Comets struck down by Vikings’ thunder, 13-2

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

DECORAH — The skies were darkening. The wind was picking up. Rumbling grew louder in the distance.

And amateur forecasters, with use of their doppler radar apps on their smartphones, were heralding approaching armageddon.

But the real storm came earlier than anticipated — in the form of a thunderous offensive barrage drummed up by the Decorah Vikings’ bats.

On Friday, Charles City’s away Northeast Iowa Conference varsity baseball game against the Vikings was moved up 90 minutes in efforts to get it in before threatening weather took hold.

And for awhile, it looked like it could happen.

After Colton Slinger scored on a wild pitch to put the Comets up 1-0 followed by Charles City starter Theo Arndt keeping the Vikings off the board through two innings, the game was briskly moving forward.

Then came the deluge in the bottom of the third.

The Vikings sent 15 batters to plate and scored 12 of them.

Decorah later added a run in the fourth before nearby cloud-to-ground lightning prompted a mandatory 30-minute delay.

Subsequent nearby lightning strikes prolonged the delay, but the area was spared the brunt of the storm front which traversed north of the city.

But the Vikings’ resounding rally doomed the game from reaching seven innings as Decorah won, 13-2, in five.

Jackson Varney was 3 for 4 with two stolen bases; Thomas Knoke was 2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBIs; Kailer McCabe was 2 for 3; and Drake Shelton got the win on the mound after scattering six hits and yielding 2 earned runs for the Vikings (12-4, 6-3).

Decorah came into the game with no home runs and left with the same amount. But its hitters have the favorable knack of taking the ball up the middle without trying to pull every pitch.

Slinger, Nate Lasher, Cole Reams, Dylan Salinas, Elliott Sinwell and Noah Schlader had the Comet hits. Schlader had the lone RBI for Charles City (6-11, 3-5), which will host Crestwood Monday at Sportsmen’s Park.

DECORAH 13, CHARLES CITY 2 (5 inn)

CHARLES CITY AB  R  H BI  DECORAH    AB  R  H BI

Nate Lasher         3  0  1  0  Drake Shelton        2  1  1  1

Cole  Reams        3  0  1  0   Thomas Knoke      1  1  1  0

Drew Mitchell       1  0  0  0  Jackson Varney      4  3  3  0

Dylan Salinas       2  0  1  0  Jace Johnson        4  1  1  4

Theo Arndt            2  0  0  0  Brannan Hogan     3  2  1  1

Colton Slinger        2  1  1  0  Davon Thompson 1  0  0  0

Jalen Jones           1  0  0  0  Ian  Smith            2  0  1  1

Elliott Sinwell       2  0  1  0  Dawson Holkesvik  2  1  1  0

Noah Schlader    2  0  1  1  Kailer McCabe        3  1  2  1

*Alec Elsbernd     0  1  0  0  Thomas Knoke       3  1  2  2

                                  Dawson Meyer          3  2  2  1

TOTALS               18  2  6  1  TOTALS          28 13 15 11

CHARLES CITY                  010 01 — 2

DECORAH                       0012 1x — 13

LOB–CHARLES CITY 3, DECORAH 6. ERR–Theo Arndt, Nate Lasher, Ian  Smith. 2B–Dawson Meyer, Thomas Knoke, Jace Johnson, Brannan Hogan. SB–Colton Slinger, Jackson Varney (2), Drake Shelton.

CHARLES CITY              IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

Theo Arndt                     2.67   10    9    1    2    2    0

Nate Lasher                    0.33    3    3    2    1    0    0

Elliott Sinwell                1.00    2    1    1    0    0    0

DECORAH                    

Drake Shelton                  5.00    6    2    2    2    3    0

WP–Theo Arndt, Nate Lasher, Drake Shelton (2). BALK–Theo Arndt. SO–Jalen Jones, Theo Arndt, Elliott Sinwell, Ian  Smith, Dawson Holkesvik. BB–Jalen Jones, Drew Mitchell, Ian Smith, Dawson Holkesvik, Drake Shelton.