Knights fall off horse; Comets win two

The Havre Comets are making a late surge in the standings of the Northern Class A Baseball District and two more conference wins Tuesday against Medicine Hat may have pulled the Comets up even more.

The Comets, who split with the Knights a week ago, played two of their best games all year, Comets coach Bob Evans said. The Comets came from behind to win the first game, 6-4, and won the second game, 10-3.

"They played a lot better today than Sunday," Evans said. "Our pitching today was awesome. We had three kids step up today and really pitch well."

Defeating Medicine Hat, Evans said, may give the Comets an edge in their remaining six games before the district tournament.

"It really helps us now," Evans said. "We've got six games left. These next six games are huge. If we win all six, we could step up to that three or four hole.

"I think they understand they can beat anybody. If they play like they can, they can beat anybody."

Visibly riding a high from winning the first game of the American Legion doubleheader, Havre scored six runs in the third inning. The Comets sent nine batters to the plate and smashed five hits. Medicine Hat had one error.

With one out, second baseman Alex Chenoweth laced a double down the left field line to start the Havre scoring spree. Shortstop Chris Chandler followed with an RBI single to put the Comets on the scoreboard. Chandler scored on a single by Trent Normandy. Levi Briese and Jordan Patterson each added RBI singles in the inning.

The Comets added two runs in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth en route to a 10-3 victory.

Normandy's RBI single in the fourth was his second of the day. He finished 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run scored.

"(The wins) were pretty big because we need these wins," Chenoweth, who earned the win in the first game, said. "Every game from now on is going to be big."

Medicine Hat scored one run on two his in the third inning and two runs on two hits in the sixth. Shortstop Kyle Prosser capped the sixth inning with a two-run single to left center field.

Chazz Hurlburt pitched five innings for the win. Brandon Morse, who closed out the first game, also pitched the final two innings of the second game.

Catcher Garrett Drake wanted nothing less than a sweep.

"I don't think (the wins) are big at all," he said. "I think we expected them. The game we did split with them (in Medicine Hat), we beat ourselves."

Medicine Hat scored three runs on four singles and two Havre errors in the fourth inning of the first game to take an early lead.

Prosser, the Knights pitcher in the first game, held the Comets hitless until the fourth inning when Havre started its comeback. The Comets scored two runs on one hit and three Knights errors in the inning.

Havre added three runs on one hit and one error in the fifth to take the lead. After giving up one run in the top of the inning, the Comets added an insurance run in the sixth.

Medicine Hat finished the game with eight hits. Havre had three. The Knights had four errors to just two for the Comets.

The Comets' final home games are tonight at 6 p.m. against the Tri-County Cardinals. The Comets split with the first-year team in Conrad but look for another sweep before heading on the road this weekend.

"We played (Medicine Hat) really well. If we play as well as we did today, we should beat (Tri-County)," Chenoweth said.

Said Drake: "I'm not going to take (Tri-County) lightly. I hope no one else does."

Briese is scheduled to pitch the first game with Normandy slated to take the hill in the second game.