Comets suffer dead-ball blues in DH loss to Decorah

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

DECORAH — Whereas in high school softball where just about every ball hit solidly into the air is a threat to carry beyond the fences, high school baseball is restrained by the safety-first technology of BBCOR bats.

That was illustrated with the final out of Decorah’s doubleheader sweep of Charles City on Friday.

With the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position — at third and second — Comet junior Drew Mitchell connected for the hardest hit ball of the two games played with a drive to left field. But (alas) the ball seemed to lose one of its wings in mid-flight as the Viking outfielder Cole Mincks was able to corral it near the warning track to conclude the 4-3 final.

The Vikings won the first game, 1-0.

For the Comets, the DH loss was the end of the regular season as they finished with a 7-19 overall record and 4-13 mark in the Northeast Iowa Conference.

Decorah improved to 17-12 and 8-10 with several games still on their regular-season and conference schedules.

Neither team had a home run going into the doubleheader, so it was hard to argue with Vikings’ Iowa Baseball Hall of Fame coach Denny Olejniczak’s penchant for playing small ball when bunting runners over whenever Decorah had an out to spare. (One particular Viking fan begged to differ with his vocal insistence to let the home boys swing away).

Though Decorah was successful more than not in its sacrifice bunt attempts, Charles City didn’t misplay them to open doors to big innings. Against St. Ansgar the day before, the Comets were addled by a series of bunts put down by the Saints during a seven-run fifth inning.

In the first game, Charles City sophomore Theo Arndt again was the tough-luck losing pitcher of record after yielding six hits and one earned run in six innings.

Counterpart Brannan Hogan only allowed three Comet base runners while giving up a hit apiece to Mitchell and Jordan Kapping, and walking Brady Sickman.

Trevor Phillips’ RBI single in the second innings was all that the Vikings needed.

In the second game, the Vikings scored twice in the third inning after two outs. The first run came when Jacob Marlow’s grounder took a bad hop and ate up shortstop Arndt allowing Dawson Meyer to score. Hogan soon followed with a single through the right side of the infield to chase Marlow home.

Meyer and Gabe Varney would add RBI singles for the Vikings in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively.

The Comets finally got on the board in the fifth inning when pinch runner Dylan Koresh scored on a wild pitch.

Arndt’s RBI double in the sixth inning drew the Comets within one, 3-2, and prompted Viking starter Ian Smith to be relieved by John Will Jenkins.

The Comets loaded the bases in the seventh before Sickman’s groundout scored a run making the score 4-3 before Michell’s long out ended the game.

Mitchell had three hits for the day — two in second game.

Varner was 3-for-4 in the second game for the Vikings.

Smith earned the win after yielding three hits and two earned runs in five and one-third innings pitched.

Nate Lasher suffered the loss after yielding eight hits and three earned runs in six innings.

Next up for the Comets is the Class 3A Substate District 5 semifinal against Waverly-Shell Rock at W-SR at 7 p.m Friday.

DECORAH 1, CHARLES CITY 0

Scoring By Innings

CC 000 000 0 —0 2 0

D 010 000 X — 1 6 0

WP — Brannan Hogan (D) 7 IN, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO.

LP — Theo Arndt (CC) 6 IN, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.

Leading Hitters — Charles City: Drew Mitchell (1-3), Jordan Kapping (1-2); Decorah: Joseph Knoke (2-2).

DECORAH 4, CHARLES CITY 3

Scoring By Innings

CC 000 011 1 — 3 4 1

D 002 101 X — 4 8 4

WP — Ian Smith (D) 5.33 IN, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.

LP — Nate Lasher (CC) 6 IN, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO.

Leading Hitters— Charles City: Drew Mitchell (2-4, 2B), Theo Arndt (1-3, 2B, RBI); Decorah: Gabe Varney (3-4, RBI, run scored).