By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

BOUTTE – Hahnville-based Otto Candies has given St. Charles-bases Townsend Homes more than its share of trouble over the past three summers — Townsend has been eliminated from the Second District playoffs by Otto Candies in each of the past three seasons.

But on Monday, Townsend Homes overcame their nemesis in comeback fashion, erasing an early 3-0 deficit to capture a 4-3 district win.

Macky Cortez’ two-RBI single provided the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and Cody McMurry finished off his first start and win of the summer.

“I was hoping our leadoff guy would get on, because I just wanted a chance,” said Cortez. “I really wanted to deliver in that spot.”

Said Townsend coach Paul Waguespack: “It was the biggest hit we’ve come up with so far this summer.”

McMurry kept Otto Candies (1-2) scoreless for the last six innings, but ran into trouble in the first. After Austin Fremen walked and Tyler Simmons reached on an error, Mike Ford blasted a pitch over the left field wall for a no-doubt home run to make it 3-0.

But while Otto Candies would bat around, McMurry got out of a bases loaded jam to end the first.

“At first, I was trying to throw too hard,” said McMurry. But Coach Wayne (Stein) told me to stop trying to blow it by everybody. He said, ‘Just be you.’ I slowed it down more and settled in after that.”

Townsend Homes (1-2) came back with a run in the second when with two outs Donnie Savoie singled home Brandon Zimmer, who ran for Shane McNeil. McNeil reached on a base hit earlier in the inning.

That score held until the sixth inning. Otto Candies starter Jake Cologne ran into some control issues, hitting two batters. He was relieved by Tyler Joyce, who struck out consecutive batters. But he’d hit Chad McNeil to load the bases, then walk Austin Ourso to force home a run.

“We’re young. I won’t say rebuilding, because that, to me, is an excuse to be bad,” said Otto Candies coach Kade Rogers. “But we need to be more solid defensively, and we need to develop this pitching staff. It’ll take some time.”

Cortez drilled an RBI base hit to bring home two runs.

“I knew we’d fight back,” Cortez said.

Otto Candies’ last chance came in the seventh. After a leadoff walk to Austin Melancon, a botched pickoff throw worked out for Townsend as first baseman Chad McNeil recovered the ball and threw a sliding Melancon out at second.

McMurry (1-0) struck out the last two batters — a punch out of Ford, who victimized McMurry via the home run earlier—finished things officially.

McMurry said that it was his third ever start and first complete game he’s thrown at St. Charles, including prep and summer ball.

While he wanted the complete game, his teammate wanted that game-winning hit.

“It was a really happy moment,” McMurry said. “Macky was at the mound, and he asked me to do him a favor and finish it off for him.”