Kayden Blunt hits pair of 3-run HRs, pitches complete-game win as Comets split DH with Indians

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

WAUKON — A grizzled sports editor I worked under had a penchant for chewing out cub reporters within office-spanning earshot whenever they referred to a pitcher “helping his cause” by doing damage with his bat.

So not to stoke this stern wordsmith’s ire any farther (err … further), let’s just say Charles City senior Kayden Blunt helped the entire Comets’ cause during Friday’s away Northeast Iowa Conference doubleheader against Waukon by clubbing first-inning 3-run home runs in both games.

Blunt also offered some added assistance in the first game where the right-hander went the distance in the Comets’ 4-1 win after striking out nine, walking one and yielding five hits for his second complete-game victory in a week.

But though Blunt put the Comets ahead 3-0 twice in the top halves of each first, the Indians rallied from behind in the second game and salvaged a split with a 6-4 win.

Southpaw senior Lincoln Joslin was the Comet starter in the second game and had a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth. With one out and runners on first and second, Waukon decided to utilize a sacrifice bunt — something the Indians did throughout the DH whenever the opportunity aligned.

But just when you were about to scream In the name of Billy Beane, why are you giving away outs!?! a textbook bunt laid down by Indian junior Connor Cahoon initiated a throwing error in an attempt to get Cahoon at first. When the loose ball got lodged at the bottom of the chain-linked fence along the right-field line, the Comets petitioned to hold up play. But the umpire monitoring the base paths and field signaled with his arms in a “safe” manner while ruling that the ball was still in play.

Meanwhile, the Indians never stopped running as 2 runs easily scored and Cahoon ended up on third base from where he would later score the tying run on Carter Schellsmidt’s sacrifice fly.

Waukon scored 2 more runs in the next inning for the margin of victory.

Though he didn’t get the pitching win like his teammate did in the first game, Joslin — like Blunt — had a hot night swinging the bat.

In the first game, Joslin hit a solo home run in the fourth inning while going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Joslin continued to hit the ball hard in the second game while going 2 for 4 with a run scored.

In the top of the seventh with the Comets down by 2 runs, Joslin turned on a fastball by Indian reliever Noah Hatlan and drove it deep to right-field only to have it gloved … after it was bobbled … at the fence.

Comet freshman Malachi O’Brien, who was 3 for 8 with an RBI and 2 runs scored for the night, followed with a warning-track flyball of his own — this one to deep left-center field — for the second out before Hatlan got Blunt to pop up in the infield to end the DH.

Charles City senior Reed Peters was 2 for 3 in the second game for the Comets.

The split left both teams with 4-7 overall and 2-4 NEIC records.

The Comets will travel to Decorah on Tuesday for another NEIC doubleheader.

Game One

CHARLES CITY 4, WAUKON 1

CHARLES CITY         AB  R  H BI  WAUKON               AB  R  H BI

Carter Cajthaml       4  0  0  0  Carter Schellsmidt    3  0  0  0

Lincoln Joslin        4  2  3  1  Colton O’Neill      3  1  2  0

Malachi O’Brien     4  1  2  0  Noah Hatlan           2  0  2  0

Kayden Blunt          3  1  1  3  Nathan O’Neill      3  0  0  0

Reed Peters           3  0  0  0  Zach Perkins          3  0  1  1

Brennan Schmidt       3  0  1  0  Judah Johnson         3  0  0  0

Jack Hanson           2  0  0  0  Shawn Martin          3  0  0  0

Luke Jacobs          1  0  1  0  Gaberiel Weighner     0  0  0  0

Zach Chambers         3  0  0  0                        2  0  0  0

Kaden Buseman         1  0  0  0  Brody Gress           2  0  0  0

TOTALS               28  4  8  4  TOTALS               24  1  5  1

CHARLES CITY                  300 010 0 — 4

WAUKON                        100 000 0 — 1

LOB–CHARLES CITY 6, WAUKON 4. ERR–Judah Johnson. HR–Lincoln Joslin, Kayden Blunt. HBP–Kaden Buseman, Gaberiel Weighner.

CHARLES CITY                    IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

Kayden Blunt (W)               7.00    5    1    1    1    9    0

WAUKON

Gaberiel Weighner (L)          4.33    7    4    4    2    5    2

Nathan O’Neill               2.67    1    0    0    0    2    0

WP–Gaberiel Weighner. SO–Malachi O’Brien, Kayden Blunt (2), Reed Peters (2), Jack Hanson (2), Shawn Martin, Brody Gress, Carter Schellsmidt, Zach Perkins, Judah Johnson (2), Nathan O’Neill (3). BB–Kaden Buseman, Kayden Blunt, Noah

Hatlan.

Game Two

WAUKON 6, CHARLES CITY 4

CHARLES CITY         AB  R  H BI  WAUKON               AB  R  H BI

Carter Cajthaml       3  0  0  0  Carter Schellsmidt    4  1  1  1

Lincoln Joslin        4  1  2  0  Colton O’Neill      4  0  0  0

Malachi O’Brien     4  1  1  1  Noah Hatlan           3  1  2  1

Kayden Blunt          3  1  1  3  Nathan O’Neill      2  1  1  0

Reed Peters           3  0  2  0  Zach Perkins          0  0  0  0

Brennan Schmidt       3  0  0  0   Nate Keenan          2  0  0  0

Holden McInroy        3  0  1  0  Judah Johnson         3  0  1  1

Zach Chambers         2  1  1  0  Shawn Martin          2  1  0  1

Kaden Buseman         2  0  0  0  Hunter O’Neill      1  1  0  0

Josh Keenan           1  1  0  2

TOTALS               27  4  8  4  TOTALS               22  6  5  6

CHARLES CITY                  300 100 0 — 4

WAUKON                        100 320 x — 6

LOB–CHARLES CITY 6, WAUKON 5. ERR–Malachi O’Brien, Hunter O’Neill. HR–Kayden Blunt. HBP–Kaden Buseman, Kayden Blunt, Zach Perkins, Josh Keenan, Nathan O’Neill. SACB–Josh Keenan. SB–Carter Schellsmidt, Josh Keenan.

CHARLES CITY                    IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

Lincoln Joslin (L)             4.33    5    6    3    3    4    0

Malachi O’Brien              1.67    0    0    0    0    1    0

WAUKON

Colton O’Neill               3.33    7    4    3    1    0    1

Noah Hatlan (W)                3.67    1    0    0    1    1    0

BALK–Lincoln Joslin. SO–Kayden Blunt, Nate Keenan (2), Hunter O’Neill, Shawn Martin, Judah Johnson. BB–Carter Cajthaml, Zach Chambers, Hunter O’Neill (2), Shawn Martin.