By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LAPLACE—For Chad McNeil, it was a fitting way to end a stellar all-around performance. And for he and his Townsend Homes teammates, it was the ideal way to start the summer season.

McNeil scored the winning run on a suicide squeeze play, netting the St. Charles-based squad a 4-3 win in eight innings over Destrehan-based Valero St. Charles in a Second District game at Comet Field.

McNeil tossed a three-hitter on the mound and went all eight innings. He was 3 for 4 at the plate with a home run, a single and a triple — the latter coming to lead off the bottom of the eighth, drilling a pitch down the right field line into the corner of the outfield.

“I was pumped up,” said McNeil. “I felt disappointed in how I pitched in our first game (a jamboree loss to Holy Cross-based Ponstein’s). I knew I needed to be better today. This summer’s about being the best that I can be for my team.”

Said Townsend Homes coach Paul Waguespack, “I can’t say enough about the job he did. He might have 18 innings pitched for us, career. We need guys to step up in the rotation. He started off shaky today, but he came through. And then he comes up clutch with the big hit. Again, you can’t say enough.”

McNeil’s leadoff triple set up Townsend Homes (2-0) to score the winning run. Macky Cortez hit a hot shot to first that was fielded cleanly, and McNeil had to hold at third.

But the next batter was Luke Poche, and he would lay down a bunt that was more than clean enough to score McNeil, who bolted for home on the pitch.

“I don’t think they were expecting it,” said Waguespack. “Or maybe they were. But we told Luke before the at bat even started, on the second pitch, that was the plan. No sign, just lay it down.”

Waguespack said he thought about lifting McNeil with two outs in the eighth after he’d issued a walk to Ryan Burks.

But McNeil wanted to stay in, and his coach obliged.

“He told me, ‘no way.’ He wanted the ball,” said Waguespack.

Poche would negate a stolen base attempt with a throw to second to end the inning.

McNeil had a rough first inning, walking the bases loaded. Townsend escaped with only one Valero (2-2) run on the board.

Waguespack had a talk with his pitcher early on to try and calm his nerves.

“I told him after they loaded them up, I don’t care if they score three, four, five runs. I just want you to throw strikes,” he said. “This is about you focusing, you getting better as a pitcher. And that’s what he went out and did.”

Valero made it 2-0 thanks to a Townsend error in the third, after Zach Schexnaydre walked and later scored on a misplayed ball at short hit by Kade Granier.

But after McNeil recorded a perfect fourth inning, Townsend went to work in the bottom half. He’d help his own cause, again leading off an inning with a big blast — this one clearing the fence for a solo home run to make it 2-1.

With two outs, LaJaylin Smith and Nick Montagut each drew walks. David Bleakley drove in the tying run, but the inning appeared over immediately after when Montagut was caught in a run down between second and third. But after the umpires reviewed the play, the runner was ruled safe due to interference by the defense.

A play later, another close call went Townsend’s way when Chris Millet reached first when it was ruled the first baseman was off the bag on the play. That plated the go-ahead run.

Valero quickly answered via the bat of Rodrigo Rodriguez, who slammed a home run to left to lead off the fifth inning and tie the game.

But Valero missed opportunities to put things away. It saw two runners reach later in the inning with one out, but both would be stranded. Then, in the sixth, a single by Blake Hymel stretched out for more when a throw to first sailed wide. But he would be thrown out trying to advance to third base.

Each team went three-up and three-down in the seventh, Valero calling upon Brant Bourgeois in relief — he’d retire six consecutive batters over two perfect innings of relief until the eighth, when McNeil’s triple would end that streak.

And eventually, the game.

“It’s a big win,” said Waguespack. “It gets no easier from here. But we’ve won a couple (in the late innings) now. We’re glad to be 2-0 at this point.”