By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

CHALMETTE — Jon Brown’s complete game, three-hit shutout paced St. Charles Catholic-based Townsend Homes to a 4-0 victory over Chalmette-based Gulf Coast Bank. 

Brown struck out seven en route to the win, Townsend’s sixth of the summer. 

“Jon’s a guy who we’ve looked at as someone who could step up and be special,” Townsend Homes coach Wayne Stein said. “That was as well as he’s ever pitched. He’ll be a junior and we’re excited about his prospects.”

After a prep season that saw St. Charles Catholic’s team ERA finish at a mark of 1.69, the Townsend Homes staff has kept that strong play going despite the rotation boasting nearly all new names. 

Stein said the consistency on the mound goes back to before his tenure as an assistant, and the coach gives a nod to his head coaching predecessor and current assistant.

“I think you have to give coach Paul Waguespack a lot of credit,” said Stein. “One thing I can say about us here is we’ve never been bad on the mound. 11 straight years that I’ve been here and it was like that before me, so you have to look to him. He prepares these guys to step up and step in for our team every year.”

Offensively, Justin Ory led the way, going 2 for 3 with an RBI. The performance continued a hot start to the summer for Ory, who collected 11 hits in his first 20 at bats. 

RETIF 11, TOWNSEND HOMES 0 — Townsend took its first loss of the summer Thursday, falling to Jesuit-based Retif Oil.

Retif allowed just two hits.

“They’re the best team we’ve played and we gave them an extra out or two each inning,” Stein said. “We looked like a tired summer baseball team. We pushed our (football) seven-on-seven’s back to Thursday and, being our third game of the week. 

“That’s certainly not to use an excuse. Believe me, (Retif) earned that win. But I think them being the best we’ve faced combined with some fatigue, that added up to 11-0.”