Small ball leads to big inning as Comets advance to substate final

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

WAVERLY — Whenever someone squares around to bunt with the primary intention of moving a runner or runners over, it usually provokes a debate within the peanut gallery.

Small ball is the way to go in high school baseball where 3-run homers are rare due to the safety first yet power compromising BBCORE bats … as one argument goes.

The counter channels one of the philosophies of Billy Beane of “Moneyball” fame that states that you only get so many outs a game and to sacrifice or squander any of them is not prudent.

While suddenly finding themselves back in a one-run tight ballgame against Center Point-Urbana during Friday’s Class 3A Substate 3 semifinal round, the Charles City Comets decided to take the small-ball approach after brothers Tait and Theo Arndt led off the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles.

JJ Ritter got the sign to put down a bunt, which he did. But with Ritter getting a good jump out of the box and the bunt finding that fuzzy area down the first-base line — should the catcher or pitcher field it? — this proved not to be a sacrifice bunt but a bunt for a base hit, which Ritter got while sliding head first to first base beating the throw.

That loaded the bases for the Comets with nobody out and soon after the Stormin’ Pointers began to unravel.

Charles City would end up sending 12 men to the plate while rallying for 8 runs turning what promised to be a close game into an eventual 13-3 final that was stopped after six innings.

The biggest blow of the fifth-inning rally was when Tait Arndt came up to bat again and drove a pitch to deep right-center for a bases-loaded-clearing double.

No doubt, it was a painful inning for CPU, but the Comets also got banged up during the process. Three Comets — Wyatt Stevenson, Colton Slinger and Dylan Salinas — recorded RBIs while being hit by pitches.

Leadoff hitter Slinger was hit by pitch three times, and the Comets were plucked eight times during the game. If it makes it feel any better, seven of those HBPs resulted in runs scored.

The semifinal win advances Charles City (16-11) to Monday’s substate final against bracket top seed Waverly-Shell Rock with the first pitched scheduled for 7 p.m. at Wartburg College’s Hertel Field. The Go-Hawks defeated Crestwood 11-0 in five innings in the latter semifinal played on Friday.

If playing for a state berth isn’t motivation enough, the Comets would have likely wanted another shot at the Go-Hawks anyway. On the verge of winning the regular-season series against WSR after taking an 8-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh, the Comets lost in heartbreaking fashion when the Go-Hawks rallied for 4 runs after thrice being down to their last strike with three separate batters.

The Stormin’ Pointers opened the scoring in the top half of the second when Max Chesmore’s force-out with the bases loaded drove in a run.

The Comets rallied for 4 runs in the fourth with Cole Reams driving in 2 of those with a double.

Reams was 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs, and also pitched 1 and 2/3 innings of no-hit relief after coming in to put out a fire in the fifth inning after CPU rallied for 2 runs to pull within 1 (4-3).

Salinas got the start and gave up one run and one hit in three innings before being relieved by Theo Arndt, who was the winning pitcher of record.

CHARLES CITY 13, CENTER POINT-URBANA 3 (6 inn)

CPU AB  R  H BI  CC         AB  R  H BI

Max Chesmore          4  0  0  1  Colton Slinger        2  1  1  1

Jon Karteus           4  1  0  0  Cole  Reams           4  1  2  3

Caleb Andrews         2  1  0  0  Dylan Salinas         2  0  1  2

Ethan Sells           2  0  1  0  Jace  Cajthaml        3  1  0  1

Carsten Zange         3  0  1  2  Tait Arndt            4  0  2  3

Mitchell McCauley     2  0  0  0  Theo Arndt            3  1  1  0

Hardy Mahoney         2  0  0  0  JJ Ritter             3  2  1  0

Maverick Gatrost      2  0  1  0  Wyatt  Stevenson      0  2  0  1

Dylan Harris          1  0  0  0  Elliott Sinwell       3  2  1  1

*Cam Hasleiet         0  1  0  0  *Noah Schlader        0  1  0  0

                                  *Ben Miller           0  2  0  0

TOTALS               22  3  3  3  TOTALS               24 13  9 12

CENTER POINT-URBANA           010 020 — 3

CHARLES CITY                  000 481 — 13

LOB–CENTER POINT-URBANA 8, CHARLES CITY 9. ERR–Ethan Sells, Noah Schlader, JJ Ritter. 2B–Tait Arndt. 3B–Cole  Reams. HBP–Maverick Gatrost, Hardy Mahoney, Dylan Salinas (2), Colton Slinger (3), Theo Arndt, Wyatt  Stevenson (2). SACB–Elliott Sinwell, Cole  Reams. SB–Cam Hasleiet, Theo Arndt, Elliott Sinwell.

CENTER POINT-URBANA             IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

Maverick Gatrost (L)           3.33    3    4    4    4    3    0

Carsten Zange                  0.67    4    4    4    0    1    0

Grant Bryant                   0.33    1    3    3    0    0    0

Jon Karteus                    1.33    1    2    1    1    0    0

CHARLES CITY               

Dylan Salinas                  3.00    1    1    1    1    4    0

Theo Arndt (W)                 1.33    1    2    1    3    1    0

Cole  Reams                    1.67    1    0    0    1    2    0

PB–Hardy Mahoney. WP–Dylan Salinas. SO–Carsten Zange, Maverick Gatrost, Max Chesmore (2), Mitchell McCauley (2), Caleb Andrews, Colton Slinger, Jace  Cajthaml (2), Tait Arndt. BB–Ethan Sells, Dylan Harris (2), Mitchell McCauley,

Caleb Andrews, Dylan Salinas, JJ Ritter, Jace  Cajthaml, Wyatt  Stevenson (2).