Lions beat Comets, 5-4, in season-opener

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — A pair of timely hits and a clutch defensive play late in the game helped Class 2A perennial power Clear Lake defeat Charles City, 5-4, in the high school baseball season-opener for both teams, Monday night at Sportsmen’s Park.

The Comets drew first blood in the first inning, but couldn’t get more than 1 run after leaving the bases loaded.

Comet senior Theo Arndt held the Lions scoreless through three innings while protecting the 1-0 lead. But then in the fourth, Arndt’s counterpart — Ben Finn — hit a bases-loaded double good for 2 RBIs before Clear Lake added another run in the frame to go up 3-1.

The Comets tied the game in the latter part of the frame after Arndt’s bunt single prompted a throwing error and an unearned run ahead of Colton Slinger’s RBI single.

Nathan Tofte’s 2-out, 2-RBI single, which the left-handed hitter pulled and got to fall just inside the right-field line, regained the lead for the Lions (5-3) in the fifth inning.

Slinger’s second RBI single of the game pulled the Comets a little closer in the sixth inning.

Slinger was 2 for 4 with the said 2 RBIs, and brothers Theo and Tait Arndt both had 2 hits for the Comets.

Finn, who was relieved by Zach Lester after five full innings, made a diving catch in centerfield of a sinking liner hit by Wyatt Stevenson with one out and a man on base for the Comets. It helped Lester close the door for the win for the Lions, who got 2 hits from leadoff hitter Erik McHenry.

The Comets will be back in action on Wednesday when they host Mason City.

CLEAR LAKE (5) AT CHARLES CITY (4)

CLEAR LAKEAB  R  H BI  CC         AB  R  H BI

Erik McHenry          4  2  2  0  Theo Arndt       2  1  2  0

Zach Lester        3  2  0  0  Colton Slinger        4  0  2  2

Nathan Tofte      2  1  1  2  Cole  Reams           3  0  0  0

AJ Stevenson     3  0  0  0  Dylan Salinas         4  0  0  1

Ben Finn            3  0  1  2  Jace  Cajthaml        3  0  0  0

Mitchell Raber        1  0  0  1  Tait Arndt            3  0  2  0

Andrew Formanek  3  0  0  0  WStevenson      3  0  0  0

Hunter Gerhardt  3  0  0  0   Jalen Jones          1  0  0  0

Mac Adams        2  0  0  0  Alec Elsbernd         2  2  1  0

Chase Stuver       1  0  0  0  Elliott Sinwell       2  1  0  0

TOTALS            25  5  4  5  TOTALS              27  4  7  3

CLEAR LAKE                    000 320 0 — 5 

CHARLES CITY                  100 201 0 — 4

LOB–CLEAR LAKE 3, CHARLES CITY 10. ERR–Andrew Formanek, Erik McHenry, Ben Finn, Cole  Reams (2). 2B–Ben Finn.

HBP–Mitchell Raber, Theo Arndt, Alec Elsbernd.

SACF–Mitchell Raber. SACB–Cole  Reams. SB–Zach Lester,Colton Slinger, Theo Arndt.

CLEAR LAKE                IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

Ben Finn                       5.00    6    3    2    4    2    0

Zach Lester                    2.00    1    1    1    1    3    0

CHARLES CITY              

Theo Arndt                     4.67    4    5    3    2    4    0

Elliott Sinwell                2.33    0    0    0    0    3    0

SO–Mitchell Raber, Hunter Gerhardt (3), Zach Lester (2), Erik McHenry, Jace  Cajthaml, Alec Elsbernd, Wyatt Stevenson (2), Cole  Reams. BB–Nathan Tofte, Zach Lester,Theo Arndt, Elliott Sinwell, Jace  Cajthaml, Alec Elsbernd,Tait Arndt.