Comets earn first conference win

After nearly defeating the Havre Northstars Wednesday night, the Havre Comets came out fighting Saturday and knocked off the Great Falls Stallions, 8-2, for their first conference win of the season.

Alex Chenoweth pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits and two runs, and not walking a batter in the win. He also struck out seven.

Tony Forster put Great Falls on the scoreboard in the first inning after reaching base on an error.

But Havre bounced back in the bottom of the first, plating four runs. The Comets capitalized on two Great Falls errors, while shortstop Trent Normandy highlighted the inning with an RBI single. Normandy later scored.

Patch Wirtzberger, Chris Chandler and Chazz Hurlburt also scored in the inning. Wirtzberger and Hurlburt reached on walks and Chandler was hit by a pitch.

The Comets added runs in the second, third, fourth and sixth innings to build their lead.

Center fielder Tony Christian drove home Jordan Patterson with a single to account for Havre's run in the second inning. In the third, Ben Erickson singled Hurlburt home.

Hurlburt blasted a triple in the sixth inning, which allowed Wirtzberger to score Havre's eighth run. Wirtzberger also singled and scored in the fourth.

Owen Strong scored Great Falls' other run in the fourth inning.

The Comets gave up two runs in the top of the first inning to start the second game, and, despite scoring one run in the bottom of the inning, were never able to recover, losing 7-2.

For the Comets, Hurlburt laced a two-out single to drive home Wirtzberger, who led off with a walk and later stole second.

Forster, Kyle Kakalecik and Nick Gilchrist hit consecutive singles to lead off the game for Great Falls. Forster scored on the single by Kakalecik, who also scored in the inning.

The Stallions added two runs on two hits and one Comet error in the fifth inning to increase their lead. Tommy MacLeane delivered the big blow with a two-run double. MacLeane also scored a run in the fourth inning.

Great Falls padded its lead, scoring one run in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Catcher Levi Briese scored Havre's only other run in the seventh inning after being hit by a pitch. Ben Mader was credited with the RBI single.

The Comets doubleheader with Medicine Hat was rained out Sunday and will be rescheduled. The next games for the Comets will be Thursday at the Havre Baseball Jamboree. The Comets will play Glasgow at 7:15 p.m. and then Mission Valley at 9:30.