By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

NEW ORLEANS – While it may not have completely erased the sting of St. Charles Catholic’s second round postseason loss to Parkview Baptist, the Comets tasted victory Saturday in their first game of American Legion baseball as SCC-based Townsend Homes shut out De La Salle-based Post 307, 7-0, at Delgado’s Kirsch-Rooney Stadium.

Four Townsend pitchers (Connor Smith, Austin Weber, B.J. Waguespack and Mason Bordelon) combined to toss a three-hitter against Post 307, which rostered players from De La Salle and drew from some other players in the New Orleans area, including some Rummel seniors (Rummel has elected to play Legion with just the players set to return next prep season).

“Once the (prep) season ended, there was nothing but waiting and anticipation for this moment,” said starting pitcher Connor Smith, who earned the win. “That, and a lot of hard work.

“It gets a little bit of that bad taste out the mouth … but at the same time, you don’t forget it. In three years, watching three other teams dog pile on the field as our season ended. You use it to drive yourself and get better.”

Townsend Homes coach Wayne Stein secured the win in his head coaching debut, as this summer marks the official changing of the guard between he and longtime head coach Paul Waguespack – Stein, Waguespack’s longtime assistant coach, moves into the head coaching role as Waguespack shifts to the assistant job.

Stein largely concurred with Smith’s thoughts.

“Baseball’s a little different. In football, you have to wait seven days after a loss to get back out there. In baseball, it’s usually a day or two later. We had to wait 22 days to taste victory again. I felt like our guys were focused and ready to do whatever they had to.”

Townsend Homes (1-0) took an early lead in the top of the first inning. The first run came on a single by Connor Western – an error allowed Kameron Keller, who walked to lead off the game, in for a score. Jon Brown’s RBI groundout scored Western to make it 2-0.

Townsend added another run in the second after Brady Becker was hit by a pitch to lead off. He scored on a throwing error on a ball hit by Keller. Townsend increased its lead to 5-0 after adding two runs in the third. Weber and Eian Mitchell singled and walked to lead off and both runners scored on another 307 error, this time on a ground ball hit by Bordelon. Smith earned an RBI after laying down a bunt that scored Brown.

“We didn’t finish with a lot of hits, but we put a lot of pressure on their defense,” said Stein. “They made a few mistakes, but I felt like we had something to do with that.”

Meanwhile, Townsend Homes kept Post 307 (0-1) from answering. 307’s best chance to get back into the game came in the fourth, when Devin Morrill singled and Henry Pittman and Brandon Munster drew walks to load the bases with one out. B.J. Waguespack came on in relief to induce a ground ball that Bordelon and Keller combined to turn a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.

“Kameron and Mason take a lot of pride in their defense up the middle,” said Smith. “I know in a clutch situation, they’re gonna come up with the play.”

Post 307 didn’t get another baserunner on until the seventh.

“We kept pounding the zone,” said Smith, who walked his first batter before retiring six straight over two no-hit innings. “That’s all we’ve been working on, throwing first pitch strikes. Get on top, stay on top.”

Townsend added one more run in the seventh on Bordelon’s RBI groundout. The team finished with seven total hits, led by Weber (2 for 4).

Townsend Homes returns to action Friday, where it will rematch Post 307 at Comet Field.

First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.