With win, Townsend Homes now controls own playoff destiny in Second District

By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

After a 12-1 loss to Destrehan based Valero-St. Charles on Tuesday, Townsend Homes Coach Paul Waguespack was not happy with his team’s effort. But the good news, he said, was that in baseball, &#8220tommorrow’s always another day.”

Right, he was.

Host St. Charles-based Townsend Homes held off a late rally to defeat Hahnville-based Otto Candies, LLC, 10-8.

The win puts Townsend Homes (6-6, 4-4) in third place in the American Legion Second District West, behind first place Valero St. Charles (Destrehan) and Otto Candies, LLC. The top four teams make the postseason from the six team division.

&#8220I have to be happy with the win,” Waguespack said. &#8220What this does is it puts us in position to take care of business and make the playoffs. That’s what you work for.”

Townsend’s Corey Reed led the way, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. His two-run home run in the fourth inning put Townsend Homes at a clear advantage, giving the team a 6-2 lead.

Otto Candies scored three runs in the seventh inning to cut a five run Townsend lead to 10-8, but Nick Reine notched the save to end the game.

Otto Candies led 2-1 in the second inning when RBI singles by Reed and Brandon Becker made the score 3-2.

Jonathan Cancienne scored on a Jordan Millet sacrifice fly in the third inning tio make it 4-2.

The lead reached 7-2 in the fifth after Reed’s home run and a Cancienne sacrifice RBI.

Otto Candies scored three runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 7-5, prompting Waguespack to substitute Nick Reine in for starter Brandon Becker (2-0). Reine got out the inning with no more damage.

In the sixth, Townsend scored what would become the game deciding runson RBIs by Marc Picciola, Millet, and Reine.

&#8220We were lucky to get out of that last inning with the win,” Waguespack said. &#8220But I’m very happy with the effort and the win.”

On Tuesday, Valero St. Charles put serious pressure on Townsend to win Wednesday’s game against Otto Candies. Caleb Madere tossed a one hit, five inning complete game to lead Valero over Townsend Homes, 13-1, at St. Charles.

&#8220It’s easy to get into a groove like that when you know your team is going to always give you great run support,” Madere (3-0) said. &#8220You can go out and throw strikes to get ahead in the count, and work from there.”

Valero St. Charles (11-1, 8-0) rode a fast start to victory, after scoringruns in the first two innings. Townsend Homes could not recover from its sluggish start, scoring only once in the second inning when Nick Reine produced the team’s only hit, a double. He’d advance to third on a wild pitch, and D.J. Wesley grounded out with one out to bring him in.

&#8220Take absolutely nothing away from (Valero-St. Charles), they’re better than we are,” said Waguespack after the game. &#8220But I know we can play better than we did today.”

Valero scored two in the first inning, and broke open the game in the second. Renny Weber and Kyle Shnowski each hit RBI singles to make it 4-0, and Josh Rochelle hit a three-run home run to make it 7-0.