Comets fall to No. 9-ranked Vikings, 17-9

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

NEW HAMPTON — When the p.a. ordered everyone out of the pool at Mikkelson Park, you got the feeling that people were going to get wet.

Supposedly, a storm was coming and rain did come. But instead of a torrential downpour that rain seems to be set at these days, it just came in a persistent sprinkle and they were able to get in the first game of a Northeast Iowa Conference baseball doubleheader featuring Decorah and Charles City, the latter of which was the home team on the scoreboard.

Like the light rain did to the players and spectators, the football-like final, which the IHSBCA Class 3A No. 9-ranked Vikings won 17-9, dampened the “juju” the Comets were enjoying at what has become their home away from home due to the continued unplayable conditions at Sportsmen’s Park. Last Friday, the Comets swept Waukon in what can be considered a “tripleheader.”

The setback also dampened expectations of the Comets emerging as a late-charging darkhorse for the NEIC title. Charles City, now at 9-7 overall, fell to 6-5 in the conference.

Decorah, 13-3 overall, improved to 9-2 in the NEIC in a tight race including New Hampton and Waverly-Shell Rock, who also have two conference losses.

The Vikings pounded out 17 hits to go with their 17 runs. Leadoff hitter Jackson Varney had four of them; and Drake Shelton, Dawson Holkesvik and Kailer McCabe all had three hits with Shelton and Holkesvik each doubling.

But some of the hardest hit balls of the night came off Comet bats.

During a 6-run rally in the bottom of the sixth that not only prevented Charles City from being a 10-run mercy-rule victim but suddenly put them within striking distance considering the high-scoring nature of the game, Comet junior Cole Reams hit his first homer of his varsity career with a 2-run opposite-field drive to right field.

Down 14-2 going into the inning’s latter half, Reams’s blast made the score 14-8 before the Vikings got 3 of those runs back with a bases-loaded triple by Cael Luzum in the seventh.

Colton Slinger had two doubles and 2 runs batted in, Dylan Salinas had two hits including a RBI double, and Theo Arndt had four stolen bases for the Comets.

After the first game, the rain upgraded to a drizzle. About a half hour after covering the pitching mound and home plate area, the umpires surveyed the field — in particular the slippery outfield area that already was a factor for and against both teams in the first game — and called the second game off.

The Comets are due to be back in action Thursday for an away game against Oelwein at the Oelwein Sports Complex.

DECORAH 17, CHARLES CITY 9

DECORAH    AB  R  H BI  CC         AB  R  H BI

Jackson Varney      6  2  4  0  JJ Ritter             2  0  0  0

Drake Shelton        5  1  3  2   Tait Arndt           1  0  1  0

Brannan Hogan      4  1  0  0  Colton Slinger    3  2  2  2

Ian  Smith          3  3  1  1  Cole  Reams           2  2  1  2

Dawson Holkesvik   5  3  3  1  Dylan Salinas    3  0  2  1

Kailer McCabe   5  2  3  2  Jace  Cajthaml        4  0  0  0

Jace Johnson      3  3  1  4  Theo Arndt            3  2  1  0

Michael Bruening 4  1  0  0  Wyatt  Stevenson 3  1  0  0

Thomas Knoke    3  1  1  2  Jalen Jones           4  0  0  0

Cael Luzum          1  0  1  3  Elliott Sinwell       4  1  1  2

                                  *Alec Elsbernd        0  1  0  0

TOTALS        39 17 17 15  TOTALS               29  9  8  7

DECORAH                       404 105 3 — 17

CHARLES CITY                  002 006 1 — 9

LOB–DECORAH 8, CHARLES CITY 6. ERR–Brannan Hogan, Noah Schlader, Carter Johanningmeier, Theo Arndt, Tait Arndt. 2B–Dawson Holkesvik, Jace Johnson, Drake Shelton, Dylan Salinas, Colton Slinger (2), Elliott Sinwell. 3B–Cael Luzum, Drake Shelton. HR–Cole  Reams. HBP–Ian  Smith, Dylan Salinas. SACB–Michael Bruening, Cole  Reams. SB–Thomas Knoke, Kailer McCabe, Jackson Varney, JJ Ritter, Theo Arndt (4), Wyatt  Stevenson.

DECORAH                     IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

Thomas Knoke                   5.33    3    4    3    4    8    0

Cael Luzum                     1.67    5    5    5    1    3    1

CHARLES CITY               

Carter Johanningmeier        2.00    5    6    5    2    0    0

Theo Arndt                     1.00    3    2    2    1    0    0

Elliott Sinwell                2.33    4    1    1    0    2    0

Tait Arndt                     1.67    5    8    3    2    0    0

PB–Dylan Salinas (2). BALK–Tait Arndt. SO–Michael

Bruening, Brannan Hogan, Dylan Salinas, Jalen Jones (4), Colton Slinger, JJ Ritter, Theo Arndt, Jace  Cajthaml, Wyatt Stevenson, Cole  Reams. BB–Thomas Knoke, Ian  Smith, Jace Johnson (2), Brannan Hogan, Colton Slinger, JJ Ritter, Theo Arndt, Wyatt  Stevenson, Cole  Reams.