On Friday, Fatima played well at Linn and came away with a 6-1 victory despite the weather.

“It was a wet ending, but we were able to take care of business and get the win,” said Coach Tyler VanGerpen, noting he didn’t know what to expect from Linn. “They seemed to have some good wins leading into the match up.”

Fatima came out swinging but despite a pair of singles in the top of the first, the Comets didn’t score.

After shutting down Linn 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame, the Comets resumed their offense, and this time, it was a more fruitful enterprise with two runs in the top of the second.

Bryce Wieberg (2-3, 2 RBI) opened with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Matthew “Munch” Robertson walked and Logan Kliethermes (2-3) hit a single through the middle to load the bags.

Wieberg later scored on a passed ball, which advanced the other two runners. Robertson likewise scored on a passed ball to give Fatima a 2-0 lead.

After adding another run in the top of the third, Fatima led 3-0 until the sixth, when the Comets scored three with two outs.

Linn had runners on in the bottom of the fourth but saw the inning come to a close abruptly.

“(Max) Stuecken made a phenomenal play at shortstop to stop us in the fourth inning with a double play,” said Coach Dan Campbell. “We had good effort and intensity they just outplayed us.”

Trevor Schulte (1-4) singled to start the inning and moved around the horn on consecutive groundouts, later scoring on a passed ball.

Brody Kleffner (3-4) kept it going with a stand-up double. Glenn Berhorst reached on an error that moved Kleffner to third, and both scored on a Wieberg single to center field. Robertson drew another walk, and L. Kliethermes notched his second single of the game, but both were left on the bases.

Linn found an offensive opportunity in the fifth and the Wildcats scored their lone run. Tryten Reynolds (1-3) singled to left field to start the inning, but the next two batters found no joy at the plate. With Reynolds at second and two outs, he advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a pickoff attempt at third that went into left field.

That gave the Wildcats three hits on the day. “We couldn’t muster anything offensively,” said Campbell, whose players struck out nine times. “Give the Fatima pitchers credit; they kept us off balance all game.”

By then, the rain was steady, leading coaches to discuss whether play would continue.

“Those type of conditions you cannot prepare for,” said VanGerpen. “It’s something you have to experience. Understanding how to adjust your game plan as a player is the biggest hurdle. Once a player accepts the conditions and how different it is from when the game started, they can get back to competing.”

Campbell agreed. “We didn’t have any issues with the conditions,” he said. “I never saw anyone slip on the infield. It was more mental than anything. Pitchers were still able to locate pitches, and runners ran the bases fine.” 

Fatima and Linn adjusted, with neither team scoring the rest of the way, and few reached base.

In the last of the seventh, Linn had an opportunity after Austin Dudenhoeffer was hit by a pitch and Peyten Peters (1-3) singled to center field. However, Trevor Brandt (courtesy for Peters) and Dudenhoeffer were stranded and the game ended.

Colton Scheulen added a hit for the Comets, and Bobby Winkelman posted a single for Linn.

Blake Kliethermes started the game and held Linn hitless while striking out four over three innings. Sam Struemph allowed no earned runs on two hits with a strikeout over two innings of middle relief. Wieberg closed the game with four strikeouts and a base hit in two innings.

Dudenhoeffer opened the game and over two innings, allowed two earned runs on four hits, with three strikeouts and two walks. Reynolds struck out three in 1.2 innings, and Gus Peters over 3.1 innings struck out two and walked one while allowing an earned run on five hits.

“We tried to give them a different look each time through the lineup,” said Campbell. “ They have some very good hitters that were able to get hits and do damage. I was pleased with our three pitchers’ performance. We just didn’t match them offensively.”

The JV game ended in a 2-2 tie.

Tyler Bexten (double, RBI), Tanner Huhn, and Mason Bax each had a hit for Fatima, while Linn got an RBI single from Craig Laughlin, and a hit each from Aaron Starke and Jax Kubiak.

On the mound, Evan Koenigsfeld started the game for the Comets and went two innings, allowing one earned run on three hits, with five strikeouts and three walks. In two-thirds of an inning, Eli Libbert struck out one.

P. Peters allowed two earned runs on three hits with two strikeouts and a walk for the Wildcats.

On Thursday, Fatima defeated Eugene 11-0 as the Comets held the Eagles to just one hit.

Kleffner led the offense with a 2-3, four RBI day at the plate. Berhorst went 3-4 with a double and three RBI, while Scheulen (double) added two hits. Robertson (2 RBI), B. Kliethermes (RBI), Schulte, and Stuecken each had a single.

Kleffner struck out seven and walked one while giving up no runs on one hit in a four-inning start. L. Kliethermes closed the game with a strikeout.

The JV Comets won 10-2.

Tony Heckman led with three hits, Sam Struemph (3 RBI), Mason Bax (2 RBI), Hank Stuckenschneider (RBI), and Tyler Bexten (RBI), each added two hits, and Michael Sesti (RBI), Ean Smith, and Tanner Huhn had one apiece.