Comets fall short of catching Lions, 8-7

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CLEAR LAKE — Ever hear of the poker player who claimed that he didn’t lose — just ran out of money?

The Charles City Comets baseball team may have just run out of innings while dropping an away non-conference game against Clear Lake, 8-7, on Friday night.

It was the type of game that too often got away from the Comets last year as the Lions took a 4-1 lead through two innings and were up 6-2 through three.

But Charles City was able to grind back into it, rallying for four runs in the top of the fifth to go up 7-6.

Clear Lake managed to score two runs in the bottom half of the frame to regain the lead for good.

The Comets put up a threat in their final at-bat with the tying run on third base, but the Lions held on for the victory.

Senior Drew Mitchell ended Charles City’s home run drought that had extended back to the 2015 season when he drove a 3-2 two-out pitch from Clear Lake starter Erik McHenry over the leftfield fence just right of the foul pole in the first inning.

Mitchell would go 3 for 3 with a double, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Needing a triple to hit for the cycle during his final at-bat against reliever Zach Lester, Mitchell got hit by a pitch.

Colton Slinger was 2 for 4 with a 2-RBI double that tied the game at 6 in the fifth. Dylan Salinas was 2 for 4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored for Charles City (2-2).

Southpaw Dylan Bilharz started the game for the Comets and nearly got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning. Facing Clear Lake’s Nathan Tofte with a 2-2 count and two outs, Bilharz looked as if he threw Strike Three but didn’t get the call and walked Tofte on the next pitch for the Lions’ first run of the game.

CLEAR LAKE 8, CHARLES CITY 7

Scoring By Innings

Charles City 101 140 0 — 7 11 5

Clear Lake 312 020 X — 8 6 2

Pitching Summary — CC — Dylan Bilharz 2/3 IN, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB 0 SO; Nate Lasher 3 1/3 IN, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO; Cole Reams 2 IN, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO — CL — Erik McHenry 4 IN, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO; Zach Lester 3 IN, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 SO. Leading Hitters — CC — Drew Mitchell 3-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 runs scored; Colton Slinger 2-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Dylan Salinas 2-4, RBI, 2 runs scored.