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Comets whiff 15 Trojans but denied of season’s first win

Comets whiff 15 Trojans but denied of season's first win
Press photo by John Burbridge
Charles City senior Jackson Ruzicka steals second base as Turkey Valley junior Logan Busta leaps in a vain attempt to corral a high throw during Friday’s non-conference game, which TV won 7-5.

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Smart money has Charles City sophomore Noah White throwing (or rolling) a perfect game or two before his prep athletic career is through.

It will be more likely while bowling as the one-time state runner-up has rolled multiple perfect (300) games during practice with several close calls in sanctioned competition.

But don’t rule out White eventually reaching perfection on the pitching mound … or at least throwing a no-hitter … as he has a knack for making hitters swing and miss.

White had one of his better outings of the season in a starting role last Friday in a non-conference game against Turkey Valley.

In four-and-a-third innings pitched, White struck out 10 Trojans while yielding two hits and 2 earned runs. The Comets were winning 3-2 when White was relieved before the runner White was responsible for scored the tying run in the inning.

With Sawyer Hanson and Vinny Benning adding five more strikeouts in combined relief stints, a total of 15 Trojans went down swinging or looking as the Comet staff achieved a season-high total of “K’s” in a game.

Turkey Valley didn’t record any more hits against Comet relievers, but the Trojans drew 12 walks — eight of which in the final two-and-two-thirds innings — and took advantage of several Comet throwing errors on way to winning 7-5.

Turkey Valley (6-13) got on the board in the first inning with Logan Busta’s RBI triple to deep right-center field.

Comet junior Luke Jacobs tied the game in the bottom half of the first with an RBI double.

A misplayed flyball hit by Comet freshman Brennan Ruzicka gave the Comets a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth before the Trojans tied it in the fifth.

With the Comets down 5-3 in the sixth, senior Jackson Ruzicka and freshman Ethan Hadley hit back-to-back doubles with Hadley’s hit getting lost in the lights and falling between two Trojan outfielders as Ruzicka scored uncontestably to draw the Comets within 1.

Turkey Valley added 2 more insurance runs — both unearned — in the seventh inning.

Back-to-back singles by sophomore Cameron Littleton and Zachary Schoeck with Schoeck’s hit driving home Jacobs pulled the Comets a little closer in the bottom half of the seventh.

But with the tying runs on base, Jackson Ruzicka’s hard-hit sinking liner to the gap in right-center field was fielded on the run by TV sophomore Hugo Busta for the final out of the game.

Charles City (0-16) will host Waukon on Tuesday in a Northeast Iowa Conference doubleheader.

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