Chickasaws jump out early to defeat Comets, 9-1

By John Burbridge
sports@charlescitypress.com
CHARLES CITY — The “pitch count” has become a part of baseball at all levels.

That’s why it’s good to be able to count the number of pitchers you have at your disposal on more than one hand.

Against the Class 2A No. 9-ranked New Hampton Chickasaws, Charles City threw one of its more reliable pitchers — junior Tait Arndt — to start its Northeast Iowa Conference home game at Sportsmen’s Park on Monday.

Giving New Hampton some more outs than you should to a top-ranked team, Arndt and the Comets had a rough outing early on as the Chickasaws jumped out to an 8-1 lead.

The Comets, who have nine players who have logged in innings on the mound this season, leaned on their deep bullpen with Elliott Sinwell, JJ Ritter, Cole Reams and Wyatt Stevenson all appearing in order to hold the Chickasaws to 1 run for the next six-and-two-thirds — shutting them out in the final four — while pitching out of several jams.

But Charles City couldn’t generate any more offense after scoring its lone run in the first inning against New Hampton starter Mason Cleveland.

The Comets got to Cleveland early with Reams hitting a two-out double deep to centerfield followed by Jace Cajthaml’s RBI single and then another double by Arndt that put runners on second and third.

But after those three-straight hits, the Comets only managed one more — an infield single by JJ Ritter — for the rest of the game as the Chickasaws won in a 9-1 final.

Cleveland, who struck out seven and walked none before the pitch-count bell came calling for him with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, got the win while helping his team improve to 14-2 overall and 8-0 in the NEIC. Cleveland also had two hits and scored 2 runs from the leadoff position.

Hunter Pesek, Keegan Kane and Connor Hackman each had two hits, and Ryan Anderson had a 2-RBI double for New Hampton.

After losing its fourth straight, Charles City fell to 6-7 overall and 4-2 in the NEIC. The Comets will try to rebound Wednesday with a doubleheader against Waverly-Shell Rock at Wartburg College.

NEW HAMPTON 9, CHARLES CITY 1
NH AB R H BI CC AB R H BI
Mason Cleveland 3 2 2 1 Colton Slinger 3 0 0 0
Ryan Anderson 3 1 1 2 JJ Ritter 2 0 1 0
Wyatt Stochl 5 0 0 2 Cole Reams 3 1 1 0
Max Babcock 3 1 1 0 Jace Cajthaml 3 0 1 1
Hunter Pesek 5 1 2 1 Tait Arndt 3 0 1 0
Keegan Kane 4 0 2 2 Elliott Sinwell 3 0 0 0
Connor Hackman 3 1 2 1 Wyatt Stevenson2 0 0 0
Drake Wemark 2 1 0 0 Atticus Parrott 3 0 0 0
Carson Babcock 3 1 0 0 Ian Collins 3 0 0 0
*Connor Rochford 0 1 0 0
TOTALS 31 9 10 9 TOTALS 25 1 4 1
NEW HAMPTON 171 000 0 — 9
CHARLES CITY 100 000 0 — 1
LOB–NEW HAMPTON 12, CHARLES CITY 6. ERR–Wyatt Stevenson.2B–Ryan Anderson, Tait Arndt, Cole Reams. HBP–Max Babcock, Carson Babcock, Colton Slinger, JJ Ritter, Wyatt Stevenson. SACB–Ryan Anderson, Drake Wemark. SB–Mason Cleveland (2), Keegan Kane (3).
NEW HAMPTON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Mason Cleveland 5.67 4 1 1 0 7 0
Max Babcock 1.33 0 0 0 0 2 0
CHARLES CITY
Tait Arndt 1.33 5 8 8 4 0 0
Elliott Sinwell 2.00 3 1 1 1 1 0
JJ Ritter 1.67 0 0 0 1 2 0
Cole Reams 1.00 1 0 0 0 1 0
Wyatt Stevenson 1.00 1 0 0 1 1 0
PB–Cole Reams. SO–Mason Cleveland, Carson Babcock, Drake Wemark (2), Hunter Pesek, Colton Slinger, JJ Ritter, Elliott Sinwell (2), Ian Collins (2), Tait Arndt, Wyatt Stevenson,
Cole Reams. BB–Connor Hackman, Max Babcock, Mason Cleveland (2), Keegan Kane, Ryan Anderson, Drake Wemark.