SOUTH WAYNE - After losing eight straight Six Rivers East Conference games, the Albany baseball team is getting some balls to bounce their way.
Albany senior Boomer Detra and Cody Schulz played starring roles as the Comets swept a doubleheader from Black Hawk Thursday, winning the first game 8-3 and the night cap 6-5 in eight innings.
Black Hawk relief pitcher Aaron Monson issued a bases loaded walk to Detra in the eighth that gave the Comets a walkoff win.
"It's a very hard way to lose," Black Hawk coach Justin Doyle said.
Schulz went a combined 6 for 9 in the doubleheader and Detra was 5 for 8 with a home run, two doubles and a triple. With the win, Albany improves to (4-10, 3-8 Six Rivers East). Schulz pitched a complete game in the first game. He gave up three runs on six hits.
Schulz struck out nine and walked one.
"I think it was an expectation that we needed these two games," Schulz said of the sweep.
The Warriors (4-12, 4-9) committed two of their four errors in the seventh inning in the first game that led to two unearned runs by the Comets. Black Hawk junior Michael Walker went 2 for 3 with two runs scored. Walker pitched six innings and gave up five runs on six hits. He struck out eight and walked two.
"Mike Walker pitched a great game," Doyle said. "He just didn't have much help in the infield and outfield. There were just too many routine plays we didn't make. The inexperience definitely showed."
Black Hawk also had several scoring opportunities, but finished 2 for 14 hitting with runners in scoring position.
"The guys were not getting any timely hits," Doyle said. "We had guys in scoring position. We were just not able to get them in."
The Warriors jumped out to an early lead in the second. Walker crushed a triple to left leading off the second. Black Hawk's Mike Powers then came through, ripping an RBI double to left center to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. Schulz was well aware of the dangerous hitter Walker is in the Warriors' lineup.
"I just wanted to keep it out of his wheelhouse," Schulz said. "I had to keep the pitches down low or up really high. I just really needed to throw strikes and hope my team would back me up."
Walker walked the first two Comet hitters in the second. Albany's Patrick Deegan then delivered a game-tying RBI single to left. Walker struck out Austin Ross, but Black Hawk catcher Chris Priebe dropped the third strike. Albany's Ty Mauerman scored the go-ahead run when Priebe had to throw to first. Albany's Johnny Kallgren then lined an RBI single to left to give the Comets a 3-1 lead.
"We got good production from the young guys," Albany coach Brian Dahl said. "We had a little more confidence and started swinging the bat better. We really needed to step up."
After the Warriors cut the Comets' lead to 3-2 after scoring on an error in the fourth, Albany answered. Detra, who went 2 for 4, tripled in the fifth. Senior Josh Peters knocked him in on a single. Schulz added an RBI single in the sixth to give the Comets a 5-2 lead.
In the second game of the twin bill, the Warriors again jumped out to a lead in the first. Black Hawk's Cory Rupnow singled and Detra on the mound walked two. Black Hawk's Connor Moore then delivered a two-run single that he bounced to right to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.
Black Hawk southpaw Kyle Walters kept the Comets at bay until the third. The Comets scored two runs in the third to tie the game. Schulz led off with a single up the middle. Detra then lined a double to right. Schulz scored on an error. Mauerman stole second and Detra scored the game-tying run on the throw to second.
Walters pitched six innings and the Comets pounded out 17 hits off him and Monson.
"He's pitching good," Doyle said. "Walters is really coming on and throwing strikes. He just lost it a little bit."
Detra hit a game-tying home run in the seventh to tie the game at 5. That set the stages for some wildness by Black Hawk's pitchers that led to a heartbreaking loss on a bases loaded walk.
The Comets have now won three of their last five games. Schulz went 4 for 5 in the second game and Detra was 3 for 4 with a home run and two doubles.
"I think they have got more confidence with more playing time," Dahl said. "We have a young team. I think people are starting to settle in, know their roles and starting to fill them better."
Albany senior Boomer Detra and Cody Schulz played starring roles as the Comets swept a doubleheader from Black Hawk Thursday, winning the first game 8-3 and the night cap 6-5 in eight innings.
Black Hawk relief pitcher Aaron Monson issued a bases loaded walk to Detra in the eighth that gave the Comets a walkoff win.
"It's a very hard way to lose," Black Hawk coach Justin Doyle said.
Schulz went a combined 6 for 9 in the doubleheader and Detra was 5 for 8 with a home run, two doubles and a triple. With the win, Albany improves to (4-10, 3-8 Six Rivers East). Schulz pitched a complete game in the first game. He gave up three runs on six hits.
Schulz struck out nine and walked one.
"I think it was an expectation that we needed these two games," Schulz said of the sweep.
The Warriors (4-12, 4-9) committed two of their four errors in the seventh inning in the first game that led to two unearned runs by the Comets. Black Hawk junior Michael Walker went 2 for 3 with two runs scored. Walker pitched six innings and gave up five runs on six hits. He struck out eight and walked two.
"Mike Walker pitched a great game," Doyle said. "He just didn't have much help in the infield and outfield. There were just too many routine plays we didn't make. The inexperience definitely showed."
Black Hawk also had several scoring opportunities, but finished 2 for 14 hitting with runners in scoring position.
"The guys were not getting any timely hits," Doyle said. "We had guys in scoring position. We were just not able to get them in."
The Warriors jumped out to an early lead in the second. Walker crushed a triple to left leading off the second. Black Hawk's Mike Powers then came through, ripping an RBI double to left center to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. Schulz was well aware of the dangerous hitter Walker is in the Warriors' lineup.
"I just wanted to keep it out of his wheelhouse," Schulz said. "I had to keep the pitches down low or up really high. I just really needed to throw strikes and hope my team would back me up."
Walker walked the first two Comet hitters in the second. Albany's Patrick Deegan then delivered a game-tying RBI single to left. Walker struck out Austin Ross, but Black Hawk catcher Chris Priebe dropped the third strike. Albany's Ty Mauerman scored the go-ahead run when Priebe had to throw to first. Albany's Johnny Kallgren then lined an RBI single to left to give the Comets a 3-1 lead.
"We got good production from the young guys," Albany coach Brian Dahl said. "We had a little more confidence and started swinging the bat better. We really needed to step up."
After the Warriors cut the Comets' lead to 3-2 after scoring on an error in the fourth, Albany answered. Detra, who went 2 for 4, tripled in the fifth. Senior Josh Peters knocked him in on a single. Schulz added an RBI single in the sixth to give the Comets a 5-2 lead.
In the second game of the twin bill, the Warriors again jumped out to a lead in the first. Black Hawk's Cory Rupnow singled and Detra on the mound walked two. Black Hawk's Connor Moore then delivered a two-run single that he bounced to right to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.
Black Hawk southpaw Kyle Walters kept the Comets at bay until the third. The Comets scored two runs in the third to tie the game. Schulz led off with a single up the middle. Detra then lined a double to right. Schulz scored on an error. Mauerman stole second and Detra scored the game-tying run on the throw to second.
Walters pitched six innings and the Comets pounded out 17 hits off him and Monson.
"He's pitching good," Doyle said. "Walters is really coming on and throwing strikes. He just lost it a little bit."
Detra hit a game-tying home run in the seventh to tie the game at 5. That set the stages for some wildness by Black Hawk's pitchers that led to a heartbreaking loss on a bases loaded walk.
The Comets have now won three of their last five games. Schulz went 4 for 5 in the second game and Detra was 3 for 4 with a home run and two doubles.
"I think they have got more confidence with more playing time," Dahl said. "We have a young team. I think people are starting to settle in, know their roles and starting to fill them better."
