Comets ‘hit them where they are’ in DH loss to Vikings

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — The best sport writers and sport editors know when not to grammatically correct a good and enlightening quote.

That’s why “Wee Willie” Keeler’s response “Hit them where they ain’t” to a reporter’s question why he’s so successful at the plate has been a part of baseball lexicon through two turns of the century.

In the latter game of Monday’s Northeast Iowa Conference baseball doubleheader against Decorah, the hosting Charles City Comets made repeated contact while hitting the ball fairly hard against Vikings starter Brayden Wemark.

Unfortunately for the Comets, they hit them “where they were” as Wemark pitched a six-inning one-hitter while striking out three and walking one in a 12-1 final.

The Comets’ lone hit of the game was Holden McInroy’s single in the first inning where Charles City scored its run.

Vikings leadoff hitter Brayden Hartl had 2 hits and 3 RBIs for Decorah, who improved to 9-8 overall and 6-4 in the NEIC with the DH sweep that included a 4-3 win in the first game despite a solid long-relief performance by Charles City freshman Noah White, who yielded two hits and 1 unearned run in four-and-two-thirds innings pitched.

White, who placed runner-up among male individuals at the most recent Class 1A State Bowling Championships, currently leads the Comets’ pitching staff with 27 strikeouts in less than 18 innings pitched.

Charles City had three hits off Vikings game one starter Brady Bohner with McInroy doubling and senior Kaden Buseman and eighth-grader Mathias O’Brien each singling.

Through 13 games, McInroy leads the Comets in extra-basehits with three doubles. His .364 batting average also leads the team with the exception of O’Brien, who has hit safely in three out of eight at-bats (.375)

The Comets, who fell to 2-11 and 2-8, will travel to Mikkelson Park on Friday to take on New Hampton in a NEIC doubleheader.

The Chickasaws are 15-3 overall going into Thursday’s non-conference game against Central Springs, and are perched atop the NEIC standings with a 9-1 conference record after suffering their first league loss after getting shut out by Waverly-Shell Rock (5-0) on Monday.

According to the latest Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association rankings released earlier this week, New Hampton is ranked at No. 6 among Class 2A schools.