By Tiffany L. Rehbein
Just like the thunder rolling across the sky, the Havre Comets rolled across the Cut Bank Cardinals Wednesday at Legion Field.
The Comets easily swept the twinbill 7-2, 12-3 in the sometimes sunny, sometimes rainy afternoon.
I was very happy with the way we played today, said head Comet coach Ryan Divish.
In the first match-up, the Comets took a 1-0 first inning lead on a single by Jay Rucinsky that scored Jared Boyce. The Comets never slowed down.
Fast forward to the third inning after the Cardinals evened the game at one run. With two outs, Kyle Sheppard singled, followed by Rucinsky who copied. Jesse Suek stepped to the plate and knocked a bullet to the center field wall, scoring Sheppard and Rucinsky, and an error advanced him to third base, lifting the Comets lead to 4-1.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Comet bats streaked again when they scored three runs on four hits.
C.J. Reichelt opened the side with a double to the center field wall. Sean Williams bunt sent Reichelt to third. Garrett Hanson got on base on an error. After Chris Myers hit into a double play, Jordan Anderson singled, bringing home a run.
Sheppard returned to the plate and drove a 1-2 pitch into right field. A Cardinal error sent him to third base while another run scored. Neither team would score again in the 7-2 Comet victory.
This is probably one of the best games weve played all year, Divish said. With Kyle [Sheppard] and Jared [Boyce] on the mound, doing well, thats what we need.
Sheppard tallied the win in the first game while Boyce chalked one up in game two.
Boyce tallied 11 strike outs, allowed 11 hits and left eight men stranded on base in the 12-3 Cardinal trouncing.
If our pitching is good, we can be in the game, Divish said. We cut down on our own strike outs and we put the ball in play. Thats what we need to do.
The Comets also tallied 11 hits with only three strike outs in the game.
Once again, the Comets attacked early scoring two runs in the first inning. Both runs were walked in by Cardinal pitcher Mike Aikins.
The Comets scored in twos again in the bottom of the fourth inning when Anderson, who reached base on balls, trotted home on a single to left field by Rucinsky. Then, a short stop error sent Sheppard home.
The fifth inning welcomed another two-run dig by the Comets. Chris Klobofski reached base on balls and Chris Meyers was hit by a pitch. Anderson singled to bring home Klobofski and Sheppard followed suit to bring home Meyers in the inning.
But the sixth inning saw a Cardinal defense as uneven as the weather patterns. The Comets scored six runs with only three earned. Reichelt, Klobofski and Anderson, who went 4-for-5, each tallied an RBI in the inning.
Three Cardinal errors, overthrown balls, missed plays and poor mental decisions, allowed the other three runs to score.
We got the hits when we needed them, Divish said. We put the ball into play and let them make a decision.
The Comets travel to Lewistown on Friday for a tournament that will run through the weekend.
