Comets split double-header with Clifton, suffer first loss of season

By: 
Brent Sumner
Staff Writer

    The Reed-Custer varsity baseball team played a double-header Saturday against Clifton Central, splitting the two games, going 1-1 on the day.
    The Comets (3-1 overall) picked up a win in the first game, defeating the visitors in five innings, 10-0.
    Reed-Custer came out swinging, as they jumped to an early 7-0 lead in the second inning.
    Singles by Trevor McLaughlin, Hunter Murawski, Tyler Richey, Eddie Wilkins and Mason Roach lead to runs getting pushed across the plate.
    The Comets added two more runs in the third and one more in the fifth to enforce the mercy rule.
    Wilkins led the offense, going 3-for-3 with one double, driving in three RBIs and scoring two runs.
    Richey went 2-for-3 with a double, adding one RBI and two runs scored.
    Murawski, Josh Loomis, Tyler Duha, Roach (2) and McLaughlin also added RBIs in the win.
    On the mound, Murawski and Loomis combined for the shutout win.
    Murawski hurled three innings, surrendering just two hits and striking out seven.
    Loomis closed out the remaining two innings, giving up just one hit.
    In the second game, Reed-Custer was unable to complete the sweep over Clifton Central, as they wound up falling, 3-2.
    Clifton took the initial lead with a two-run second inning, but the Comets responded in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead in half, 2-1.
    Gavin Grace singled on a fly ball, pushing across McLaughlin for the score.
    The Comets wound up tying the game in the sixth, thanks to a home run from Wilkins, knotting the game at two runs each.
    Unfortunately, Clifton Central wound up earning the game winning run in the seventh with a two-out single, pushing across one run.
    The Comets were unable to respond, as they received their first loss of the season.
    McLaughlin got the start on the mound, and put in six innings of work. He surrendered two unearned runs off two hits, walked four and struck out four.
    Cody LaGrange came on for .2 innings, giving up one earned run off one hit, walking two and striking out two.
    Josh Loomis also pitched part of the inning, letting up one hit.
    Reed-Custer’s game on Monday was canceled, but they will be back in action on Friday when they travel to Westmont.
    They will also play in a double-header with Crete Monee on Saturday, before returning home on Monday to take on Peotone.
Reed-Custer 4,
Pontiac 1

    Brilliant pitching from Wilkins helped give Reed-Custer another win on the season, as they defeated Pontiac on Tuesday.
    Wilkins put in a seven-inning one-run performance, as he allowed just one unearned run off two hits, walked two and struck out 10.
    The opposition took the initial lead in the first inning with their only run of the game, but the Comets responded in the bottom of the frame to tie the game up.
    Murawski got things started with a double, and would advance to third after a balk from the pitcher.
    Richey hit a ground ball into a fielder’s choice, but Murawski advanced across the plate for the run.
    The Comets added their second run in the fourth with some pitching struggles from the opposition.
    With bases loaded, Dan Fierro was hit by a pitch, advancing McLaughlin across the plate.
    Reed-Custer added two more insurance runs in the sixth inning.
    Sam Lepper hit a hard ground ball to force an error, scoring Jacob Beyer, and Mason Roach also picked up an RBI driving in Fierro for a run.