Indians survive 7th-inning bases-loaded threat to keep Comets winless

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

WAUKON — The Charles City Comets were in position to pull off their first victory of the high school baseball season during the latter game of Friday’s Northeast Iowa Conference doubleheader against Waukon.

Or at least extend the game to the bottom of the seventh.

The Comets were trailing the hosting Indians 2-0 going into the seventh before loading the bases with no outs.

Waukon sophomore Ashton Monroe, who had yielded four hits and no runs through six innings, was relieved by freshman Sawyer Breitsprecher in the seventh.

Breitsprecher, who inherited a pair of Comet base runners and was touched for a hit that loaded the bases, pitched out of the jam while striking out the final two batters to seal the shutout victory (2-0).

Charles City sophomore Noah White had his strongest pitching performance of the season while yielding six hits and two earned runs while striking out four and walking one in six innings. White also utilized his quicksilver pickup move to erase an Indian leaning too much the wrong way while leading off first base … and nearly picked off another Indian had the ball not been jarred free from the tagging glove.

The game proved to be a classic pitching duel backed by fine defensive play by both teams, especially the Indians, who pulled off an inning-ending 4-6-3 doubleplay and deprived the Comets of several hits with all-out diving catches in the outfield.

The Comets did manage to hit some “where they ain’t” as Vinny Benning, Micah Thompson, Zachary Schoeck, Brennan Ruzicka and Jackson Ruzicka each had singles.

The Comets also made some good defensive plays in the previous game, but in the bottom of the second inning they misplayed several balls in the outfield as the Indians took full advantage with a 6-run rally.

Waukon eventually won 10-0 after scoring the game-ending run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Indian junior Colton O’Neill got the “complete-game win” after yielding two hits and no runs while striking out 11 and walking one in five innings.

Schoeck and Holden McInroy each singled for Charles City’s only hits.

After the doubleheader loss, the Comets fell to 0-8 and 0-2 in the NEIC ahead of Tuesday’s NEIC doubleheader at Crestwood.

After a subsequent DH loss to Decorah on Saturday, Waukon is 3-5 and 2-2.