By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

 

LAPLACE – Paul Waguespack, coach of St. Charles Catholic-based Townsend Homes, said that he believed his team could go toe-to-toe with Jesuit-based Retif Oil if Townsend played as well as capable. And after a 3-0 start against the Legion squads of Rummel, Holy Cross and Shaw, it isn’t difficult to understand why.

But Monday was not an example of Townsend’s best work. Walks, errors and the lack of a timely hit added up to a 9-0 loss to Retif at Comet Field. 

Retif scored two runs in the second inning, three in the fourth and four in the fifth. It outhit Townsend Homes 11 to 3. 

Townsend Homes had four errors and starter Connor Smith struggled with his control on the mound, walking six batters and hitting two more. He was coming off of a strong 1-hit in five innings performance against Deanie’s (Rummel).

“The crazy thing is, we can play with them if we play like we’re capable. But not like we did today,” said Waguespack. “Too many walks and errors. That’s a good baseball team and you can’t give them anything free.”

Smith and Townsend Homes got out of a jam in the first inning without allowing a run. Mitch Alexander singled to lead off the game, then Jonathan Lee walked and Tony Fortier-Benson reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. But Smith retired the next three batters, two on pop-ups and one on a strikeout.

But with two outs in the top of the second, Retif nine-hole batter Armand Daigle drew a walk, then Smith hit Alexander and walked Lee. That brought up Fortier-Benson again with runners on, and with the bases loaded he punched a single through the left side of the infield to score two runs. 

“After the first, I felt pretty good. We got out of a jam there. But then, after getting two guys out, on four pitches, we walk nine, walk one, walk two to load the bases for Benson, their best hitter. It ain’t a secret … throw strikes, pound the zone. So that was disappointing.”

Alexander was hit by a pitch to start the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Fortier-Benson walked. That set up Matt Robert, who slammed a 3-run home run to right-center to make it 5-0. Retif loaded the bases again with two outs but did not push another run across.

Townsend’s best chance to make it a contest came in the bottom of the fourth when Chad McNeil, Brandon Zimmer and Luke Poche each drew walks. That chased starter Jonathan Hess from the game, despite his only allowing one hit, and brought in lefty reliever Will North. North delivered and Retif wriggled free – he struck out Dillan Gilles and David Bleakley before getting Jon Brown to ground out.

Austin Weber relieved Smith, but by this point the Retif bats were on fire. Lee singled, then Fortier-Benson smashed an RBI double to left. Robert reached on an error, then Luke Voiron doubled home another run. Spencer Miller’s two-run single up the middle made it 9-0 and effectively put things completely out of reach.

TOWNSEND HOMES 11, REFUEL 4 -Chad McNeil earned the win on the mound against Refuel Friday, going six innings and allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out eight and walked one. 

A seven-run second inning was the key surge for Townsend Homes.

Brandon Zimmer had two RBIs and McNeil collected two hits in the game. Jake Levatino had a pinch-hit home run.