By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

NEW ORLEANS — It was fitting that the rubber match between Legion rivals Townsend Homes and Valero-St. Charles would carry a “loser goes home” stipulation with it, given the excitement provided by their two previous meetings this summer.

Tuesday’s Southeast Regional game saw St. Charles Catholic-based Townsend Homes take an early 2-1 lead. But Destrehan—based Valero’s bats matched the summer heat and pitcher Brant Bourgeois handled the rest in an 8-3 Valero win.

Bourgeois pitched all nine innings, shaking off the sweltering mid-day heat to strike out 11. He allowed three runs on 10 hits and walked two.

“He wanted to be on that mound,” said Townsend Homes coach Paul Waguespack. “He wanted the ball in his hands. He battled all day in this heat.”

Valero coach Marty Luquet said that he asked Bourgeois before the game how many innings he had in him.

He didn’t hesitate with the answer.

“He told me, ‘nine-plus’,” said Luquet. “He felt like he could. A few quick innings helped. Once we put some runs up, he went after guys.”

Bourgeois said that he began to tire as the game went on, but pushed through.

“I’ve never thrown nine innings in my life,” he said. “I felt a little sore, but I just battled through the pain and the heat. All the work in prep came in handy.”

Before the game, Waguespack noted how dangerous the Valero bats were — to give them 27 outs to play with over nine innings was “a scary proposition” — and indeed, Valero broke loose in the fourth and sixth innings, scoring three runs in each.

Valero led 1-0 in the third inning when Townsend Homes’ Jeffrey Hall led off the top half with a single. Austin Ourso bunted him over and Donnie Savoie singled to tie the game. With two outs, Savoie stole second and Jared Keating laced a single of his own to left, giving Townsend a 2-1 advantage.

A walk to Sam Carriere and an error allowing Seth Montz to reach put Valero back in business in the bottom half, and after a double steal Matt Smith socked an RBI single to tie things up. Keating, who started on the mound, and the Comets turned two fielders choice plays to end the threat.

In the fourth, Valero went to work again. Cameron Quigley singled home Jesse Bryant, then Montz socked a double to deep right center to drive in Quigley and Sam Carriere, making it 5-2.

“We couldn’t get Montz out,” said Waguespack. “Montz, Bryant, those guys came through.”

Said Montz: “We tried to put pressure on them from the start.”

Townsend cut the lead to two in the fifth after Savoie followed a Hall double to center with a high chopper up the middle that got through for an RBI single.

But from there, everything started to click for Bourgeois. He struck out the side in order in the sixth, and his team would add three more runs.

An error allowed Bryant to reach to begin the inning, then Quigley doubled down the left field line against reliever Cody McMurry.

Carriere singled, then Month singled home both baserunners to make it 8-3, rounding out the final score. Townsend Homes would get two on in the ninth, but did not convert the threat.

“We didn’t the big hit today,” said Waguespack. “They did. We had chances on a couple of occasions.”

Montz finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Quigley went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Hall went 3-for-4 with two runs scored for Townsend Homes.

“It was a great summer for us, regardless of today,” said Waguespack. “I’m proud of our kids.”