjustments. She was leaving it out where they can extend their arms. We moved everything inside and after that adjustment they didn’t score.”

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L-P's Anna Riva (top-middle) is greeted by teammates after hitting a home run on Friday, March 20, 2026 at the L-P Athletic Complex in La Salle. (Scott Anderson)