By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

NEW ORLEANS — Valero-St. Charles started to put a late inning rally together, but Retif Oil and their ace John Simpson slammed the door on the game and Valero’s summer season with a 10-4 victory at the American Legion Southeast Regional.

Retif moved on to face Shaw-based Refuel in another elimination game.

Valero (11-7), based from Destrehan High, scored four runs in the sixth inning after Jesuit-based Retif had built an 8-0 lead.

But Retif (21-6) immediately answered the bell, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning.

“I stressed to the boys the importance of answering there,” said Retif coach Joey Latino. “It allowed us to keep John in the game and not have to burn another arm.”

Valero coach Marty Luquet echoed the importance of the sequence.

“We cut it in half and gave ourselves a chance,” he said. “We needed to put a zero up there. If we had done that, maybe things turn out a bit differently.”

Sam Carriere started the Valero rally by doubling to left. Matt Smith and Zach Schexnaydre each walked to load the bases with one out. Then Scott Stonestreet delivered a clutch hit, singling to plate two runs. Two more would score on an error at third base, and for the first time Valero seemed to have the momentum.

But the comeback wasn’t to be. Retif fired back, loading the bases with no outs on a double by Derek Dunham, a hit batter (Armand Daigle) and a single by Joey Tuminello. Ethan Oddo grounded into a double play, but a run scored and Jonathan Lee would follow with an RBI single.

Simpson went the complete game, throwing all nine innings allowing eight hits, two earned runs and striking out nine. He walked two.

“He did a really good job of throwing first pitch strikes. He was over 80-percent,” said Luquet.

“He’s got quality stuff, and it’s hard to catch up once you fall behind.”

Said Latino: “John’s the model of consistency. He’s gonna stay in the strike zone and make you hit. He pitches efficiently.”

Tuminello and Lee each collected two RBIs to lead Retif, which broke loose with five runs in the third and three more in the fourth.

Stonestreet, Smith and Walter Johnson split pitching duties for Valero. Stonestreet started and took the loss, allowing four earned runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings.

Carriere and Stonestreet each went 2-for-4 to lead Valero at the plate.

“I was very satisfied with the way we competed this summer.

“I feel like we came away with some answers for next season.”