By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

Marc Picciola’s grand slam was the big moment in St. Charles-based Townsend Homes’ 7-5 victory over East Jefferson-based Bell Office Machines in a Second District West baseball game Saturday at St. Charles.

Picciola’s fourth inning bomb erased a 4-3 Bell Office lead to give Townsend a 7-4 lead, one it wouldn’t relinquish.

The win, coupled with a pair of Wednesday forfeit victories over district foe Helen Cox (which has dropped out of American Legion play), improves Townsend Homes’ record to 6-4, 4-3 in Second District West play.

“We’re probably looking at the three seed in the district tournament,” said Townsend Homes coach Paul Waguespack, whose team will face Destrehan-based Valero-St. Charles today in its final regular season Legion game. “That’s ok by us.”

The West Division playoffs will begin Monday, and it will be double-elimination.

Three Townsend Homes pitchers combined to do the job against Bell Office on a hotter than usual day. Picciola started the game and went 3 1/3 innings before giving way to Henri Faucheux with Townsend behind 4-2.

Faucheux would pitch 1 1/3 innings and earn the win before Nick Reine took over and closed out the game.

“It was a team effort on the mound,” said Townsend Homes assistant coach Wayne Stein. “Henri got the win and Nick came in and did a nice job for the save. Nick’s thrown well for us all summer. He’s been lights out.”

Brady Hitt was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

Bell Office challenged to tie the game in the seventh inning, with men on first and second. Reine worked his way out the jam.

With the two forfeitures on Wednesday, the game against Valero today will be only the 11th of the summer for Townsend Homes, a number down from previous years.

That, Stein says, is due to a grind that goes beyond this past prep season.

“The seniors have made that run to the championship game for three years now. It’s been a three-year grind,” said Stein.

“They play for the state title, then 95-percent of our team jumped right into spring football. It’s good to scale things back a little.”