Comets get back on track with two NEIC wins

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — In the current era of pitch counts and quick hooks, the complete-game decision is going the way of the velociraptor.

So when Waukon rallied for 4 runs in the top of the second during Friday’s Northeast Iowa Conference baseball game against Charles City, it looked as if Comet starter Logan Carey was due for a short night.

It all started after two outs as the Indians took advantage of a catcher-interference call as well as a subsequent pitcher balk while batting around in the inning.

But Carey managed to get out of the inning and proceeded to pitch shutout ball in the subsequent five frames allowing the Comets to come from behind to win 8-4 while halting a 9-game losing streak.

Carey stuck out five, walked two and gave up six hits as only 2 of the 4 runs scored off him were earned.

Charles City took the lead in the fifth on JJ Ritter’s 2-run home run over the left-field “Orange Monster”. It was Ritter’s first homer of the season and the team’s third.

Owen Weber was 2 for 4 with an RBI-double and a run scored; Colton Crooks had two hits and scored twice; Kaden Barry had two hits and 2 RBIs; Cael Ruzicka had an RBI-double; and Jaxon Daniels drove in 2 runs for the Comets, who pounded out 10 hits in six at-bat frames.

Noah Hatlan, Carey’s starting counterpart who took the loss, had two hits for the Indians.

* The following Monday, the Comets made it two conference wins in a row with a 17-5 pounding of the Oelwein Huskies.

The Comets won it going away with the mother of all after-two-out rallies.

In the top of the seventh, Charles City sent 12 men to the plate while scoring 9 runs.

Jeremiah Chapman had two hits in the inning, including a 2-run triple that capped the scoring.

Chapman likely could have had an inside -the-park home run if he hadn’t been held up at third base.

The Comets took a 3-0 lead after their half of the second, but the Huskies responded with 5 runs in their half of the frame.

That was all Oelwein would score for the rest of the game as Comet relievers, capped by closer Brennan Schmidt who had his curveball working effectively against the Huskies, put up zeroes for five-straight innings.

Charles City improved to 7-12 and 7-4 in the NEIC.

CHARLES CITY 8, WAUKON 4

WAUKON  AB  R  H BI  CHARLES CITY     AB  R  H BI

John O’Neill        4  0  0  1  Colton Crooks         4  2  2  0  Carter Schellsmidt    4  0  1  0 Owen Weber       4  1  2  1

Lincoln Snitker       3  0  0  1  JJ Ritter             2  2  1  2

Isaac Roe             3  0  0  0  Kaden Barry           4  0  2  2

Matt Ronan            3  0  0  0  Jaxon Daniels       3  0  1  2

Noah Hatlan           2  0  2  0  Cael Ruzicka        3  0  1  1

K. Krambeer 3  1  1  0   Jeremiah Chapman     1  2  0  0

Jaden Hager           2  1  1  0 Kayden Blunt        3  0  0  0

Nathan O’Neill      2  1  1  2  Logan Carey          2  0  0  0

*Hunter O’Neill     0  1  0  0   Tristian Kubik       1  0  1  0

Reed Peters           2  0  0  0

*Lincoln Joslin       0  1  0  0

TOTALS               26  4  6  4  TOTALS          29  8 10  8

WAUKON                        040 000 0 — 4

CHARLES CITY                  102 032 x — 8

LOB–WAUKON 5, CHARLES CITY 7. ERR–Konnor Krambeer, Jack O’Neill (2), Isaac Roe, Reed Peters. 2B–Owen Weber, Cael Ruzicka. HR–JJ Ritter. HBP–Lincoln Snitker. SACB–Nathan O’Neill, Reed Peters. SB–John O’Neill, Colton Crooks, Jeremiah Chapman (2).

WAUKON                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

Noah Hatlan                    5.67   10    8    5    2    5    1

Isaac Roe                      0.33    0    0    0    1    0    0

CHARLES CITY

Logan Carey                    7.00    6    4    2    2    5    0

BALK–Logan Carey. SO–Konnor Krambeer, Carter Schellsmidt, Matt Ronan, Isaac Roe, Jaden Hager, Kayden Blunt (2), Logan Carey, Owen Weber, Cael Ruzicka. BB–Noah Hatlan, Jaden Hager, JJ Ritter (2), Jaxon Daniels.