Johanningmeier pitches first shutout, Comets split DH with Huskies

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Hard work doesn’t guarantee success, but you don’t have much of a chance without it.

Likewise, good pitching doesn’t guarantee victory. Nonetheless, it’s nice to have — and if you complement it with some offense, you might at least earn a doubleheader split.

In a Northeast Iowa Conference doubleheader against Oelwein Friday at Sportsmen’s Park, the Charles City Comets were the beneficiaries of two fine pitching performances by senior Theo Arndt and junior Carter Johanningmeier.

In Game One of the DH, Arndt pitched a complete game while striking out six and yielding six hits and one walk only to be the losing pitcher in a duel against Husky ace Steven Nicolay, who hurled his team to a 2-1 victory.

Arndt was only hit hard twice when he gave up back-to-back doubles to Mason Kunkle and Austin Conner in order, which gave Oelwein a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.

The Comets tied the game in the latter half of the inning after Jalen Jones doubled and later scored on a wild pitch.

But the Huskies manufactured a run in the sixth inning for the margin of victory.

Colton Slinger had two of the four hits the Comets got off Nicolay.

In Game Two, Johanningmeier pitched the first shutout of his varsity career as he masterfully held the Huskies in check while striking out seven and yielding just three hits in a 6-0 victory.

Dylan Salinas and Jace Cajthami both went 2 for 3 with doubles each for the Comets.

Arndt, who was struggling at the plate, also doubled after assistant coach Eric Johanningmeier advised him to “get back to your happy place.”

Arndt responded by taking a 0-2 pitch from Ethan Thomas, who came to relieve Sawyer Woodson during the at-bat making it an even tougher task for a hitter facing a new pitcher while being already down in the count, and nearly went “yard” as the ball it the bottom of the right-field fence.

With the DH split, the Comets are now 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the NEIC. They will travel to Decorah on Tuesday for another NEIC game.

Oelwein is now 3-4 and 1-2.

Game One

OELWEIN 2, CHARLES CITY 1

OELWEIN    AB  R  H BI  CHARLES CITY    AB  R  H BI

Dom Robertson       4  1  1  0  Theo Arndt           4  0  0  0

Sawyer Woodson  3  0  0  1  Colton Slinger        3  0  2  0

Steven Nicolay     2  0  0  0  Cole  Reams           3  0  0  0

Zach Sailor           3  0  1  0  Dylan Salinas         3  0  0  0

Mason Kunkle          3  1  1  0  Tait Arndt            3  0  0  0

Austin Conner        3  0  2  1  Jalen Jones           3  1  1  0

Zach Wegner     3  0  0  0  Wyatt  Stevenson      3  0  0  0

Ethan Thomas      3  0  0  0  Alec Elsbernd         1  0  0  0

Drake Logan        3  0  1  0   Jace  Cajthaml       1  0  0  0

                                  Elliott Sinwell       2  0  1  0

TOTALS             27  2  6  2  TOTALS               26  1  4  0

OELWEIN                       010 001 0 — 2

CHARLES CITY                  010 000 0 — 1

LOB–OELWEIN 5, CHARLES CITY 6. ERR–Gage Voshell, Dylan Salinas, Noah Schlader, Cole  Reams. 2B–Mason Kunkle, Austin Conner, Jalen Jones. HBP–Elliott Sinwell, Alec Elsbernd. SB–Dom Robertson, Colton Slinger.

OELWEIN                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

Steven Nicolay                 7.00    4    1    1    0    9    0

CHARLES CITY               

Theo Arndt                     7.00    6    2    2    1    6    0

WP–Steven Nicolay (2). SO–Ethan Thomas (2), Zach Sailor, Sawyer Woodson, Zach Wegner, Drake Logan, Dylan Salinas, Theo Arndt (3), Alec Elsbernd, Tait Arndt (2), Wyatt  Stevenson, Cole  Reams. BB–Steven Nicolay.

Game Two

CHARLES CITY 6, OELWEIN 0

OELWEIN     AB  R  H BI  CHARLES CITY   AB  R  H BI

Dom Robertson      4  0  0  0  Theo Arndt            2  1  1  0

Sawyer Woodson  3  0  0  0  Colton Slinger        2  1  1  0

Steven Nicolay     2  0  0  0  Cole  Reams           4  1  1  0

Zach Sailor           1  0  0  0  Dylan Salinas         3  0  2  2

Mason Kunkle          3  0  2  0  Tait Arndt            2  0  0  1

Austin Conner      2  0  0  0  Jace  Cajthaml        3  1  2  1

Zach Wegner     3  0  0  0  Wyatt  Stevenson      3  0  1  0

Ethan Thomas    3  0  1  0  Noah Schlader         3  1  0  1

Drake Logan           3  0  0  0  Elliott Sinwell       3  1  2  0

TOTALS             24  0  3  0  TOTALS               25  6 10  5

OELWEIN                       000 000 0 — 0

CHARLES CITY                 050 100 x — 6

LOB–OELWEIN 7, CHARLES CITY 9. ERR–Sawyer Woodson (2), Cole  Reams. 2B–Mason Kunkle, Dylan Salinas, Theo Arndt, Jace  Cajthaml. HBP–Zach Sailor, Theo Arndt. SACF–Tait Arndt. SB–Colton Slinger, Cole  Reams.

OELWEIN                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

Dom Robertson (L)              1.33    4    4    4    1    2    0

Sawyer Woodson                 3.33    4    2    2    4    5    0

Ethan Thomas                   1.33    2    0    0    1    2    0

CHARLES CITY               

Carter Johanningmeier (W)    7.00    3    0    0    3    7    0

PB–Zach Wegner. SO–Austin Conner (2), Ethan Thomas, Zach Sailor, Sawyer Woodson, Zach Wegner, Drake Logan, Dylan Salinas, Noah Schlader, Colton Slinger, Theo Arndt, Elliott Sinwell, Tait Arndt (2), Cole  Reams (2). BB–Austin Conner, Zach Sailor, Steven Nicolay, Dylan Salinas, Colton Slinger (2), Theo Arndt, Jace  Cajthaml, Tait Arndt.