By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — While St. Charles Catholic-based Townsend Homes entered the summer with plenty of positions to fill, they’ve thus far had little trouble filling up the win column. 

Despite the loss of seven seniors from SCC’s 24-win prep season team, Townsend secured its second victory in as many American Legion games, downing the John Curtis-based Patriots 7-4 Wednesday. 

“The biggest thing today, I thought, was we corrected some of the things we failed to do at the end of the (prep) season,” said Townsend Homes coach Wayne Stein. “We got some big bases loaded hits and we got out of some tough jams. We need guys to have thick skins and not be afraid of those moments.”

Dane Authement lifted Townsend Homes (2-0) by going 2 for 2 with a walk and a pair of RBIs, those earned on a fourth inning double that pushed the Townsend lead to 6-0.

Austin Weber (1-0) earned the victory, going four innings and allowing two runs on one hit and five walks. Zack Roussel came on in relief and pitched three innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and no walks.

Nick Wilson took the loss for the Patriots. 

Townsend Homes struck first with Authement leading off the bottom of the first inning by hitting a rocket to centerfield for a single. Patrick Ratliff and Jon Brown  each drew walks to load the bases before Justin Ory singled in the day’s first run. Two more Townsend runs scored on an errant Patriots relay throw that went into the Comet dugout. Brady Newman’s RBI double made it 4-0.

Townsend added to its lead in the fourth on Authement’s two-out, two-run double after Newman reached on a single and Brady Becker on an error. Authement delivered the hit after narrowly missing a similar result on a ball that dropped just foul earlier in the at-bat.

“I knew I had to do something good there for my team,” said Authement. 

Curtis began to push back in the fifth. Jacob Bordelon and Hunter Dale each delivered RBIs to cut the Townsend lead to 6-2. Ory came up with another clutch hit, this one an RBI  double in the bottom of the fifth to make it 7-2. 

Curtis trailed 7-3 in the seventh and refused to go quietly, with the top of the order leading things off. Daniel Cabrera, Bordelon and Dale each singled to load the bases with no outs. A.J. Huff’s sacrifice fly made it 7-4 and Curtis had at least two more chances with the tying run at the plate. 

But Roussel got two fly ball outs to seal the deal for Townsend, keeping the team unbeaten in early summer action.

For Authement, the big game comes as he adjusts to the leadoff spot in the Comet lineup, a role he inherits from senior Kameron Keller.

“I did it every year before I started with the varsity,” said Authement. “I’m used to it. Someone had to step up. I try to work the pitcher as much as I can.

“We lost a lot of guys from prep. We know we’ve got to rebuild, so it’s definitely a great sign to come out and get two wins to start the summer. Curtis beat us twice in the regular season, so it’s good to get them back here.”

Stein said that Weber began to fatigue in the fifth inning when he gave way to Roussel, but also noted that the senior-to-be is pulling a bit of iron-man duty this summer.

“He’s the quarterback for football, and he had that this morning. 

“Then he comes here to start a game on the mound and now he’s headed to basketball. There’s no easy day for him. Hats off to both he and Zack.”

TOWNSEND HOMES 7, LUTCHER 4 — Brady Becker’s bases-loaded triple proved the difference in Townsend Homes’ opening game of the summer, a victory on the road at Lutcher. 

Becker’s hit made it 6-4 and Townsend added one more run to close out the three-run victory. 

Jon Brown started and went six innings for Townsend, earning the win. Austin Weber earned the save, recording a strikeout while facing a lone batter, the last for Lutcher of the game.