Comets pick up pair of wins at Helena tournament

The Havre Comets finished 2-2 this past weekend at the Helena Reps tournament in Helena. The Comets picked up a tough win over the Anaconda A's and exacted a little revenge on the Butte Muckers in the tournament.

The Comets opened the tournament with a 7-3 loss to the Muckers. The Comets picked up eight hits but left six runners on base in the loss. Chase Castloo pitched five innings and took the loss for the Comets. Kaare Engebretson, Jeff Tibbals and Eric Fanning each had two hits for the Comets.

Havre rallied with a win against the Anaconda A's. Despite facing a solid pitcher and striking out 13 times, the Comets got enough timely hitting to win 4-2. Havre managed just three hits in the win with Coda Tchida picking up two of them. Tchida had an RBI single, an RBI triple and scored a pair of runs. Patch Wirtzberger had the Comets' other hit and also scored a pair of runs.

"The kids showed a lot of resilience coming back in that game," said Comets head coach Bob Evans. "We struck out 13 times and still found a way to win."

Ben Erickson pitched a solid game for the Comets, going the distance, scattering four hits and striking out five.

Havre then fell to the host Reps 4-2 in its third game of the tourney. The Reps held the Comets to just four hits in the game. Trent Normandy took the loss despite pitching pretty well according to Evans.

"Trent pitched a pretty good game," Evans said. "We didn't help him out much."

The Comets then avenged an earlier loss to the Muckers in the final game of the tournament. Havre pounded out 18 hits and survived six errors to pick up a 10-9 win over Butte.

Bret Magelssen picked up the win in the slugfest with Normandy notching the save. Havre was led offensively by Engebretson and Tony Christian, who each had four hits in the game. Engbretson's second double of the game in the fifth inning scored Tyson Anderson for the go-ahead run.

The Comets are in action today as they host the Great Falls Sparkies in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. at Legion Field.

Havre Comets 030 000 0 - 3 8 0

Butte Muckers 011 032 X- 7 9 0

Chase Castloo (LP), Tyson Anderson (6) and Patch Wirtzberger.

COMETS - Jeff Tibbals 2-4 (1 RBI), Kaare Engebretson 2-4 (1 RBI), Patch Wirtzberger 1-4, Trent Normandy 1-4, Jordon Patterson 1-3, Coda Tchida 1-3, Ben Erickson 0-3, Mike Olson 1-3 (1 RBI), Eric Fanning 2-3.

MUCKERS - Merrick 2-4, Clary 0-1, Dennehy 0-3, Paul 3-3 (1 RBI), Robinson 0-3, Esquibel 1-3 (1 RBI), McGlaughlin 1-4 (2 RBI), Silk 1-3, Wonnafatt 0-1, J. Robinson 1-1.

2B - McLaughlin, Silk

3B - none

HR - Paul

Havre Comets 000 101 0 - 2 4 0

Helena Reps 002 200 X- 4 8 2

Trent Normandy (LP) and Mike Olson; Hopkins (WP) and Underkofler.

COMETS - Tibbals 0-3, Tony Christian 1-2, Wirtzberger 1-2, Patterson 1-2, Engebretson 1-3 (1 RBI), Bret Magelssen 0-3, Chase Castloo 0-3, Fanning 0-3.

REPS - Bischoff 2-3, Halcro 0-2, Tummel 1-3, Underkofler 1-2, Burnett 0-2, O'Connell 2-3, Hustad 0-3, Anderson 1-2 (1 RBI), Moe 1-2 (1 RBI).

2B - O'Connell

3B - Bischoff

HR - none

Anaconda A's 100 100 0 - 2 3 2

Havre Comets 000 202 X - 4 3 3

Andreoli (LP) and Colbert; Erickson (WP) and Olson.

A'S - Driscoll 0-3, Richman 0-4, Andreoli 1-2, Lorengo 1-1, McKinley 0-3, Colbert 0-3, Crenshaw 1-3, Tesson 0-3, McNair 1-3.

COMETS - Tibbals 0-3, Christian 0-3, Wirtzberger 1-3, Normandy 0-2, Tchida 2-3, Patterson 0-2, Olson 0-2, Bryden Vukasin 0-1, Engebretson 0-1.

2B - Andreoli

3B - Tchida

HR - none

Butte Muckers 522 000 0 - 9 13 3

Havre Comets 420 310 X- 10 18 6

McNabb (LP) and Robinson; Magelssen (WP), Castloo (1), Normandy (S) and Wirtzberger.

MUCKERS - Merrick 2-5, Silk 1-4, Robinson 2-5, Paul 1-5, Dennehy 2-4, Esquibel 2-3, McGlaughlin 2-3, Robinson 1-4, Wonnafatt 0-4.

COMETS - Tibbals 1-5, Christian 4-5, Wirtzberger 3-5, Normandy 2-5 (1 RBI), Patterson 1-4, Anderson 2-4 (1 RBI), Engebretson 4-4 (2 RBI), Erickson 0-2, Vukasin 0-2, Tchida 1-2 (1 RBI).

2B - Esquibel, Engebretson 2, Wirtzberger

3B - Wirtzberger

HR - none.